Joel 2:9-14 - Merciful from beginning to end

Scripture:

Joel 2:9-14
9 They rush on the city,
They run on the wall;
They climb into the houses,
They enter through the windows like a thief.
10 Before them the earth quakes,
The heavens tremble,
The sun and the moon grow dark
And the stars lose their brightness.
11 The Lord utters His voice before His army;
Surely His camp is very great,
For strong is he who carries out His word.
The day of the Lord is indeed great and very awesome,
And who can endure it?

12 "Yet even now," declares the Lord,
"Return to Me with all your heart,
And with fasting, weeping and mourning;
13 And rend your heart and not your garments."
Now return to the Lord your God,
For He is gracious and compassionate,
Slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness
And relenting of evil.
14 Who knows whether He will not turn and relent
And leave a blessing behind Him,
Even a grain offering and a drink offering
For the Lord your God?
NASU


Thoughts:

Joel is describing an invading army that will come on the Day of the Lord, a day of judgment.  Whether this event is still future or a reference to Babylon or Assyria, this is an army invading Israel, invading as an instrument in God's hand (verse 11).

In passages like this, we are reminded of the unchanging nature of our God.  One of His unchanging attributes is justice, but another is His mercy (verses 12-14).  He did not become merciful when Christ came to the Earth, He has been merciful for all eternity and will always be merciful.  Even in this hour of His judgment, the Lord desires to show mercy (verse 13).  His delight is not in destroying, but restoring.


Prayer:

Thank You for Your mercy.  I depend on it daily! 

I thank You too, for Your justice.  The prophecies of the Day of the Lord remind me that the evil that we see around us will not go unstopped, forever.

Amen

Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.