The offerings were to be “made to the Lord”. They were to be “pleasing
to the Lord.” These recurring phrases emphasize the importance of
keeping the Lord at the centre of all that we do. We are not to argue
about who is the greatest (Mark 9:34).
There is one Name that is above every name. It is the Name of Jesus.
Our sacrifice is to be the sacrifice of joy. Let us, with gladness,
bring our sacrifice of joy to the Lord - “at His tabernacle I will
sacrifice with shouts of joy; I will sing and make music to the Lord” (Psalm 27:6).
There is to be prayer from “every one who lives in the land” (Joel 1:14). It is to be personal prayer - “O Lord, I cry to You for help!” (Joel 1:19). These two belong together - prayer for the nation and personal prayer. This is expressed so well in the words: “O Holy Ghost, revival comes from Thee. Send a revival. Start the work in me.” We hear the words, “Return to the Lord, your God” (Joel 2:13). They are followed by some wonderful words about the character of God - “He is merciful and compassionate, patient and always ready to forgive and to change His plans about disaster” (Joel 2:13). How do we know that God is like this? We look at what He has done for us - “Be glad and rejoice. The Lord has done great things!” (Joel 2:21). Looking at all that the Lord has done for us, we trust His promise: “Whoever calls on the Name of the Lord will be saved” (Joel 2:32). This salvation is more than forgiveness for past sins. It’s more than the future glory of being in God’s ev...
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