Ask God to help
JOE MILLER JR.

Joel 2:23-32

One of the more common literary genres in the Old Testament is the "lament." Many of the Psalms are laments. The prophetic literature contains laments, and there is an entire book called Lamentations.

Crying out to the Lord in times of trouble has a long and honorable tradition in Judaism and Christianity. Our modern culture has impaired if not destroyed our ability to lament.

We call it "whining" and cast disparaging remarks at those who whine. That is because we have been hoodwinked into believing that we can achieve anything if we just do out best. However, when you fall into a deep, dark hole, sometimes you have to ask someone to throw you a rope.

When Joel wrote his short book, the people of Israel were in a deep, dark hole. Hordes of locusts had destroyed all of the crops, fruit trees, and everything else that grew out of the ground. Then a horrible drought dried up the land so that nothing could be replanted. The first part of this book is the prophet lamenting these deplorable conditions to the Lord in the name of the people. It is fascinating reading.

The Lord comes to the rescue, drives the locusts into the sea where the stench fills the land, and sends rain to restore the land and bring an abundance of grain, wine, and oil.

However, being the Heavenly Father, and far transcending what we would do for our children in trouble, God promises much more than the people or the prophet ask for. God promises to pour out his Spirit on the people at some point in the future. God realizes that the people need more than food to eat and wine to drink. They also need to be fed and lifted up spiritually.

The prophet points to a coming judgment (the great and terrible day of the Lord) that will be difficult to survive unless His people are prepared. With the presence of His Spirit, the people will be drawn closer to Him and know to call upon His name and be saved.

Some centuries later the apostle Paul quotes Joel when he writes in Romans 10:13. "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved." Peter in Acts 2:16-17 quotes Joel when he explains the sudden presence of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.

I draw several implications from this text: 1) it is okay to lament to God. Sometimes our lives take difficult paths, and we need to cry out to God in our anguish; 2) God may give us more than we ask for. He understands all of our needs and not just the current physical ones; 3) God keeps His promises, and 4) our physical needs are important, and God does respond to them, but He also responds to our spiritual needs.

The Holy Spirit is a gift that is available for salvation. The Holy Spirit teaches us to call upon the name of the Lord. Email me with your comments at newtonumc@ valornet.com.

Joe Miller Jr. is pastor of First United Methodist Church in Newton.