Our pastor recently called our church to a day of fasting and a solemn assembly like mentioned in Joel 1:14 and 2:12-17.
Joel 2:12-17 (New Living Translation)
A Call to Repentance
12 That is why the Lord says,
“Turn to me now, while there is time.
Give me your hearts.
Come with fasting, weeping, and mourning.
13 Don’t tear your clothing in your grief,
but tear your hearts instead.”
Return to the Lord your God,
for he is merciful and compassionate,
slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.
He is eager to relent and not punish.
14 Who knows? Perhaps he will give you a reprieve,
sending you a blessing instead of this curse.
Perhaps you will be able to offer grain and wine
to the Lord your God as before.
15 Blow the ram’s horn in Jerusalem!
Announce a time of fasting;
call the people together
for a solemn meeting.
16 Gather all the people—
the elders, the children, and even the babies.
Call the bridegroom from his quarters
and the bride from her private room.
17 Let the priests, who minister in the Lord’s presence,
stand and weep between the entry room to the Temple and the altar.
Let them pray, “Spare your people, Lord!
Don’t let your special possession become an object of mockery.
Don’t let them become a joke for unbelieving foreigners who say,
‘Has the God of Israel left them?’”
Well, yesterday was the day. It was an urgent call for all the members of our church to come together to humble ourselves before the Lord, to seek His face, to pray, to repent of our sins, to read God's word aloud, to worship the Lord with all of our hearts, and to make some important confessions together. We definitely did that...we all cried out to God. It was a sweet time in our church family. It was a unique and beautiful experience. Our pastor was very serious about it and he thought that it was the perfect time to step up, confess some things, fix our priorities, and be restored.
We were on our way to church...a little bit hungry from fasting all day. But ready to worship God in a new way. (Also excited how Brother Dan is relating everything to my current Bible Study...so cool).
I was also able to get completely caught up on my David study. And set out all of my "green" decor! And then the excruciating headaches hit and halted my plans. They are awful, headaches like I have never experienced. In the past week I've missed a dinner, a brunch, and Sunday School because of them. Praying that my Dr. will figure out something today! I hope that everyone had a sunny and relaxing weekend!
Joel 1:14 ESV
Consecrate a fast; call a solemn assembly. Gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land to the house of the Lord your God, and cry out to the Lord.
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