Life Matters - November 9, 2022
Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision. (Joel 3:14) I do not profess to understand all the prophetic utterances flowing from the pen of the prophet Joel, but what is clear is that chapter one is a pronouncement of judgment that continues into chapter two. Among Bible scholars, Thompson believed, and I agree, that the time of judgments pronounced upon Judah are three-fold, (a.) The plague of locusts, Ch. 1:4-9; (b.) The severe drought, Ch. 1:10-20, and (c.) The invasion of enemies, Ch. 2:1-10. There follows a call to penitence and prayer, followed by that beautiful promise (Ch. 2:28-32) that the Apostle Peter recited in his profound explanation to the crowd of thousands at Pentecost who saw the Spirit descending in cloven tongues like as of fire, heard the sound as of a rushing mighty wind, and then experienced the greatest miracle of all: that of hearing the disciples speaking as they were filled with the Holy Ghost and each person hearing them in their own tongue (language) “wherein they were born” (Acts chapter 2).
The Jews had gathered together in Jerusalem for the day of Pentecost held at the end of wheat harvest…to commemorate the giving of the Law. (Thompson) The law given to bring us to Christ. (Gal. 3:24) Now “Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness (emphasis added) to everyone that believeth” (Rom. 10:4). Both the Old Testament faithful and the New Testament believers (faithful) are saved by the blood of Jesus Christ that He shed for all of us, proving for all time and eternity that love wins, that hate is defeated. “…for there is no other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” (Acts 4:10) This is an everyday choice; will we allow love or hate into our hearts and minds? The choice is ours. To expect everything in this world to be fair and to be meted out fairly is to accept constant inner struggle as a way of life. To accept honestly that “that wasn’t fair” or “that isn’t fair” (“honestly” is key here) is not a call to either implode or explode, but rather, a call to give the hurt to Jesus; who receives it as if it were a gift; (and yes, I do know what that is like) and then to go on loving (or return to loving, whatever the case may be) as Jesus infuses courage into our heart, soul, mind, and strength. (And yes, I know what that is like as well.) What or who we turn to for courage and spiritual strength will eventually, or perhaps is already, what or who we love the most. That principle we cannot help. We also cannot help the principle that we become more and more like what or who we focus on the most. Which is why, I believe, that “looking unto Jesus” is so clearly stressed in the New Testament. Jesus, who teaches us... “Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them.” (Matt 7:12)
So please forgive me if I draw your attention to the political problems and fallacies of our day and your mind stays and wallows there. If I know myself, that has not been, and is not, my intention, but rather, as someone else put it, to “explore current events through the lens of faith.” That is my purpose and I hope, as we corporately consider current events through the lens of our faith that the experience may drive us all closer and cause a greater dependence upon our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ, whom we can depend upon to help us love despite the malice, to love despite cruelty, to love despite rejection, as well as to love those who love us. Because of Jesus, who is always fair, always beautiful, always benevolent, always kind, always accepting those who come to Him. As we are. Not, as we wish we were, not as we know we should be, not, as others see us, not, as we want others to see us. As we are. As God sees us. Sometimes, with the help of others. Multitudes, multitudes, in the valley of decision…
Life Matters!