Today’s reading:
My Selection:
I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter, my great army, which I sent among you. (Joel 2:25)
This quotation from the prophet Joel exudes the greatness of God’s grace and power. He sent an invasion of locusts on His people, but He also promised that in the end He would restore to them the losses of that devastation. God is able to replace what we lost through the consequences of our sin. It’s never too late to come to the Lord. We are never beyond His power to save.
A Warning against Two Dangers
Grace and mercy should not lead us to a presumptuous attitude toward God’s commands to holiness. We must not say, “My sin doesn’t matter. God can restore the years that the locust has eaten.” I recently asked the students in my Sunday school class, “which is liable to be more dangerous to your spiritual life: presumption or hopelessness?” After some discussion, the consensus seemed to be “both are dangerous.”
Beware of hopelessness and of presumption. Both are dangerous to our walk with the Lord.
[For more reflections on today’s reading, see the corresponding reading in my book Cover to Cover: Through the Bible in 365 days].
[Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.]
Comments