When disaster strikes, some people turn away from God by blaming him for all their troubles and hardening their hearts against him. But some people return to God for understanding, comfort, and a new relationship. This happened after WWI, WWII, and the 9/11 tragedy. Maybe it’s time again. Here is an example, which happened almost 3000 years ago, when Joel prophesied to the people in the midst of a catastrophic locust plague. He reminded them that Yahweh is a merciful and gracious God. He pleaded with them to return to the Lord.
Return with All Your Heart
“Yet even now,” says Yahweh, “turn to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning.” Tear your heart, and not your garments, and turn to Yahweh, your God; for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness, and relents from sending calamity. Who knows? He may turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind him, even a meal offering and a drink offering to Yahweh, your God. (Joel 2:12-14 WEB)
12. turn ye even to me] come back from your self-chosen course of sin, return to Me. On the idea of turning (or returning) to God in the Old Testament (from which the theological idea of “conversion” was ultimately developed), see on Amos 4:6.
with all your heart] with the entire force of your moral purpose. The Deuteronomic phrase is “with all your heart and with all your soul” (Deuteronomy 6:5, and elsewhere), i.e. with the intellect and the affections combined[39]; but the heart alone is often mentioned (e.g. 1 Samuel 12:20; 1 Samuel 12:24, Jeremiah 29:13; and, as here, with turn, 1 Samuel 7:3, Jeremiah 24:7). The heart is in Hebrew psychology not (as with us) the organ of the affections, but the organ of the intellect (see e.g. Hosea 7:11); here, the organ of moral purpose and resolve.
with fasting, and with weeping, and with wailing] i.e. with grief for sin, of which these are to be the external signs. On fasting, as a mark of penitence, see on Joel 1:14 : on weeping, as its concomitant, Jdg 20:26, Psalm 69:10, Zechariah 7:3; cf. 2 Kings 22:19, Isaiah 22:12, Ezra 10:1.
12–14. Nevertheless, it is still not too late to avert the judgement by earnest penitence; for God is gracious and compassionate, and ready to pardon those who turn to Him with their whole heart. Cf. Jeremiah 4:14.–Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
- God’s plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11)
- The controversy of evil (If God is good, why does he allow evil?)
- What is the gospel?
- The controversy of sin
- A famine of hearing the words of the LORD
More pleas to return to the Lord
This has been a consistent theme of all the prophets. But we have lived through a time of cornucopia of excess riches that have made us forgetful of disaster and tragedy. Return to the Old Testament history to be reminded of real hardships.
- But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul. When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the LORD thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice; (For the LORD thy God is a merciful God;) he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them. (Deuteronomy 4:29-31)
- And Samuel spake unto all the house of Israel, saying, If ye do return unto the LORD with all your hearts, then put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth from among you, and prepare your hearts unto the LORD, and serve him only: and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines. (1 Samuel 7:3)
- Therefore thou deliveredst them into the hand of their enemies, who vexed them: and in the time of their trouble, when they cried unto thee, thou heardest them from heaven; and according to thy manifold mercies thou gavest them saviours, who saved them out of the hand of their enemies. (Nehemiah 9:27)
- Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish. (Esther 4:16)
- Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness: ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high. (Isaiah 58:4)
- If thou wilt return, O Israel, saith the LORD, return unto me: and if thou wilt put away thine abominations out of my sight, then shalt thou not remove. (Jeremiah 4:1)
- And thou shalt swear, The LORD liveth, in truth, in judgment, and in righteousness; and the nations shall bless themselves in him, and in him shall they glory. (Jeremiah 4:2)
- Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel? (Ezekiel 33:11)
- And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes: (Daniel 9:3)
- Therefore turn thou to thy God: keep mercy and judgment and wait on thy God continually. (Hosea 12:6)
- For thus saith the LORD unto the house of Israel, Seek ye me, and ye shall live: (Amos 5:4)
- And now, I pray you, beseech God that he will be gracious unto us: this hath been by your means: will he regard your persons? saith the LORD of hosts. (Malachi 1:9)
God has promised to respond
I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the great locust, the grasshopper, and the caterpillar, my great army, which I sent among you. You will have plenty to eat, and be satisfied, and will praise the name of Yahweh, your God, who has dealt wondrously with you; and my people will never again be disappointed. You will know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am Yahweh, your God, and there is no one else; and my people will never again be disappointed. (Joel 2:25-27 WEB)
For deeper study:
- The most important New Year’s resolution — Make a resolution to read the Bible quietly, carefully, and prayerfully, God will speak to you through his Spoken Word and the Holy Spirit will guide you..
- 7 important reasons to study the Bible — Thy word, Jesus’ prayer of thanksgiving, Jesus’ rebuke to study, learning from examples, assurance of salvation, encouragement to do what the Bible says
- 6 important considerations for Bible study — Six important considerations for Bible study: seek the truth, revealed by God, living word, from God, it is correct, and it will change you.
- Online Bible Study Resources — Here are some excellent online Bible study resources: Bible Hub, Bible Gateway, Blue Letter Bible, Bible Study Tools Online, and more.