August 27, 2025

GOD’S WORD FOR TODAY:

“The Lord will roar from Zion and thunder from Jerusalem; the earth and the heavens will tremble. But the Lord will be a refuge for His people, a stronghold for the people of Israel.” (Joel 3.16)

TODAY’S REFLECTION ON GOD’S WORD TO US:

As the war rages on in the Middle East with the enemies of Israel surrounding on all sides, I have been asked, “What if they laid down their weapons and totally surrendered to God for their protection?” It is a good question. Do you think you would be surprised by my answer? The world would see that moment in time as foolish on the part of Israel. They would think that without the weapons of this world, Israel would be a sitting duck and easy pickings like shooting fish in a barrel. Sadly, I believe the world would be right, unless. It is the unless that Joel presents to the nations, including the nation of Israel, which makes the difference. It is that unless which makes the difference for us as well. What if we laid down our weapons, those we use in the effort to protect ourselves from the world and our enemy who is also the enemy of God? Foolish, you say. You see, mighty ones of God, what is critical in this conversation is not what we lay down but what we pick up. We considered the opposition of Joel and Isaiah on the point of plowshares and pruning hooks. Should they be turned into weapons used to fight against the well-supplied armies? Should the weapons be turned into plowshares and pruning hooks whereby feeding the enemy and all the people might promote healing and peace? The answer is determined by what God wills for us to do. We should be at His command in all our thoughts and ways. Doesn’t the word of God declare, “‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,’ declares the Lord. ‘For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.‘” (Isaiah 55.8,9) So why do we leave our decisions up to us? The only decision that should be “our” critical decision is whether to obey God or not. Yes, I know it flies in the face of Sprite’s “Obey your thirst.” It repeats a mantra of many other products presented to us for the sole purpose of selling a product which has no eternal value. It teaches the buying public to follow their own understanding. There is a scripture for that as well from the wisdom given to Solomon, “Trust the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” (Proverbs 3.5-6)

So what would be the answer to the question presented above? Well, if we laid down our weapons then it would be at God’s command. If we obeyed God’s command, then we would be picking up our faith in Him instead of trusting in the things of this world. Picking up our faith and embracing it in our heart, mind, body and soul would mean that we are leaving no room for doubt. Leaving no room for doubt would indicate that we are putting our full trust in the promise of His Word. Putting our full trust in God’s promise means laying aside the “promises” made by those around us whose intentions are generally always in question. Of all the questions we are confronted with and ask of ourselves, that question will always be the most pivotal: Will we trust in God? In Joel, the nations of the world are gathered to Israel and focusing directly on Jerusalem. We best not ask why. If we do ask why, then we have forgotten what the real focus is: God. We do not know why God chose for Jerusalem to be the focal point of the entire world. What we do know is that God did. Ours is not to question why but to believe He did and align ourselves with that truth. In Joel, God will “roar” and “thunder.” He will do so not just to some but to all, Jew and Gentile alike. When He does, we who have put our trust in Him can lean against the promise of His refuge and protection. That means we will hear it, feel it and experience it but we need not fear it the awesomeness of its power. We should revel in it and receive it as a call to worship. In that worship we are not meant to “lord it over the people as the gentiles do” but give praise to God for the blessing of our lives. It is there the transformation will take place. Having turned our farming implements into military arms in obedience to God’s call knowing they, in and of themselves, cannot defeat the enemy, we will them arm ourselves with farming implements made from military arms. Our faith will be rewarded and our trust will be made complete.

So what if Israel laid down their weapons? It would not be in surrender to the enemy but to God. It would be a sign to the rest of the world that God and His people are in place. It would be like David’s sling and a stone against the mighty Goliath and Jesus yoke against the wages of sin. David defended the honor of God because his heart of faith ruled his head while those around him lost theirs (especially Goliath: interesting that his weakest point was his head.) Jesus defended the promise of God by putting His thoughts and His ways into the calling of His heart for God’s people while the people felt only with their hearts and not their heads (interesting here is that the piercing of His heart by the Roman spear provided the evidence of His death). Mighty ones of God, where are we in the world before God? Do we dare put the world before God or put God on trial before the world? Trust in His word and listen for His instruction. Receive His instruction and follow it faithfully counting only the cost of not doing so. Trust in Him who believes in you.

TODAY’S PRAYER IN RESPONSE TO GOD’S WORD:

Father, in these days we are finding the need to believe even more than ever before. We all have known trouble, some in greater ways than others, but You are offering us the assurance that we will not be consumed by it forever. Regardless of the “time” we are in and the “time” we have been given, we ask for Your Holy Spirit which Jesus asked You to share with us, to lead and guide and direct us in the paths we should go. Teach us what we still need to learn. Empower us to put that learning into action. Bless our actions not as a works righteousness but as righteous works of faith, hope and love in Jesus’ name. AMEN.