Weekly Devotion no 34
20 November 2020
Bible reading – Joel 3:17-21[1]
17 The Lord says,
“You will know that I am the Lord your God.
I live in Zion.
It is my holy mountain.
Jerusalem will be my holy city.
People from other lands
will never again attack it.
18 “At that time fresh wine will drip from
the mountains.
Milk will flow down from the hills.
Water will run through all Judah’s valleys.
A fountain will flow out of my temple.
It will water the places where acacia trees grow.
19 But Egypt will be deserted.
Edom will become a dry and empty desert.
They did terrible harm to the people of Judah.
My people were not guilty of doing anything wrong.
But Egypt and Edom spilled their blood anyway.
20 My people will live in Judah and Jerusalem forever.
The land will be their home for all time to come.
21 Egypt and Edom have spilled my people’s blood.
Should I let them escape my judgment?
No, I will not.”
The Lord dwells in Zion!
Reflection
The first part of Chapter 3 of Joel reminds God’s people that he will judge the nations for what they did to his people. By their actions they had not respected God. Ultimately, God will judge all people for how they respond to him.
But in today’s
passage, we hear of the blessings that God gives to his people, those who trust
in him and respect him. They need not fear the judgement because they know that
God is sovereign. God promises restoration of the land, the land that was
destroyed by the locust plague. And God also reminds his people that they do
not need to judge the nations, that is in his hands. His actions have restored
the honour of his name.
The passage ends with the statement ‘The Lord dwells in Zion’. This is the ultimate blessing: God’s renewed, restored and permanent presence with his people. And this reminds us as we read in John’s gospel that ‘the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.’[1] We will rediscover as advent starts next week that God coming to live amongst us as a baby showed the full extent of what he meant by dwelling with us.
This is what the
future for all eternity looks like: God dwelling with us, his people.[2]
God is not abstract or distant. He is present with us through all the struggles
and joys of life. He will not leave us nor forsake us. This gives us hope, and
enables us to sing his praises for ever and ever.
Hymn
Verse 1
Amazing grace how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost but now am found
Was blind but now I see
Verse 2
'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear
And grace my fears relieved
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed
Verse 3
Through many dangers toils and snares
I have already come
'Tis grace has brought me safe thus far
And grace will lead me home
Verse 4
When we've been there ten thousand years
Bright shining as the sun
We've no less days to sing God's praise
Than when we've first begun
Prayer
Eternal God,
you exalted Jesus
Christ to rule over all things,
and have made us
instruments of his kingdom:
by your Spirit
empower us to love the unloved,
and to minister to
all in need,
then at the last
bring us to your eternal realm
where we may be
welcomed into your everlasting joy
and may worship and
adore you for ever;
through Jesus Christ
our Lord,<
who lives and reigns
with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and
ever. Amen.
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