Slices
Prepare
Reflect on Jesus’ invitation concerning the Holy Spirit in John 7:37: ‘Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink.’ Do you have that thirst?
Bible passage
The day of the Lord
28 ‘And afterwards,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your old men will dream dreams,
your young men will see visions.
29 Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days.
30 I will show wonders in the heavens
and on the earth,
blood and fire and billows of smoke.
31 The sun will be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood
before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.
32 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 has said,
even among the survivors
whom the Lord calls.
Explore
After all the ‘dried up’ descriptions of chapter 1, here is an abundant ‘pouring out’. The day of the Lord is indeed ‘dreadful’ (v 31), but when God comes to us his presence is always two-sided. John the Baptist announced that Jesus would come to baptise with ‘the Holy Spirit and fire’ (Luke 3:16). On the one hand, Jesus comes to baptise with the blessing of the Holy Spirit; on the other hand, ‘he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire’ (Luke 3:17). Paul makes a similar point about how people respond to those who bring the good news of Jesus. ‘To the one we are an aroma that brings death; to the other, an aroma that brings life’ (2 Corinthians 2:16).
So, the coming of God is great news to those who love him, but terrible news to those who resist him. That is why Joel combines the prospect of the outpouring of the Spirit as blessing, releasing spiritual life and prophecy, with descriptions of celestial portents of disaster (vs 30,31). The good news is that ‘everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved’ (v 32).
Respond
How much do you long for the presence of God? Enough for his holiness to burn up the ‘chaff’ in your life?
Bible in a year
Read the Bible in a year: 2 Kings 21,22; 2 Corinthians 9
Pray for Scripture Union
Pray for Mission Partner GenR8 as they take their summer assembly ‘Peer Pressure’ on tour to 100 primary schools in Cambridgeshire and North Herts. They will use the story of Daniel to illustrate how making good choices and doing the right thing is not always easy.
