“And it shall come to pass
that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. For in Mount Zion
and in Jerusalem
Dear Congregation,
This is one of those verses that comes at the end of an
unsettling passage and offers its own clarity and a respite. In Joel chapter
two we read about the great and terrible day of the Lord. The description of
that day is one we consider with some trepidation. The Scriptures make it clear
that the enemies of God and those who have refused to believe in Him will not
fare well. While we intellectually recognize they get what they have earned, it
still does not comfort us to hear it. So the above verse is one that soothes and
redirects our attention to where it needs to be. The day may be terrible but
the Lord will save those who call upon Him and trust in Him.
It always amazes me when I read through the Old Testament
and particularly the prophets, to see that the attitudes of their day parallel
our own society. When times are good and the harvest is plentiful, God’s
commands are forgotten and new religion is explored. Amazingly, when the times
are bad and people are suffering, God is cursed and still disbelieved. Humanity
has the same pattern through the millennia. Yet, we can be thankful that the
Lord God also has consistency through the ages. The remnant in any century that
believes in and calls upon the Lord will be saved! His mercy is everlasting.
As a twenty first century church we are naturally unsettled
when we encounter so much unbelief. We want to see people come to faith and yet
so much seems to act as a barrier to that. Our struggles are no different than
what the true remnant church has dealt with in biblical times or in all of
history. When the Holy Spirit convicts a person, he or she recognizes they are
without hope and calls upon the name of the Lord. If that person has hope in
something material they will not call upon the Lord. We can thank God that we
see our brokenness and that He alone can fix it. We pray for revival, perhaps
we should also pray for desperation. Pray for people to know the need of God. In
the great and terrible Day of the Lord He will be the needed lifeline. Calling
upon him will be so soothing and overwhelmingly satisfying. May it be so now!
Praise Him that He has made belief in the Gospel so simple, that it has not
changed and we can call upon Him any time any where and know His salvation, His
presence, and His peace.
In Christ,
Pastor Basile
