“The Day Of The LORD!”

“The Day Of The LORD!”(Jl.2:28-32).
My parents often told us of the time when swarms of locusts invaded the Grassfield region. At first, the people were jubilant that they had been blessed with another edible insect that was good sauce for fufucorn. Not long after, the locusts became a source of lament. When a swarm of locusts settled in any farm or field, it ate up “all” green leaves. The villagers suffered famine as a result of the devastation caused by locusts eating up the leaves of every green plant.
Little known prophet Joel draws our attention to such destruction by locusts in Israel. The invasion by locusts was a rare occurrence but was scary. “Hear this, you elders; listen, all who live in the land. Has anything like this ever happened in your days or in the days of your ancestors? Tell it to your children, and let your children tell it to their children, and their children to the next generation. What the locust swarm has left the great locusts have eaten; what the great locusts have left the young locusts have eaten; what the young locusts have left other locusts have eaten…”(1:2f).
Prophet Joel saw the invasion and destruction caused by the locusts to be a punishment for the sins of the people. He called for repentance. He told the people: “Return to me with all your heart…Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love and he relents from sending calamity”(2:12-13).
Due to the gracious and compassionate nature of the LORD, the prophet saw a future Day of the LORD when the people were to experience something beyond mere restoration.
The LORD said, “And afterwards, 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 read of Moses’ wish, “I wish that all the LORD’S people were prophets and that the LORD would put his Spirit on them”(Num.11:29).
In the same way prophet Joel sees the Day of the LORD as a day that there will be a stop to male chauvinism, patriarchalism, disregard of the aged, social disequilibrium, and racial discrimination in matters of faith.
The above was intended when the Holy Spirit descended on the disciples on Pentecost, and it is what ought to be!
We have received the Spirit so that we should call on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved. And we are saved to save others as we witness to the risen Lord Jesus Christ.
Prayer: Holy Spirit, inspire us daily to call on the name of the LORD in thought, word, and deed. Amen!
Have a blessed day! Peace be with you!
Rev Babila Fochang.
12/06/2025.