Devotion • October 25
Today’s Scripture Reading
Joel 2:23–32
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. The threshing floors shall be full of grain, the vats shall overflow with wine and oil. 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. 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. 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.
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. Even on the male and female slaves, in those days, I will pour out my spirit. I will show portents in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes. 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. (NRSV)
Reflection
The book of Joel has long been regarded as one of the most difficult books in the Bible to date and contextualize, but in some ways that difficulty reflects how timeless Joel’s message really is.
Beginning with a beautiful metaphor about times of famine and times of abundance, this passage is a promise to God’s people that times and seasons of struggle are exactly that: seasons — even if they may not feel like it in the moment. There will be better days ahead, Joel promises: “You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God,” and the day will come when “old men shall dream dreams and young men shall see visions.”
If you have ever been through a time of extended struggle in your life, you know there are times when it feels that period will never come to an end. Perhaps that is exactly how you are feeling right now. Our individual and collective lives have been deeply affected by the pandemic, and many of us are still struggling to figure out what is next for our lives and those close to us. This time has been one of famine for far too many, literal and metaphorical. Even with that hard reality, though, we know the days are coming when all of us, young and old, shall dream dreams and see visions once more, and so we dare to open ourselves to hope and possibility, praying God’s spirit will lead us forward.
Prayer
Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me. Renew my hope, restore my vision, help me to dream dreams — not merely for the benefit of myself, but for all your people. Amen.
Written by Matt Helms, Associate Pastor for Children, Family, and Welcoming Ministries
Reflection and Prayer © Fourth Presbyterian Church
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