Joel Chapter 1 – part 3 of 10

Very well, then, just what is it that Joel is prophesying about? It is something new, is it not? “The word of the Lord that came to Joel the son of Pethuel. Hear this, ye old men, and give ear, all ye inhabitants of the land. Hath this been in you days, or even in the days of your fathers?” It is something new, we are given to understand. It is something wonderful from God. It is something different and delightful. Yet it is something about which we can “Tell your children of it,” generation by generation. What is it? It is the outpouring of the Holy Ghost upon all flesh. It is joy undreamed of by those who missed it. It is excitement such as only God can give. It is the bubbling up of the wells of life. It is rivers of living water that flow and flow and flow in ever-increasing abundance. It is blessing. It is the promise of the Father fulfilled in the children of God. It is hope. It is the assurance of the gospel. It is the earnest of our inheritance. It is life. It is a taste of new creation. It is Christ in us as never before. It is tongues of fire. It is a rushing mighty wind. It is “By My Spirit, saith the Lord of Hosts.” It is comfort. It is release. It is sustenance. It is throbbing bliss. It is shouting victory. It is proof of Christ risen, and knowledge of Christ Returning. It is the difference between defeat and triumph. It is glory come down upon us. It is the fullness of Him that filleth all in all. It is psalms; it is hymns; it is spiritual songs at midnight. It is a welling of worship, a glory of praise, a wonder of enrichment. It is health and strength. It is rest in the midst of conflict. It is renewal in the weariness of never-ending war. It is a fountain of youth, an oasis in a wilderness, an underground river to put roots into. It is the heart of the assembly, the bowels of the saints, the innermost part of the Christian. It is the passing of care, the ending of all anxiety, the answer to every problem. What is it? It is the Spirit of the Living God breathed into His new creation so man may be a living soul, alive unto his Creator, vibrant with life amid the darkness of death in the world around.