FOR CRYING OUT LOUD
Today’s Reading: Joel 1
Click scripture link to read online or HERE to listen online (then click the symbol of the audio speaker above the scripture portion).
A view from the top of Masada. The “snake path” seen in the centre of the photograph was the only access to this mountain fortress until the installation of the cable car. Masada represents the war-torn history of the Jewish people. Joel 2:3 speaks of “a desolate wilderness.”
GOOGLE MAPS – To see where the photo was taken, click HERE.
Key Verses: Joel 1:14,19a
Declare a holy fast;
call a sacred assembly.
Summon the elders
and all who live in the land
to the house of the Lord your God,
and cry out to the Lord.
…O Lord, to You I cry out!
When in trouble “CRY OUT!” There are two ways to do this: (1) In a sacred assembly together with the elders (leaders of the church) in fasting and prayer. And (2) In our personal prayer times. According the the prophet Joel, when hungry and thirsty, even the “beasts of the field” (cattle, etc.) “cry out” to the Lord! Cattle will “bawl” when they are hungry or thirsty.
Joel reminds his hearers of a time in the past when chewing, swarming, crawling locusts descended on their land and stripped away in hours every vestige of plant life. The people had no refrigeration, no freezers, and no canned foods such as we have in today’s developed world. Yes, they probably had stored in advance some grain products and dried foods, but they were in big trouble! These people knew what to do! No doubt they had sung Psalm 50 from their hymnbook, the Psalms. The Temple worship leader, Asaph, had composed a song of worship in which God says, “Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me” (Psalm 50:15).
The theme of disaster runs throughout Joel’s book. There are the locust plagues, famine, raging fires, invading armies, and fearful phenomena in “the heavens” (cosmos). But Joel does not give way to despair. Hopeful promises from God are interspersed between pronouncements of the judgments which the people have brought on themselves.
PRAYER FOR TODAY:
Lord God, I am blessed with food and drink in abundance; some of these provisions are the result of modern technology along with the plants that You have created. But modernity has also brought with it bigger troubles than ever, it would seem. I think about today’s world and I cry out to You! I pray the promises You have made to humanity and to me personally. As Jeremiah, known as the weeping prophet, reminded me, You said, O Lord, “Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things which you do not know” (Jeremiah 33:3). I cry out to You in the Name (the Person) of the Lord Jesus Christ (Messiah). Amen!!!
100 PERSONAL WORDS:
The “Crossroads” ministry, as of today, has received more than 10,000,000 telephone calls from people crying out to the Lord, with the help of our prayer partners. Through the years, we have referred to Jeremiah 33:3 as God’s telephone number. I’ve called 1-866-273-4444 (our 24/7 prayer line) from home, on the road, and even from my office upstairs, when I was President, to the Prayer Ministry Centre in times of trouble. What a blessing! Jesus said, “Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in Heaven” (Matthew 18:19).
When Joel says that even the beasts of the field “cry out” to the Lord, I thought of the many times when, as a teenager, I would do chores for a local farmer. I would arrive at the barn to find the cows bawling for their morning supply of hay. I would oblige them and while they munched contentedly, I would help to milk them. There is a branch of philosophy that says, “Learn from the animals.” Many times over the years I’ve “bawled” and would “cry out” to the Lord! The way I bawled did not sound like the cows, but it surely was an indicator of the fervency level of my prayers. James wrote, “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much!” (James 5:16b). The righteous part I leave for God to judge, and I claim that promise from God.
Yours for “crying out” loud, if we feel we need to (and we don’t bother others too much!),
David
Amen, David! Enjoyed the history lesson, in today’s message and scripture. We cry out to You, oh Lord, our God! Oh how we love You!! Blessings fellow saints, in the Lord!
“Holy Spirit, Truth divine,
Dawn upon this soul of mine;
Word of God and inward light
Wake my spirit, clear my sight.
