This post is Day 21 in a series of studies about “Joy”. I strongly suggest you begin with the introduction to this study, please click here to read it.

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Joy – Day 21

In recent years while covid has been ravaging the earth, there has been a world wide demonstration of this verse. Joy withered away! Very few smiles were seen because people were unhappy, or because they were wearing masks and we could not see their smiles even if they were there!

Joel 1:12

Surely the people’s joy is withered away.

The Thought

This is the last verse of Joel’s opening complaints. He is talking to the elders and pleading with them to waken up and see reality. In verse 5 he turns his complaint to those who drink a lot of wine, telling them to take notice that there is no new wine being produced because of the damage done by the invading army of locusts. All crops are destroyed and something needs to be done. It is not a time for continuing as though all is well.

That sounds like good advice. Some of us have a tendency to try to ignore world problems, hoping that God will deal with them and we can just continue living life as it has always been!

In the second chapter of this short book Joel likens the damage they were experiencing to what will happen when The Lord visits the earth as the Messiah. Many were expecting that to happen soon. Joel’s message told those who were listening that it was not time to relax and think that things would be as “normal” once more, because they wouldn’t. It is a real call to repentance.

In recent years while covid has been ravaging the earth, there has been a world wide demonstration of this verse. Joy withered away! Very few smiles were seen because people were unhappy, or because they were wearing masks and we could not see their smiles even if they were there!

Action

Read Matthew 5:1-14 today. Note that Jesus who is the light of the world (John 8:12 & John 9:5) told us to be the light of the world until He returns.

Ask The Lord how you can be a brighter light in your community throughout this Christmas season.

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