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"To you, Lord, I call, for fire has devoured the pastures in the wilderness and flames have burned up all the trees of the field."
(Joel 1:19)
Which books of the Bible would you say you are least familiar with? I think for many of us, it is likely the books of the minor prophets. Perhaps with the exception of Jonah, the short books of the minor prophets often get overlooked. However, we believe that the entirety of Scripture is profitable for teaching and, even more, the very word of God! Let's spend the week gleaning from one of those lesser studied books: Joel.
Being a short book, you could probably read the whole book each day this week. But for today, at least read chapter 1.
The book begins as Joel speaks of a recent disaster in the form of swarms of locusts which have caused much destruction. The food supply for Israel has been utterly desolated, and Joel calls for the people to cry out to God. Then he himself cries out to God in verse 19.
One thing that stands out to me when I read this is: sometimes, the Lord uses times of great suffering or affliction to get our attention.
Do you know people who don't really follow Jesus, but when tragedy strikes, they will cry out to God? Prayer isn't a part of their daily life, but when something really challenging comes their way, a wave of panic leads them to call out to God.
In Joel 1, this swarm of locusts clearly wiped out so much life and livelihood. The drunkards wept, for their wine supply was cut off. The priests likewise mourned, for their offerings of grain and drink were no longer available, and thus their participation in the covenant was affected. From the drunkards to the priests, everyone was affected. By taking away what they desired (wine for the drunkards and offerings for the priests), the Lord certainly got their attention.
The psalmist writes in Psalm 119:17, "It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees." Nobody really seeks after affliction, but in hindsight, we can certainly see how the Lord has used it to teach us, disciple us, discipline us, and make us more like Him. How differently we might walk through periods of affliction if we had this in mind in the midst of our suffering and not only when looking back.
This is not to say that all suffering is directly caused by the Lord's desire to get your attention. We live in a broken world where suffering is the norm until the Lord returns and all things are made new. However, when troubles do come, will you be open to asking the Lord if He is indeed trying to get your attention? What are you trying to teach me, Lord? What do I need to repent of, Lord? How are you calling me to change, Lord? Who do you want to minister to because of this suffering? Where have I drifted from your will for my life?
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