15 November 2015

The call is for God’s people to return to God. This must be “with all your heart” marked by fasting, weeping and mourning, not superficial repentance but cuts to the core of the emotions and the spirit. It is grounded on the character of God who is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and who relents from punishing. This is an urgent matter that even the bride and the groom should interrupt their wedding celebrations to join the “Return to God” assembly of the people.

When the people return to God, the LORD will be zealous for His land and comfort His people. The LORD will provide the refreshing, sending grain, new wine and oil, enough to satisfy the people fully; never again will God make them an object of scorn to the surrounding nations. They will be glad and rejoice in the LORD God. The threshing floors will be filled with grain; the vats will overflow with new wine and oil. The LORD will repay for the years of locust attack and the land will be refreshed. They will have plenty to eat and will praise the name of the LORD God who has worked wonders for them; never again will the people be shamed.

God will pour out His Holy Spirit on all the people. Sons and daughters will prophesy, old men will dream dreams and young men will see visions. God will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD. Everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance among the survivors whom the LORD calls.

What a faithful and wonderful God we worship who desires and provides the best for us. We need have no fear at all for He is always there, watching, guiding, providing and looking after us. Sincere repentance is needed to return to the LORD, wait on the Lord and to trust and obey to be happy in the LORD. Whoever calls on the name of the LORD will be saved. The LORD is not slack concerning His promise but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but all should come to repentance. What a great and wonderful LORD God we trust and worship!