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Hear the devotional here: https://anchor.fm/eradio-valverde/episodes/The-Outpouring-of-the-Holy-Spirit-e1p6e81
23 O children of Zion, be glad and rejoice in the Lord your God; for he has given the early rain for your vindication, he has poured down for you abundant rain, the early and the later rain, as before. 24 The threshing floors shall be full of grain, the vats shall overflow with wine and oil. 25 I will repay you for the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter, my great army, which I sent against you. 26 You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God, who has dealt wondrously with you. And my people shall never again be put to shame. 27 You shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I, the Lord, am your God and there is no other. And my people shall never again be put to shame. 28 Then afterward I will pour out my spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. 29 Even on the male and female slaves, in those days, I will pour out my spirit. 30 I will show portents in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. 31 The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes. 32 Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved; for in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape, as the Lord has said, and among the survivors shall be those whom the Lord calls. (Joel 2:23-32 New Revised Standard Version Bible)
The prophet Joel was the second among the minor prophets. His name combines the name of God, YHWH, and El, and comes out meaning "One to whom YHWH is God," or worshiper of God." He is perhaps better known for part of this passage being included in Peter's first sermon on the Day of Pentecost. Being a prophet, Joel spoke for God, and usually the sermon message given to the prophet to give to the people ran along the lines of "behave!" One of my favorite Farside comics was of a Dalmatian preaching from the pulpit and he is saying, "...And He said unto them: Bad dogs! No, no!'" (I had already typed in my recollection when I did a Google search and found it). But, along with the message calling for obedience, God would include the hope that was coming with it. The message was for the people of God to be glad and to rejoice in the Lord because God was still in HIs throne and still doing what He does; care for His people. God has provided an early rain, along with early and later rain. The promise of grain bins being filled and the threshing floors being full of grain; the wine vats will be overflowing with wine and oil, and a reparation from God was coming to repay all that had been lost during the presence of all pestilence. This would mean that stomachs will be filled, and you will eat as you praise the Lord.
Then the forthcoming prophetic word that spoke to Peter, who went defending the actions of those filled with the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2), he knew that what the prophet spoke some 800 years earlier was now fulfilling, for he saw what was happening among the twelve, speaking in other languages and sharing prophecies. The promise from God was that the movement of the Holy Spirit as a power for the salvation of the world. It is the movement of God to work beyond the Church to establish it, guide it, and empower it to conquer sin and death through the message we share of Jesus. The Church must prepare the world for the coming of the Lord again, thus the references to the warning signs that the Prophet Joel shared of "The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes." Then the hope, "Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved."
You and I have a lot of work to do as we carry on what God wants; the repenting of our sins; the turning away from our sinful ways, and our surrendering to the Lord and the inviting of others to join us in seeking the fullness of life. The prophet Joel shared from God that we would need God's power in the Holy Spirit to be faithful and fruitful. We are needed, and we are welcome to do what we have been called to do. If we feel weak or timid, or unable to do the tasks, Jesus sent us His Holy Spirit to guide us and bless us to bless others. All we have to do is ask.
PRAYER: Loving God, bless us with the gift of the Holy Spirit so that we can have the strength, boldness, courage and wisdom we need to do Thy will; in Christ Jesus we pray, amen!
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! YOUR CALL TO ACTION: Be faithful and fruitful as you share God's love!
Receive my blessings of love and peace,
Pastor Eradio Valverde
