Mon.’s Devo - God’s Revelatin Sent to Us

Read: Joel 1:1-3:21; Revelation 1:1-20; Psalm 128:1-6; Proverbs 29:18 Joel’s name means “Yahweh is God”. Joel is believed to be one of the earliest minor prophets who prophesied during the rule of Joash. A plague of locusts had come in and devoured their land and killed their animals causing famine and drought. Many people died as a result. The locusts even ate the seed for the next year’s planting. Joel prophecies that this was the hand of God and his judgment over the land. In Deuteronomy 28:38-46 it explains what will happen to the nation if they forget the Lord and don’t obey his laws. These scriptures describe what Joel and his fellow citizens were experiencing. *** Joel calls the people to repentance and fasting. He cries out for God to have mercy and help them. The people are in panic as they watch the locust sweep across the land. Joel sees that the Lord is leading the locusts and they are his army. The Lord knows that no one can stand against him and his army so he begs the people to turn to him and give him their hearts. He would have mercy and compassion on them. The Lord would have pity and guard his land. He would send them grain and everything they needed. He would drive his army of locust into the Dead Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. God would then restore life to their land. *** Then the Lord will pour out his Spirit upon all flesh and their old men will dream dreams and young men will see visions. Everyone will be on the same plain. God will send signs and wonders in the skies. The sun will become dark and the moon turn to blood red before the day of the Lord, but everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. The ones that God has called will survive. God will restore the prosperity of Judah and Jerusalem and judge the armies of the world in the valley of Jehoshaphat. God will be a refuge for his people and they will receive blessing while the world is being judged. God’s people will receive life and blessing and pardon. They will dwell with the Lord and he will dwell in Jerusalem. *** Revelation was given to Jesus by God to show him what was going to happen shortly. Jesus sent his angel to give it to John who had been an eye-witness to his ministry on the earth. We are blessed if we read these words of Jesus because the time is near. *** God and his seven Spirits, and Jesus sends them grace and peace. Jesus is coming with clouds and every eye will see him, even the ones who are his enemies. *** God declared that he is the Alpha and Omega, beginning and the End. He is the one who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty. *** John then tells his side of what happened. He was on the island of Patmos for preaching about Jesus. It was the Sabbath and John was in the Spirit. He heard a loud voice behind him that said, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last.” Then the voice told him that he was to write in a book and send it to the seven churches which were in Asia: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. *** When John turned to see where the voice was coming from he saw a huge menorah lit up. In the midst of it was the Son of Man clothed in glory with a golden banner across his chest. His eyes were like a flame of fire and his feet shone like brass refined in the fire. He held seven stars in his right hand and out of his mouth went a sharp two-edge sword. His countenance was like the sun in brightness. John fell to the ground like a dead man. The voice told him not to be afraid. He was to write everything down because it was what was going to take place on the earth. *** Lord, may we walk in the fear of the Lord, remembering who you are and what your mission is. May we assist in bringing your Kingdom down to earth.