Joel 2:12-13 – “Yet even now (in the midst of judgment), says the LORD, return to Me with all your heart – with fasting, weeping,  and mourning.  13.  Tear your hearts, not just your garments.  Return to the LORD your God,  for He is merciful and boundless in loyal love (covenant unending unconditional love) – often relenting from calamitous punishment.”  

As I read, prayed, and pondered the Word of God today, I was drawn to the reality of judgment.     If that alone had been my focus, it would have depressed me.   However, as I read in Joel, I saw God’s judgment in the context of God’s purpose of restoration.   I saw God’s incredible mercy, and I was encouraged and comforted.

The chorus that used to be sung about the Army of the Lord always troubled me.  The Army of that chorus was characterized or described as an army of different kinds of devouring locusts sent for judgment.   They rushed on the city, climbed on the walls, and were called the army of the Lord.  It was judgment, and they were bringing destruction.  I could not get excited about that. 

However, I can get excited about what Joel declares in Joel 2:12-13.   The reality is that even in judgment, God is merciful and compassionate, seeking restoration.

In Joel 2:25, we see God’s heart for those who repent.  “I will make up for the years that the ‘arbeh-locust consumed your crops, the hasil-locust, and gazam-locust – My great army that I sent against you.”    He continues telling them they would move from lack to plenty.

Then, in verses 28-29, we have that incredible promise of a mighty outpouring of the Holy Spirit.   But notice how he begins the promise,  “After All This…”   After the incredible judgment of the Day of the LORD.  After the hearts have been brought to repentance, the overflow of Revival, Renewal, and Restoration will come!

In verse 32, God’s guarantee is, “It will so happen that everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be delivered.”   Judgment is coming to this world, but God’s love, mercy, and grace are too!    If we seek Him with our hearts, we may not escape the pain of the judgment, but we will be delivered.   God will not abandon us. 

In times of judgment, we need the Body of Christ to be a functioning Body.   We strengthen each other.   We have hope even in times of hopelessness.   

I see the dual or parallel.  There will be judgment and revival coming simultaneously.   Those who turn to God with a whole heart will be delivered!    We will be able to rescue others as well. 

Don’t be shaken by the coming shaking.   Hang on to your hat; visions, dreams, and a mighty overflow of the Holy Spirit are about to burst forth.  As the darkness deepens, the light grows brighter.  As evil abounds, grace abounds even more.  As destruction comes, restoration comes to the heart that is hungry and surrendered.

It is a choice!  God’s love opens the door for victory.  Walk through it!   Things are about to get really exciting.   It will be frightening for those who are uncertain and rebellious.   It will be exciting for the fully surrendered and committed.

Although judgment is coming, so is Mercy and out of Mercy Revival, Renewal, and Restoration!

Hosea 8:7 – “They sow the wind, and so they will reap the whirlwind!”

As I read, prayed, and meditated on the Word of God today, I was reminded of the timeless truth of “The Law of Harvest.”  I saw something I had not considered in this law or principle.   Our attitude toward the Word of God and the Word from God through His messengers is sowing, and sowing produces a crop to be reaped.

Hosea 9:7 – “The prophet is considered a fool – the inspired man is viewed as a madman – BECAUSE of the multitude of your sins and your intense animosity.”

The more sinful a people become, the more they disregard God’s Word and the more they vilify His messengers.   Sin and animosity (anger and hate) permeate our world today.  When we reject God’s Word and turn on His messengers, we are sowing a crop of destruction and judgment.   Sowing to the wind produces whirlwinds.

Hosea 10:13 – “But you have plowed wickedness; you have reaped injustice; you have eaten the fruit of deception.   Because you have depended on your chariots, you have relied on your many warriors.”

When we sow seeds of confidence in human ability and ignore God’s principles of righteousness, the harvest is injustice.  It stems from deception, causing us to believe we can fix it with our own abilities.   We sow seeds of confidence in man and reap a harvest of deception.

This principle or law affects every dimension of life.   If God is truly our focus and pursuit, we are open to His message and the messengers He sends.   If we allow hate to be planted in our hearts, we reap injustice and judgment.

We are citizens of the kingdom and have been invited to live in the presence, power, and provision of that kingdom.  Seek God first, and He adds.  Sowing and reaping.  We give Him our everything, and He gives us His everything.

That illustrates the Law of Harvest.

• We reap what (in kind and type) we sow.
• We reap later (growing time) than we sow.
• We reap more (multiplicity) than we sow.

If we sow a slight breeze, we reap a hurricane.    If we sow a little animosity, we reap full-blown hate.   If we sow a little compassion, we reap an overflow of agape.   If we sow faithfulness in a small thing, we reap God’s faithfulness in all things.

What we sow, we reap, and each crop touches other dimensions of life.  It becomes like a snowball rolling down a hill.   It goes faster and gets larger.   Let’s sow seeds and deeds for the life we desire!

We will reap what we sow, more than we sow, and later than we sow, but we have to sow!    Sow to the harvest you desire to reap!

Ezekiel 47:1-2 – “Then he brought me back to the entrance of the temple.  I noticed that water was flowing from under the threshold of the temple toward the east (for the temple faced east).  The water was flowing down from under the right side of the temple, from south of the altar.  ² He led me out by way of the north gate and brought me around the outside of the outer gate that faces toward the east; I noticed that the water was trickling out from the south side.”

