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 has received well over 10 million 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
On this beautiful Easter Sunday, we celebrate Your resurrection, Jesus. To all the Mainse family–Norma-Jean, Ron, Ann, Reynold, Kathy, Bruce, Elaine, Nizar and Ellen–and to you, dear fellow saints in the Lord–may God bless you and keep you and wrap His loving arms around you. May the Lord make His countenance shine upon you and give you peace.
Love the Lord, all you his saints! The Lord preserves the faithful.
Psalm 31:23 ESV
Martin Smith – Song of Solomon (Official Lyric Video)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyIR4N5EFt8
AMEN ! Thank you Beverlee and to all a blessed Happy Easter!
Easter Blessings to you Norma-Jean and all your loved ones
Blessings to all at Crossroads and thank you for continuing this daily Blog
to all bloggers a Happy Easter
Blessed Easter
To the Mainse Family.
Jesus has risen.
He has risen indeed.
Today my family is celebrating my birthday a few days early tonight we are going
to my brothers house, also Easter as well. At Sherwood Church of the Nazarene
we had a wonderful service. We celebrated mom’s birthday on Good Friday this
year. I am still praying that they will get to know the Lord like I do.
Happy Easter Saints !
Lianne Hogg
I know how you feel,Lianne.I know that He will work it out for what’s best so I have to trust Him.(He knows much better than I do.)Happy Easter.God bless
Have a blessed birthday Lianne, and a glorious celebration with your family as you celebrate the resurrection of
OUR LORD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST!!!
happy birthday Lianne; so happy you had an enjoyable service. The Holy Spirit calls, gathers and enlightens in the One True Spirit; we pray the Holy Spirit calls your family and millions of others……Lianne you keep being who you are, you are a Child of God, your witness is seen by many…..you show the Love of the Lord Jesus by posting your blog and asking and giving prayers………God bless you Lianne, you just continue being you…….
Happy Birthday, beautiful Lianne!!!
Thank You, Jesus, that You are alive – You defeated death, You took our sin and the penalty for it – and we praise You for that! May we – all your blood-bought people – be a living testimony for You, a light in this dark world so others will see You and find the peace, forgiveness and reconciliation You bring. Please help us to live to bring glory to You today and every day. In Jesus’s great name, amen
Amen, Rob!
I want to wish the Mainse family and any who read this,a very Happy Easter.God has blessed you all this day.
The Only One
If I had been the only one,
No matter what I had done,
He would have sent His only Son,
To die before the setting sun.
I may have thought I was dirt,
But He loved me anyway,
Through all the trials and hurt
To save me for judgement day.
He broke the demon’s strangle hold
But we have to be free to choose,
Either love or Satan’s earthly gold,
But choose the glitter,then you loose.
So choose the path away from wealth,
For riches bring a fool to ruin
And you will find in heaven’s stealth
That treasure there is widely strewn.
Free choice is a gift to all,
It came with Him off the cross,
And if I stumble and I fall,
He saves me from eternal loss.
G W(Bill) Marshall / 23 March, 2014
I should have said:”God has blessed ‘us’ all….”
Amen William, thank you for that poem!!
Amen, Bill!! Happy Easter!!
HE IS ALIVE. (I’m shouting it). I pray that everyone will experience Him, their need of Him, and understand the Sacrifice He Made for us.
He is risen Praise the Lord so we will not die , what a sacrifice dear Jesus.
I praise your Holly name A hppy and blessed Easter to all Rosemarie….
YES, HE HAS RISEN!! HE HAS RISEN INDEED!!!
PRAISE HIS HOLY NAME! GLORY AND HONOR AND PRAISE BELONGS TO OUR LORD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST!! BOTH NOW AND FOREVER!! AMEN and AMEN!!
Blessings to all on this glorious day. VICTORY TO JESUS!!!
amen Irene, amen and amen!!!!!
please pray the Holy Spirit will speak to my daughter and she will phone me…she has my number…..In Jesus Name amen
Dear Heavenly Father, would you intervene for Sah’s daughter and have her call, I ask this in Holy Jesus name, amen.
Happy Easter to all reading this blog.
Many thanks to all who are maintaining this blog.