Holy Spirit, Love divine,
Glow within this heart of mine;
Kindle every high desire;
Perish self in Thy pure fire.
Holy Spirit, Pow’r divine,
Fill and nerve this will of mine;
Grant that I may strongly live,
Bravely bear, and nobly strive.
Holy Spirit, Right divine,
King within my conscience reign;
Be my Lord, and I shall be
Firmly bound, forever free.
Holy Spirit, Peace divine,
Still this restless heart of mine;
Speak to calm this tossing sea,
Stayed in Thy tranquility.
Holy Spirit, Joy divine,
Gladden Thou this heart of mine;
In the desert ways I sing,
“Spring, O Well, forever spring.”
Samuel Longfellow
The Heart of Worship, Matt Redman
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1X_ev2OILA
I watch National Geographic and the animal kingdom! the animals are amazing!
Yesterday the blog reminded me of a sermon I heard of how olives are pressed for the oil! We are being pressed by good and evil all our lives! the olives need to be ripe to produce maximum oil! I just thought the sermon was interesting because we do feel pressed, under pressure, and the sermon went on to show that Jesus was pressed also, He went into the garden to pray and the words “not My Will but thy Will be done!” He was so much under pressure that He sweat droplets of blood! He was under pressure for me and for you, for the whole world! We bow our heads and say “Thank You”
May God bless everyone on this site, may He heal all who are ill or hurting, may He bring comfort to the lonely, may He bless all those ministries that go and share the Good News that Jesus Christ is alive and all our sins are erased, gone, as far as the east is from the west! We can walk boldly and reach out to others and tell them that Jesus loves them because the Bible says so.
Amen! Sah
Thank you Sah for sharing and blessings to you today.
Thank you Beverlee for the poem, and song from Matt Ramen it is just what I needed.
I do need to come back to the heart of worship the song brougt a tear to my eyes.
thank you everyone for all your prayers for me
Lianne
Lianne
It was late yesterday when I joined with you in your prayer and left a word from Matt. 5:6. God does answer the hunger of our hearts. William Barclay, in his comments says, “it is not a hunger that can be satisfied with a snack…or a thirst that can be satisfied with a cup of coffee…it is a hunger of the person who starving for food, and a person who will die unless he drinks”. The words of Psalm 107:5-8 comes to mind, “They were hungry and thirsty, and their lives ebbed away. Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. ..let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds …for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.” (NIV). Oh, that I had a deeper hunger for God, for souls and for the need for God to pour out his Spirit in reviving power in our world surrounded by so many needs and man’s inhumanity to man – and a special hunger for God to touch the hearts of our loved ones and bring them to himself. In Joel today, I notice a few words I am taking to heart -“Hear – listen – wake up – wail – cry out to the Lord”. So God’s Word causes His Spirit to to stir up our lives and points us to our Lord and Saviour. Ephesians 1:3.
“Fill my cup, Lord, I lift it up, Lord,
Come and quench the thirsting of my soul;
Bread of heaven, fill me till I want no more,
Fill my cup, I lift it up and make me whole!”
May God continue to bless, encourage and strengthen all bloggers as we continue to read his Word and seek His face.
Amen!!!
Amen, Pastor David and all fellow bloggers. Have been crying out a lot lately for myself and others. God bless you all!
Amen! Sah.
May we always remember God’s promise in Psalm 50:15.
“Call upon Me in the day of trouble, I will deliver you and you shall glorify Me.”
If my people which are called by MY NAME, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land 2 Chron 7:14 was one of the first scripture verses that I memorized shortly after I received CHRIST on Jan. 19 1975. God spoke to His people then and is still speaking to His people today. While the enemy of our soul strips away, kills, steals and destroys, yet JESUS, our lovely LORD, says ” But I have come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly”. HE is still in the life giving business and the devil is still in the death giving business, therefore CHOOSE LIFE – I did in 1975 and it is getting better and better every day even at age 71 (Birthday -March 24)
Bless all the saints and bloggers!
