The Book of Joel: A Call to Return to God
The book of Joel takes us through devastation, warning, repentance, restoration, judgment, and hope. Through it all, we are reminded of the character of God and His call for His people to return to Him.
Joel 1 — When Everything Seems Lost
There are seasons in life when it feels as though everything is being stripped away.
The first chapter of Joel describes such a season. A devastating plague of locusts had swept through the land, destroying the crops and leaving the people with almost nothing. The fields were ruined, the harvest was gone, and even the priests had nothing to offer at the altar.
It was a picture of devastation.
Yet Joel’s message was not simply about what had been lost. He called the people to wake up, recognize what was happening, and turn their hearts toward God.
Sometimes God allows circumstances to shake us out of spiritual complacency. We can become so accustomed to ordinary life that we stop recognizing how much we need Him.
Pay attention. Wake up. Seek the Lord.
The devastation affected everyone. The farmers lost their crops. The priests mourned because there was no longer an offering for the house of the Lord. The land itself seemed to groan.
When everything around us seems to be falling apart, it can be easy to wonder where God is.
But difficult circumstances do not mean that God has forgotten us.
Sometimes a difficult season becomes the very thing that causes us to recognize our dependence upon Him.
Joel called the people to prayer:
Notice those final words:
“Cry unto the LORD”
When the money isn’t there, cry unto the Lord.
When you don’t understand what is happening, cry unto the Lord.
When your family situation weighs heavily on your heart, cry unto the Lord.
When you are spiritually exhausted and don’t know what to do next, cry unto the Lord.
Prayer isn’t only for the days when everything is going well. Prayer is where we turn when we recognize that we cannot fix everything ourselves.
Joel did not pretend everything was fine. He cried out to God in the middle of the devastation.
You don’t have to pretend everything is fine when you come before God.
Bring Him your fear.
Bring Him your disappointment.
Bring Him your unanswered questions.
Bring Him your worries and your weariness.
God already knows.
And when you have nothing left to say, you can simply say:
“Lord, I need You.”
That is still prayer.
A Thought for Today
Is there an area of your life where God may be calling you to wake up, draw closer to Him, and seek Him more intentionally?
Don’t allow a difficult season to push you away from God.
Let it push you toward Him.
What looks like devastation may become the place where your dependence upon God grows deeper than it has ever been before.
Prayer
Heavenly Father,
I come before You recognizing that I need You. There are things in life that I cannot control, things I cannot repair, and circumstances I cannot change on my own.
When difficult seasons come, help me not to turn away from You. Help me to turn toward You. Give me wisdom to recognize when You are calling me to draw closer, pray more, and seek Your face.
When everything around me seems uncertain, remind me that You are still faithful. When I am discouraged, give me strength. When I am afraid, give me peace. When I don’t understand what You are doing, help me trust You anyway.
Teach me to cry unto You instead of carrying everything by myself.
I place my circumstances, my future, and the things I cannot control into Your hands.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
Scripture to Remember
“O Lord, to You I cry out”
— Joel 1:19, NKJV
Joel 2 — Return to the Lord With All Your Heart
Joel 2 begins with a serious warning concerning the coming day of the Lord. The people were being called to recognize the seriousness of their spiritual condition.
But within the warning was also an invitation:
Come back to God.
God did not tell His people to come back when they had everything together.
He called them to return with all their heart.
God wants more than outward religious activity. He wants our hearts.
We can say the right words, attend church, read our Bibles, and appear spiritually strong on the outside while our hearts have slowly drifted away.
Joel reminds us that true repentance begins within.
God is not looking for an outward performance.
He wants sincerity
He wants us to come honestly before Him and surrender the places in our hearts that we have held back.
And why can we come to Him?
Because of who He is.
What a comforting description of our God.
He is gracious.
He is merciful.
He is slow to anger.
He is of great kindness.
The call to repentance is not meant to drive us away from God in shame. It is meant to bring us back to the God who is merciful.
God Can Restore
Joel 2 also contains a beautiful promise of restoration:
There may be things in your life that feel wasted.
Years you wish you could have back.
Opportunities you missed.
Choices you regret.
Relationships that have been damaged.
Time that seems to have disappeared.
You cannot go backward and change yesterday, but you can place tomorrow in God’s hands.
God is able to redeem what seems wasted.
His restoration may not always look exactly the way we imagined it would, but He is able to bring purpose from painful seasons and use experiences we would rather forget for His glory.
God Will Pour Out His Spirit
Joel also points toward the coming work of the Holy Spirit:
Joel’s message was not ultimately one of destruction.
It was a message of redemption.
God was calling His people back to Himself and promising that He would work among them.
That gives us hope.
God doesn’t simply want to expose what is wrong in our lives.
He wants to transform us.
Come Back to Him
Perhaps the central message of Joel 2 is simple:
Come back to God.
If your heart has wandered, come back.
If you’ve grown spiritually tired, come back.
If you’ve been distracted by the cares of life, come back.
If you’ve been carrying guilt and shame, come back.
You don’t have to hide from God.
