Thursday- December 6
Joel
1:4; 2:21-25 - What the cutting locust left, the
swarming locust has eaten. What the swarming locust left, the hopping locust
has eaten, and what the hopping locust left, the destroying locust has eaten.
Do not fear, O soil; be glad and rejoice, for the Lord has done great things!
Do
not fear, you animals of the field, for the pastures of the wilderness are
green; the tree bears its fruit, the fig tree and vine give their full
yield. O
children of Zion, be glad and rejoice in the Lord
your God; for he has given the early rain
for your vindication, he has poured down for you abundant rain, the early and
the later rain, as before. The
threshing-floors shall be full of grain, the vats shall overflow with wine and
oil. I
will repay you for the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the hopper,
the destroyer, and the cutter, my great army, which I sent against you
I
am not a huge fan of bugs. And a text on
locusts eating all the food and devastating the land of Israel is surely not a
pleasant one to contemplate as we deck the halls and sit by tree. But the promises here are truly beautiful. A
plague has devastated the people – a plague their sins brought upon them. But
no matter how bad things get, God’s compassion does not let the locust be the
last word! In the midst of hard times, God tells the people and even the
animals to not fear. A time of blessing is coming! Pastures will be green.
Fruit and fig trees will bloom. Abundant rain will yield such incredible
harvests that the years of deprivation will be completely forgotten. When we face hard times, when our Christmases
are tinged with sadness, pain, and grief, God is there with us. He promises that any years any locusts have
eaten will be repaid by ones full of joy. Jesus will come again and “He
will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and
crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away.’
(Rev.21:4) The baby born at Christmas will
return as the King He is and make all things new. Suffering will cease and the years the locust
ate will vanish in His glory! “Come
quickly, Lord Jesus!”
Prayer: In my hard times, help me
to keep hope and trust in you. Come quickly, Lord Jesus!
Application:
Think back to a time when you wondered if you were going to make it. Think of how God saw you through. If you know someone in need, pray for them
and send them an email or card to encourage them.
O Tidings of Comfort and Joy! Comfort and Joy! O Tidings of Comfort and Joy! (From "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen")
By Rev. Tracie Stewart
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