Joel 1:16 - 2:13 - "The Day of the Lord"

As we finish up chapter one and begin chapter two in the book of Joel this week, we find the prophet Joel, who was as a spiritual watchman over Judah, pleading with the nation to repent. In Joel 2:12–19, he pleaded with the nation to turn to the Lord in genuine repentance as the only way to avoid the devastating destruction of the coming “day of the Lord” (Joel 1:15).It’s important to notice that while the prophet Joel is calling the nations and Israel to repentance, he’s not simply encouraging them to repent with lofty religious words; he’s calling them to repent by fully surrendering to the Lord and changing their actions. Notice what the Lord says through the prophet Joel:“...turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil." — Joel 2:12-13What a beautiful picture of how genuine heart change (repentance), from the inside out, leads to God being eager to demonstrate His love and mercy despite the obvious reality that none deserve it. Now that’s good news! This will lead us to the last part of Joel as he elaborates on what a future hope can look like for those who repent, turn to the Lord, and fully embrace His ways.