I am using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I have found that by writing this daily blog of what I see when I read these scriptures, I get more out of them. I hope that by posting these ruminations others may get some benefit as well. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them. I hope that the Spirit is moving in others through these posts as the Spirit has definitely been convicting me.
Today I read the Book of Joel. The prophet begins by describing how the land was overrun by locust swarms. It appears that at the same time there was a drought. The prophet calls for a time of fasting, mourning and praying. Turn to the Lord, do not focus on outward signs of mourning, rather focus on genuine remorse and sorrow for your sins, change your ways and follow God. Call all the people together for a time of prayer and fasting. Seek the will of God. He is slow to anger and full of love. God is eager to bless us when we do what is right.
If we repent and turn to the Lord in our times of trial, He will bless us again. Once we have repented our sins and turned back to God let us begin rejoicing in the great things He has done in the past and will do in the future. If we confess our sins and turn to God, He will bless us and more than that He will pour out His Spirit on us. The young will prophesy and see visions. The old will dream dreams. God’s Spirit will be poured out equally on all who are willing, young and old, rich and poor, men and women. All will be equal before God. At that time God is going to bring judgment against those who refuse to follow Him, but those who call on His name will be saved.
Let us gather together for fasting and mourning, confessing our sins and repenting of our sinful ways. Then let us rejoice in the good things that God is about to do. Let us rejoice in the ways that He is going to reveal His power among us. I will promise to embrace prophecy, no matter who it comes from. I will revel in the visions and dreams that God gives His people. By doing this I can be a witness to those around me and hopefully convict a few more to turn to God and follow His ways.
I begin the Book of Revelation. Revelation is a difficult book that all too many Christians avoid, partly because it scares them and partly because of all of the crackpots who have attempted to use it to predict when Jesus will return. I do not believe that John’s Revelation was intended for us to figure out when Jesus will return. Its purpose is to prepare us for the things that will happen around us and to show us that no matter how much evil may seem to dominate, God is in control of all that happens.
John begins by telling us that God will bless those who read this prophecy, listen to its message and obey what it says. He specifically addressed this letter to the seven churches of the Roman province of Asia (western Turkey). John gives us some great language describing God. He tells us that God is, was and is to come. God is with us today. If we look back into the past, we can see that God was there as well. As we move into the future we can have faith that God will be there with us as well. God has always been and always will be. It was God who started things off and it will be God who brings things to an end. There is no place or time to get away from God.
Those who fear the Lord and follow His ways will be blessed. They will flourish and thrive. Those that marry will have a marriage that is joyful and blessed.
Those who do not accept divine guidance will live life with no discipline and no plan. Those who obey God’s instructions will find joy.