As I read, prayed, and meditated on the Word of God today, God (His person, presence, power, protection, and provision) was the focus of my heart.  Ezekiel 47 has long been a source of intrigue for me.   The water that flowed from the temple formed a river with progressively deeper depths.  The different depths were determined after exact measurements of distances.  It was ankle-deep, knee-deep, waist-deep, and then he had to swim.  It was uncrossable.

In my mind, the visual was how we treat the things of God and our relationship with the divine.    Salvation, in its infancy, is the ankle-deep waters.   We are essentially maintaining control.   We reach knee-deep waters as we move deeper into God through prayer and reading the Word.   Saved and learning more of God’s Truth and Grace, but still able to stand in our own strength.

We reach knee-deep waters as we move deeper into God through prayer and reading the Word.   Then, we move deeper into the Word, dying to self and surrendering more fully to God’s desires and purposes.   We reach waist-deep waters; we are still able to maintain a sense of control, but we recognize our need for God’s help.

Then we become consumed with God, saturated in the Holy Spirit, which is to sink or swim in an uncrossable river.   That’s where God desires to take us.  In that place, we become like the three Hebrew children (Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah), whose commitment and confidence in God plunged them into the river of God, also known as Ezekiel’s river.   In that place, they could face certain death with no fear or uncertainty.  The result was that they didn’t bend, bow, or burn.

Notice how they are described in Daniel 3:27 – “…physically unharmed by the fire.  The hair of their head was not singed, nor were their trousers damaged.  Not even the smell of the fire was to be found on them.”    That last part seems to be God’s emphasis on the extent of His protection for the saturated believers!

In that condition, we can become living examples of Romans 12 Gift Ministries, loving without hypocrisy and blessing those who persecute us.   We can lay aside everything that hinders our spiritual development and thereby become beacons of hope to the world and the church.

Tragically, there exists in today’s church some who are at ease with living with one foot in the world and one in the kingdom.  (Not possible, but for illustrative purposes, I say that.)    Romans 13:13-14 – “Let us live decently as in the daytime (full exposure), not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in discord and jealousy.  14 Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provisions for the flesh to arouse its desires.”

If we are saturated with God and filled (crammed full) with the Holy Spirit, the world and carnal desires lose their grip and appeal.   We develop eyes for another world and see the truly valuable.  We live lives that are unlivable in the natural world but normal in the Spirit.   We become filled with God, and His kingdom is manifested in us daily.

We can live as slaves to the flesh or as overcomers in the kingdom.   My prayer for you is Romans 15:13 – “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe in Him, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Victory is yours; receive it. 

Ezekiel 33:1-6  – “The Lord’s message came to me: ² “Son of man, speak to your people, and say to them, ‘Suppose I bring a sword against the land, and the people of the land take one man from their borders and make him their watchman.  ³ He sees the sword coming against the land, blows the trumpet, and warns the people, ⁴ but there is one who hears the sound of the trumpet yet does not heed the warning.  Then the sword comes and sweeps him away.  He will be responsible for his own death.  ⁵ He heard the sound of the trumpet but did not heed the warning, so he is responsible for himself.  If he had heeded the warning, he would have saved his life.  ⁶ But suppose the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet to warn the people.  Then the sword comes and takes one of their lives.  He is swept away for his iniquity, but I will hold the watchman accountable for that person’s death.”

The idea of responsibility and love gripped my heart as I prayed, read, and pondered the Word of God today.   In Ezekiel 33, we have the responsibility of “The Watchmen” to give a warning.   The Holy Spirit challenged my heart by warning me of danger.  We tend to consider things none of our business and sit silently, adopting the worldview of ‘live and let live.’

I heard, “Is that love?”   If we see danger (sin endangers eternity), any danger, and fail to warn, is that love?    How much do we truly love?  Love, genuine love, is unwilling to see danger consume its target without attempting to rescue it from that destruction.

How much do we love God?   Let me offer a test or measure (that will possibly receive an adverse reaction) to reveal our true valuation of God.   If we want to know how much God means in our lives and how important He truly is, examine the place you give His Word.   God means as much or as little to us as His Word means to us!

Jesus said, “If you love me, you WILL keep my commandments (Word).” You WILL!   God’s importance and value to us are equivalent to the importance of His Word.  Superficial relationships produce inconsistent living.   If we ABIDE in Him and His Word ABIDES in us, we live victoriously.

How does the Word ABIDE in us?   By reading, studying, and embracing it!  

• If we do not love the Word of God, how can we love God, who is the Word?  
• If we do not obey the Word, how can we claim to love God?
• If we love others (Which is evidence of loving God), how can we not do everything in our power to warn and reach them with the truth?

Love is demonstrated, not just declared.  Love is a verb (action word), not a noun.   We, the redeemed, have a divine responsibility to the LORD, the wayward believers, and the lost to sound the alarm and endeavor to rescue the endangered and perishing.

How much do we love?  I’ll be contemplating that for days.  It’s a recurring theme as I read and pray each day.  I keep hearing, “How much do you love?”   I keep hearing, “Do you love Me?” Then I hear, “Show Me!”   Heaven is too great a gift to jeopardize it by disobedience or the lack of love.

How Much Do We Love?