“When Disaster Strikes” – FBC Morning Light (12/5/2023)

Well, a good Tuesday morning to you. Today, in our Bible reading, we're reading Joel, the book of Joel, chapters 1 through 3, and Revelation chapter 4. I want to call our attention to what the Lord has to say in the prophecy of Joel.

Disaster, Climate Change, and the Human Tendency to Blame

Let me begin by getting us to stop and think a little bit. When devastation hits or disaster strikes, what are we inclined to do? Let's think about it, first of all, on a national or even a global scale.

When disaster strikes, what is the inclination? I think we're seeing that very clearly today, aren't we? We're hearing all kinds of stuff about climate change, and there's the lamentation of glaciers receding, and everything is being blamed on climate change.

What's behind climate change? You are. I am. Man's technology, technological developments, and man's impact on the environment is causing all kinds of climate change. Of course, that's getting the dominance in the press.

There are some scientists who are pushing back against that, but nevertheless, I'm asking us to think about how do we respond? What is the inclination? The inclination is to blame Mother Nature, or man's technological developments, or something like that.

Some conclude that God is gone, or God is indifferent, or that God is impotent to do anything about any of these disasters. They can be natural disasters, or wartime disasters, or anything like that. Think that's on a global scale.

How about on a personal scale? What are we inclined to do personally when something negative happens in our lives? How do we respond to that? What is our first response? Is it to blame somebody else? Is it to consider that there's all these outside external forces that are just bad?

What is our inclination? Do we stop and do a little bit of self-reflection? Do we consider the possibility that this disaster is somehow tied to our or my failure to live according to God's moral law?

Joel's Warning of the Day of the Lord

I ask that because of what we see in the book of Joel. The Lord uses the prophet Joel to warn Israel that the day of the Lord is coming, and it's going to be a day of great disaster. Listen to some of the things he says in chapter 1 verse 15.

He says, "...as alas for the day, for the day of the Lord is at hand, it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty.". And in chapter 2 verse 1 and 2, it says, "...blow the trumpet in Zion, sound an alarm in my holy mountain, let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming, for it is at hand, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness, like the morning clouds spread over the mountains.

A people come, great and strong," he's talking about an invading army, "...the like of whom has never been, nor will there ever be any such after them, even for many successive generations. A fire devours before them, and behind them flame burns.

The land is like the Garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness.". So the Lord is prophesying that this day of the Lord that's coming is going to be terribly devastating and destructive.

Repentance, Self-Reflection, and Returning to the Lord

And how does he call upon the people to respond to this coming devastation? He doesn't tell them to look around and blame everybody else, he doesn't say blame the environment, blame man's technological developments, he doesn't say blame Mother Nature.

He says, look within. He says, look within. He calls upon the people to reflect and repent. We see this in verse 12 of chapter 2, where he says, "...now therefore," says the Lord, "...turn to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, with mourning, so rend your heart and not your garments.

Return to the Lord your God, for he is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and of great kindness, and he relents from doing harm. Who knows if he will turn and relent and leave behind a blessing, a grain offering, and a drink offering for the Lord your God.".

What's he saying here? He's saying that this day of devastation and destruction that is coming is connected to the sinfulness and the faithlessness, the unfaithfulness of God's people, and he's calling upon them to repent and turn from their unfaithfulness.

So clearly there's a connection there, and what the Prophet is doing, the Lord is doing through Prophet Joel, is calling upon the people to do some self-reflection and to look at how they're living, how they're thinking, how they are worshiping in connection with God's law, God's moral law, and his law for his people.

What I take from that is, when disaster strikes, we should take the time to stop and do some self-reflection, and not be so quick to conclude that this doesn't have anything to do with me, it's not my fault, I have nothing to do with this.

Let's not jump to that conclusion, and let's not conclude that every time something bad happens it's because I've sinned, and my sin must have caused this. Not necessarily, and I'm not suggesting that, but what I am suggesting is that we at least pause, we stop, and do some self-reflection, and consider, seek the Lord.

Lord, where do I need to repent? Are there things of which I need to repent? As he brings those things to mind, then let's deal with those, let's turn from them, and turn back to the Lord. That's the encouragement that I want to give to you today.

A Prayer for Mercy and a Blessing in Suffering

All right, Father, we do thank you for this challenging passage. No one likes to think about disaster, and destruction, and all the rest of that kind of thing, but you don't send those things our way because you hate us, and you're angry with us, and you just want to destroy us, not at all.

You send those things our way because you love us, and you care about us, and you want us to live for you, and thereby be truly blessed and happy. So Lord, help us to learn from this today, we pray, and we ask in Jesus' name, amen.

All right, listen, have a great Tuesday, and I trust the Lord will bless you in it. Good day.