“And everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved, for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the LORD promised, among the remnant called by the LORD (Joel 2:32).”
That includes you. Though you are despicable and dastardly, and even though we have sinned to His face. He says, “So rend your hearts and not your garments, and return to the LORD your God. For He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, and abounding in loving devotion. And He relents from sending disaster (Joel 2:13).”
He is merciful to sinners who deserve disaster and to saints who deserve to be forsaken. We’ve sinned against Him and turned our back, but if we return, then He’ll save us and deliver us from the consequences we’ve provoked.
1 Take this promise to heart! This is not something to live without! We don’t want to fight God. What are we without Him, except miserable, fit to be damned, and under the curse? What is the believer who is far off except weak and joyless? He says, “The grapevine is dried up, and the fig tree is withered; the pomegranate, the date palm, and the apple–all the trees of the orchard–have withered. Indeed, human joy has dried up (Joel 1:12).” The good things we’ve experienced are gone, and doctrine in the head CANNOT satisfy.
We need Christ in the heart, and He’ll put Himself there, if we come – if we refuse to play the hypocrite and come to our Lord Jesus. You can’t live without Him, so know it!
2 You have no strength but Jesus Christ. We cannot live the Christian life. We are vain and empty hypocrites, preaching things that we don’t enjoy. Our strength is NOT in ourselves and the abundance of doctrine; it is in the Lord and by the Spirit (Zech 4:6). We cannot rejoice, unless He gives it, and all smiles are frowns. We cannot speak in power and do good, as we have done, if the joy, nearness, and tears are gone! If Christ is not speaking to us personally, then we have nothing to say, but the dry husks of yesterday’s bread! We read, “But they did not listen to Moses; some people left part of it until morning, and it became full of maggots and began to smell. So Moses was angry with them (Ex 16:20).”
Let us never be satisfied in this dryness. Fall down helpless and need the Lord.
3 The gospel is for sinners. Thank God that we can return. He says, “Even now–this is the LORD’S declaration–turn to Me with all your heart, with fasting, weeping, and mourning (Joel 2:12).”
Take advantage of this privilege and use it. Come back to Him again, and don’t think your inheritance is being far off, as if you’ve sinned too much and the day of grace is gone.
This is Satan. He lies to get you to sin, and then he lies more to keep you from the Savior. He mudies you, and then tells you that you can’t be clean, because you’re too dirty.
Do not take a Plan B, because you don’t have one. If the Lord doesn’t save, then we have nothing, and this attitude must be kept. We cannot go without Him, and desperation will bring Him near. He says, “Then the LORD became jealous for His land and spared His people (Joel 2:18).”
Be desperate, and He will receive you. Weep and mourn.
Finally, brothers, put away the self-confidence, and the, “I can make it”, attitude. Put away the unbelief and bravado. Come back to Him as desperate, and He’ll heal you.
MY DAILY GOSPEL 