Even Now

The Lord utters His voice
before His army,
for His camp is exceedingly great;
He who executes His word is powerful.
For the day of the LORD is great and very awesome;
who can endure it?
--Joel 2:10-11


These verses come after one of the passages in the Bible that genuinely frightens me.  "The day of the LORD" that is talked about here is a day when a fiery army scales the wall of the city and creeps into the house windows like thieves.  "Before them people are in anguish; all faces grow pale."   If the thought of God's judgement doesn't make us go pale, it's only because we aren't full aware of what that means.

I realize that I am mostly clueless when it comes to God's future plans.  When I read this chapter, God surprised me again.  After a harrowing description of coming judgement, God's word takes a turn.

"Yet even now," declares the LORD,
"return to me with all your heart,
with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;
and rend your hearts and not your garments."
Return to the LORD your God,
for He is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love;
and He relents over disaster.
--Joel 2:12-13


Yes, God's anger is terrifying.  And yes, God is gracious, merciful, and slow to anger.  While God is still calling from the pages of the Bible, "repent, return with all your heart," shouldn't we be calling out the same thing?  We all know people who are destined for destruction because of their rejection of God.  But He hasn't destroyed them yet, has He?

"Even now, return to me."

Because of the terror of God's wrath and His unashamedly shocking mercy, we need to be bold in sharing Him.

Read Joel 2 in it's entirety for an amazing depiction of God's wrath and mercy together.