Day 46 — Everyone Gets to Play
Joel 2:28-29 & 32
‘And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days… And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved’
We’ve been having serious discussions in our family this week about the benefits and downsides of signing up for Disney+ on our TV. One of the things tempting me is the access to the National Geographic programmes exploring the breathtaking wonder and beauty of the world – as well as the devastation of (often human-made) crises. For instance they showed images of a vast locust swarm in January this year that destroyed hundreds of kilometres of vegetation. A swarm like this can destroy the equivalent of food for 35,000 people. Every day. It was a natural disaster affecting huge numbers of people. Our Bible verses today - written by the prophet Joel – are written during a time of national crisis just like this.
A locust plague has destroyed the crops, cereals, vines... But while Joel tells the farmers – and the wine-drinkers! – to grieve because of what has happened, his biggest fear is that there is no way of procuring the grain offering or drink offering to take to the house of the Lord. For the Jewish community there was suddenly no way of ‘properly’ worshipping their God in the ways they had been taught. Out of the blue they can’t gather and offer worship to God. Does that feel strangely familiar?
Amidst the grieving and lamenting of Joel – and the call to return to the Lord ‘with all your heart’ – there are incredible words of hope. A reminder that God is gracious and compassionate, that he is coming to his people and that, in the well-known words of John Wimber of the Vineyard, ‘Everyone gets to play’!
Next Sunday (31 May) is Pentecost – when we celebrate the pouring out of the Holy Spirit on the disciples. Jesus had told his disciples to wait for the Spirit – he knew that this very prophecy from Joel, given hundreds of years earlier, was about to be fulfilled. And Peter quotes these verses as he preaches to the crowd on the day of Pentecost.
This is an opportunity again to remind ourselves of the truth that the Spirit is reserved for… everyone! Women, men, adults, children… you and me! No-one is excluded. God is speaking to each one of us in many different ways, expecting us to call on his name and to listen for his voice. Why not take a moment now to ask the Spirit to come to you where you are.
Prayer: Lord God thank you that you sent your Holy Spirit at Pentecost to empower your people. Thank you that that same Spirit and same power is available to me and to your church today. Lord speak, we’re listening.
Ali Herbert
Associate Pastor