Bring Him your whole heart—the good, the bad, the broken, and the things you don’t understand.
Then turn toward Him.
A Thought for Today
Take a quiet moment today and ask yourself:
Is my heart completely surrendered to God, or have I allowed something else to take His place?
God’s invitation is still open.
Turn toward Him.
Seek Him.
Trust Him.
And remember that the God who calls us to repentance is also the God who is gracious, merciful, and full of kindness.
Prayer
Heavenly Father,
Thank You for Your mercy and Your great kindness. Thank You that You are gracious and slow to anger.
Lord, help me to turn toward You with all my heart. Search my heart and reveal anything that has taken Your place in my life.
Help me not to be satisfied with an outward appearance of faith, but to truly walk with You from the heart.
Forgive me where I have fallen short. Restore what has been broken according to Your will. Redeem the years and experiences that seem wasted, and use them for Your glory.
Fill me with Your Spirit. Give me wisdom when I don’t know what to do, strength when I am weak, peace when I am troubled, and faith when I cannot see what lies ahead.
Help me remember that You are still God in every season.
I give You my whole heart today.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
Scripture to Remember
“Now, therefore, says the Lord, Turn to Me with all your heart.”
— Joel 2:12, NKJV
Joel 3 — The Lord Is Our Hope
Joel 3 brings the book of Joel to a powerful conclusion.
After the devastation, the warning, the call to repentance, and the promise of restoration, Joel turns his attention toward the day of the Lord.
The chapter speaks of God’s judgment against the nations. It reminds us that God sees injustice and that ultimately, He will judge with perfect righteousness.
Sometimes we look at the world around us and wonder:
Does God see what is happening?
Joel 3 answers:
Yes. He sees.
Nothing escapes His notice.
There will come a day when God sets things right.
That can be difficult to remember when we see injustice, suffering, corruption, and evil seemingly going unpunished.
But Scripture reminds us that God is the righteous Judge.
We don’t have to carry the burden of making everything right ourselves.
God sees what we cannot see.
God knows what we do not know.
And God will judge with perfect righteousness.
The Valley of Decision
Joel describes the nations being gathered for judgment:
This is a sobering reminder that humanity will ultimately answer to God.
It should also cause us to examine our own hearts.
We can be very good at noticing what is wrong with everyone else while overlooking what God wants to change in us.
God’s patience should never be mistaken for indifference.
Today is an opportunity to seek Him.
Today is an opportunity to repent.
Today is an opportunity to put our trust in Jesus Christ.
God Is Still With His People
Joel’s message doesn’t end with judgment.
It ends with God’s presence.
God doesn’t merely promise His people a better future.
He promises Himself.
And ultimately, that is our greatest hope.
Circumstances change.
People change.
Possessions can disappear.
Plans can fail.
But when we belong to God, we have something circumstances cannot take away:
His presence.
The LORD Will Be Our Hope
One of the most beautiful declarations in Joel is found near the end of the chapter:
Read that final phrase again:
“The LORD will be the hope of his people.”
Not money.
Not governments.
Not circumstances.
Not other people.
Only The LORD.
We can make plans. We can work hard. We can prepare for tomorrow. We can pray for God to provide our needs.
But our ultimate hope cannot rest in things that can change.
Our hope rests in God.
When finances are uncertain, the Lord is our hope.
When the future is uncertain, the Lord is our hope.
When family circumstances are difficult, the Lord is our hope.
When we don't understand what He is doing, the Lord is our hope.
When we are waiting for an answer to prayer, the Lord is our hope.
He Is Our Refuge
Joel reminds us that God is not only our hope. He is our strength.
The God who judges righteously is also the God who shelters His people.
He is holy and merciful.
He is just and compassionate.
He warns us because He loves us.
He calls us to repentance because He wants us near Him.
And when we turn to Him, we find refuge.
A Thought for Today
You may not know what tomorrow will bring.
You may not understand everything happening around you.
You may look at the world and wonder how everything will eventually be made right.
But you don’t have to know all the answers.
You need to know who holds the answers.
The same God who spoke through Joel is still God today.
He sees.
He knows.
He judges righteously.
He restores.
He strengthens.
And He remains the hope of His people.
So don’t place your hope in circumstances that can change.
Place your hope in the Lord.
Prayer
Heavenly Father,
Thank You that You are righteous, holy, and just. Thank You that nothing escapes Your notice and that You see everything that happens in this world.
When I see injustice and things I don’t understand, help me trust You. Keep me from becoming consumed by fear or anger over things that are beyond my control.
Remind me that You are the righteous Judge and that one day You will make all things right.
Lord, be my hope when I am discouraged.
Be my strength when I am weak.
Be my refuge when I am afraid.
Help me not to place my confidence in people, possessions, circumstances, or the things of this world. Teach me to place my hope completely in You.
When I cannot see the way ahead, help me trust the One who already knows the way.
Thank You for Your presence. Thank You that no matter what happens around me, You remain faithful.
I choose to put my hope in You today.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
Scripture to Remember
“The LORD will be the hope of his people, and the strength
of the children of Israel.”
— Joel 3:16, KJV