Rev. Terrence (Terry ) Felvus
Thank you so much for your prayers. I still need them as I am having a lot of pain in my thigh. The nurse says it is because of the damage to the muscles and nerves at the three surgeries. Pain medication also causes problems, so I have not been able to do much since I came home from the hospital March 17th. Exercises and massage seem to help a little. I go back to see the surgeon on Tuesday, and should know when my next surgery will be. I am so thankful for this blog and all of you, may the God of all grace, richly bless you today and always.
Physio exercises and eventually swimming in a hydrotherapy pool will help, Mary. The water temperature helps nerve and muscle stimulation, loosening the tightness up, and decreasing pain. Keeping you in prayer. God bless you!
Thank you, unfortunately I don’t have access to a hydrotherapy pool and am not able to get to the swimming pool. I did get the name of a cream that I tried today and it has helped, I also got a change of medication which I hope will help me get mobile.
Thank you all for your prayers.
Father, in the Matchless NAME of your only Begotten SON, our Lovely LORD JESUS CHRIST, I ask for and receive total healing free from all pain for Mary Stewart’s thigh and that all nerves in the muscles of this affected area which are fearfully and wonderfully made by Our wonder Maker , BOW to the NAME of JESUS and we thank you for this healing to our sister – Mary Stewart in the Name of JESUS.
Rev. Terrence (Terry) Felvus -Grassie On.
Amen.
Amen!
Amen Pastor David!! Agreeing in prayer with you.
Thank you for bringing to mind Jeremiah 33:3
Jeremiah 33:3 – a direct call to you Lord for my sister Ollie…Heal her heart, emotionally and spiritually I pray. Break down the “stronghold” that is holding her back spiritually, Jesus I pray. Amen!!
Thank you all for caring about me, and for your comments and prayers. When I am able I think I will check out the nearest swimming pool. Also my son has an Artic spa in his backyard, unfortunately I am unable, at this time, to use it. He lives over an hour away. God bless you all.
please pray for a miracle for my sister Ollie. She had a seizure through the night and is now fighting a high fever. For the fever to shrivel up in Jesus Name. Than you and God Bless you. Amen!
For Mary Stewart:
thank you for letting us know how things are going! It is going to be a bit slower to start, but you will become stronger each day. If a pool has a hot tub, they are very good for the body, you don’t need to sit by a jet just stand in the middle and feel the warm water against your body. Also just walking in the pool in the shallow and if you can float you can go around the pool, you don’t need to hardly move at first, just let the water comfort you!
Lord we thank You that this surgery is completed and we ask that You Lord will heal Mary in her body, and in her heart and soul. Wrap Your loving arms around her Lord, let her lean into you for comfort and healing, bless Mary above and beyond her wildest imagination! That is what You do Lord, You always surprise us and always give us much more than we ever asked! Thank you Lord, thank you! AMEN
Amen!
URGENT URGENT URGENT
A miracle happend tonight at 7/11, this is a Convenience Store, sells gas and food….
a gal Dana who I have asked prayers for healing came into the store and she has cancer and is only 82 pounds, she is a mom, wife, 4 children, and she mentioned that she needs a blood transfusion but her type is SO RARE no donor could be found……
A gal named Jan was at the counter paying for her items and she asked Dana what blood she had and Dana told her; the gal named Jan said she has that blood type!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I burst into tears and hugged Dana and she was crying…..so…….they will get together and do the transfusion!
I went swimming earlier today and was not planning on going out tonight but I decided around 10 p.m. I would go down to 7/11……it was very busy, and then A MIRACLE HAPPENED!
I am floating on a cloud, I am so thankful for God bringing about this miracle! I am thankful that I was there to witness this miracle! It only took a few minutes for this to happen!
ALL PRAISE AND THANKSGIVING TO OUR GOD, OUR LORD AND SAVIOUR, IN JESUS NAME WE PRAY AMEN!