The Lord Will Do Great Things
“Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the LORD will do great things. Be not afraid, ye beasts of the field: for the pastures of the wilderness do spring, for the tree beareth her fruit, the fig tree and the vine do yield their strength. Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month. And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the fats shall overflow with wine and oil. And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you. And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the LORD your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you: and my people shall never be ashamed. And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the LORD your God, and none else: and my people shall never be ashamed.” —Joel 2:21-27
Many of us were alarmed at the outcome of the 2020 U.S. presidential election and, as of this writing (Jan. 26, 2021), we all thought we would be free from the draconian lockdown measures. Alas, it appears that it will continue further into 2021. However, as believers, our focus should not be on COVID, Washington blunders, lockdowns, or businesses being partially open. Instead, we should look to the Lord, for the Lord can and will move on behalf of His children regardless of external circumstances.
The book of Joel is referred to by Pentecostals as the Holy Spirit book of the Old Testament. It was in this book that Joel spoke of the coming outpouring of the Holy Spirt, a prophecy Peter would quote on the day of Pentecost.
The name Joel means “Jehovah is God,” and that is something we should never forget. In times of crisis, like the ones we now face, it’s easy for some believers to forget that Jesus Christ is God, and He is in charge, not man.
The prophecy of Joel is undated; it is general. It covers the period of the “times of the Gentiles,” meaning from the time of Nebuchadnezzar to the time of the anti-Christ. The message was directed to Judah.
The prediction of the prophecy concerns the blessings that are to come upon God’s people during the coming kingdom age because it concerns the future. Too many Christians believe these blessings are unavailable now. But if the Holy Spirit allowed Peter to claim its promises on the day of Pentecost, then the Lord allows us to claim these great promises right now.
The church has a problem of looking to the past or to the future, but not the present. The church must always remember that we serve a “now” God. We have a better covenant based on better promises.
The book of Hebrews tells us:
1. Christ is better than the angels.
2. The new covenant contains a better hope.
3. Jesus is the mediator of a better covenant.
4. The new covenant is established upon better promises.
5. Our Lord offered a better sacrifice.
6. God has provided better things for us.
7. Jesus speaks better things than that of Abel.
So let’s look at what the Lord told Joel, and what He is telling us.
Fear Not
Satan may be powerful, but Jesus Christ is all powerful. He is the “I Am” of the “I Will,” and His Word is “fear not.” II Timothy 1:7 says: “God hath not given us a spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” Multiple times in the Gospels we read the words of Christ to His disciples: “fear not.” Don’t let fear rule your life. Don’t let fear keep you in your house, afraid of a man-made health crisis. Yes, bad things happen in the world, but don’t become a slave to the fears of what might happen.
Be Glad And Rejoice
Put on the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. Isaiah 61:3 says: “To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness; the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.” Shake off those heavy bands, lift up holy hands and begin to be glad and rejoice in the Lord.
For The Lord Will Do Great Things
God can do great things for those who will believe Him and not allow fear to rule and reign. Believe God for big things. He is a big God, so ask big. In the midst of a hostile government and a man-made virus, God can and will still do great things.
Restoration
Then the “I Am” of the “I Will” said He would do this for us: “I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpillar and the palmerworm.”
Harvest
“The floors shall be full of wheat.” This is used to symbolize the coming harvest of souls that will be brought into the kingdom. “The fats (vats) shall overflow with wine and oil.” This speaks of a superabundant flow of the Holy Spirit, which wine and oil are symbols of.
Plenty
“Ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied.” In Psalm 37:25, David said: “I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.” Just make sure your steps are ordered by the Lord (Ps. 37:23). The Lord desires His children to have plenty and be satisfied. As said in Philippians 4:19: “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”
“Ye shall … praise the name of the LORD your God that hath dealt wondrously with you.”
We should be praising the Lord continuously, no matter what is happening in the world. “My people shall never be ashamed.” What a promise!
I Am In Your Midst’
“And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel” (put your city, state, or country in this spot, for God is where you are), “and that I am the LORD your God!” And what a good and great God He is.
The Lord will do great things for you.
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