Joel 2:1

Joel 2:1 (ESV): “Blow a trumpet in Zion; sound an alarm on my holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming; it is near.”

The day of the Lord is a phrase that should put the fear of God into the heart of man. It refers to divine wrath and judgment. Don’t wait to get right with God. The trumpet is sounding—take the warning to heart!

Joel is given revelation concerning the wrath to come. He defines the day of the Lord as a time of darkness and gloom. Some view it as a single day referring to the Second Coming of Christ, while others see it as a period—the seven-year Tribulation that culminates in the Second Coming. Either way, Joel’s point is a clear warning. That’s why he exhorts: “Return to Me with all your heart… and rend your hearts and not your garments.” The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love, and He relents from sending disaster.

Can you hear the trumpet sounding in your heart? If so, the Lord is warning you. Don’t let this day pass before you get right with God. He is calling us even now to repent and tear our hearts, not just our garments. He will spare from the wrath to come all who are in Christ (1 Thess 5:9). Get right with God through His Son! Amen?

Father, thank You for warning us of the things to come. May we heed the warning and turn to You. In Jesus’ name, amen.