Joel

Until a couple hours ago I don’t think I had ever read the book of Joel in the Bible. I don’t really know that I expected anything in particular, but I was still sort of surprised by the book. I feel like it is a beautifully written but slightly depressing book.

In chapter 1 it says, “What the gnawing locust has left, the swarming locust has eaten;

And what the swarming locust has left, the creeping locust has eaten; And what the creeping locust has left, the stripping locust has eaten.“ I don’t know about you, but that verse makes it sound like the situation is pretty much a hopeless one. Of course, the Lord doesn’t let the chapter end negatively, at the end of chapter 3 he describes how Judah will be blessed: “And in that day the mountains will drip with sweet wine, and the hills will flow with milk, and all the brooks of Judah will flow with water; and a spring will go out from the house of the LORD to water the valley of Shittim.” This part of the passage just reminds me how great and merciful our God is. Not that I don’t get reminded daily, it’s just always refreshing though to be reminded through the Lord’s word of how gracious he really is. Even in a chapter where it talks about the nations being judged, the Lord makes a point of mentioning that he will reward the faithful in the end. Now, I realize that this might not have anything to do with literature necessarily, but sometimes I just feel like we need to remember what a great God we serve and how good he is to us. So maybe next blog I will concentrate more on the literature side of the book of Joel, but this was more important tonight. Make a point tonight to thank the Lord for being so great. God bless and goodnight.