The wonderful diversity of the universe around us should naturally draw us to praise and worship its one creator. He is the one author of the symphony that consists of many instruments. The harmony we see should drive us to the reality of his existence. The discord we hear should remind us of our need for his intervention. Either way, what is should make us seek him.
LORD, come again, and restore complete harmony to your creation.
The LORD who brought the locusts and invading armies as a judgment is the same LORD who promises restoration and abundance. He cares for his people, and wants them restored. But he is not content with partial, outward restoration. He wants his people restored to full peace and reconciliation with him. That is why judgment happens in the first place.
LORD, restore us completely.
The LORD, who has all the power in the universe, has invested himself in the restoration, healing and preservation of those who fear him. It only makes sense to praise his name, and to cooperate with his plan for our rescue. He has sent his words to guide us just as he sends the white snow to cover the countryside, then melts it to water the new growth. He has a plan. It only makes sense to follow his plan. Most of the world seems content to reject his plan and follow their own nonsense. That does not mean that we should.
LORD, give us wisdom to do the sensible thing.
The LORD is the creator, the One who brings justice, setting prisoners free, healing the blind, lifting up those who are bowed down, loving the righteous, watching over the sojourners, upholding the widow and the fatherless, reigning forever. It is only logical to put our trust in a GOD like that. It is not logical to put faith in a mere human leader, because he is mortal. When mortal man’s breath departs, he returns to the ground from which he was formed, and his plans to save others perish with him (4).
LORD, help us to see the logic of trusting in you alone. Only you have life to give, because only you forever live.
The day of the LORD that Joel warned about was an armed invasion. The various images he used conveyed the idea of a sudden overwhelming presence. It would be sudden, like the appearance of a charging horse. They would violently break into the houses like a thief. Joel charged his listeners to pray and fast now, not to wait for signs of the approaching army. The sign was the prophecy itself. That is the way of the next day of the LORD as well. When Jesus appears, it will be too late to prepare for him. Are you ready?
LORD, make us ready for your day.
We often long for God’s good news, but Joel reminds us that sometimes the path to restoration begins with warnings we would rather not hear. The disasters he described were not random tragedies; they were God’s wake‑up call to a people drifting far from Him. The locusts, the drought, the collapse of normal life—these were hard words, but they were still the word of the LORD. Truth does not stop being truth when it becomes uncomfortable.
That same question reaches us today: Will we listen to God when His message confronts us before it comforts us? We live in a moment when our own society shows signs of deep unfaithfulness—violence, idolatry, injustice, and a growing indifference to the things of God. If the Lord chooses to shake us, it will not be out of cruelty but out of mercy, calling us back before it is too late.
Trusting God in such a season requires a different kind of obedience—one that listens before it understands, submits before it sees the outcome, and believes that God’s judgments are as purposeful as His blessings. Joel’s generation needed that courage. So do we.
When God speaks a hard word, He is not pushing us away. He is pulling us back. His warnings are invitations to return, to repent, to rediscover the life we were made for.
LORD, give us ears that listen even when Your truth is heavy. Give us hearts that trust You when Your plans are hidden. We place our confidence in You—whatever You have in store, we choose to walk with You.
This last psalm attributed to David is all about the greatness of the LORD and why he deserves our constant praise, and the constant praise of those who follow us. It is not about us. It’s about him. The legacy we should leave this world is not a record of our accomplishments or wisdom, but a clear picture of the greatness of God.
LORD, when we pass away, may it be that the world remembers how great you are!
The Edomites helped the Babylonians ransack Jerusalem and helped capture and enslave Jews who were trying to escape. The Edomites no longer exist. They did not learn their lesson. God had sent his first missionary prophet to a people who were the enemies of the Jews. Obadiah’s message would go on to predict the utter destruction of Edom. He said “The house of Jacob shall be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame, and the house of Esau stubble; they shall burn them and consume them, and there shall be no survivor for the house of Esau, for the LORD has spoken” (18).
There is a message for you and me coming from the heart of Obadiah today. That message is about the people we might tend to marginalize because they are different from us. They are the beggars, and people suffering from natural disasters, or people caught in the trap of drugs, or some alternative lifestyle that we see as wrong.
It may seem like God has given up on those people. But Obadiah tells us that God is watching us to see if we will chose to love them. We may say, “They made their bed, let them lie in it.” That is exactly the attitude Edom had. God is calling us to love the unlovable. If we are going to be children of our heavenly Father, we will have to act like he does.
LORD, give us your attitude … the mind of Christ.
David prayed for three things with no reservation or feeling of shame: rescue from the plots of his enemies, growth of the LORD’s kingdom among men, and prosperity for the righteous. May our prayers reflect the same reliance upon the LORD.
LORD, rescue us, build your church, and prosper us as we reflect your truth.
Babylon is about to strike Judah. Obadiah warns Edom not to do three things:
No Bragging (12) “But do not gloat over the day of your brother in the day of his misfortune; do not rejoice over the people of Judah in the day of their ruin; do not boast in the day of distress.” When bad things happen, don’t say “I told you so.”
No Looting (13) “Do not enter the gate of my people in the day of their calamity; … do not loot his wealth in the day of his calamity.” When bad things happen, don’t make them worse by taking advantage of Judah when they are down.
No Bounty Hunting (14) “Do not stand at the crossroads to cut off his fugitives; do not hand
over his survivors in the day of distress.” When bad things happen, don’t make them worse by exacting revenge on the fallen.
LORD, give us the wisdom to react in prayer when bad things happen – even if they happen to our enemies.
Psalm 148
Joel 2:18-27
Psalm 147
Joel 2:1-17
Joel 1
Psalm 145
Psalm 144
