Joel...Gods Faithfulness

Monday’s class was very peculiar for the first twenty minutes, because I did an exercise that I had never done before. I was asked to go find a quite place on campus and read a portion of Joel. This minor prophet of the Old Testament has a very unique way of blending poetry with the God-breathed message that need to be portrayed. He uses many similes and metaphors to explain what nature is doing. Anyway, back to what I did on Monday; I found a quite place, the Valencia courtyard, and proclaimed a portion of the second chapter of Joel to the listening trees and shrubbery. They were a fairly good audience, because they didn’t finish my speech with window shaking boo’s that usually ensue after I speak. As weird as it seemed talking to trees, I liked the feeling I got from proclaiming the words of the Lord out loud. I am really exited to paint in class tomorrow. Especially with the imagery I got from reading and rereading Joel. I’m not an especially good painter, so this will be interesting. Crayons are my medium of choice.

The book is filled with such dramatic language as “Its teeth are the teeth of a lion, and it has the fangs of a lioness.” This is vivid, and perfect for painting. Joel is a reminder of God’s faithfulness. Though they are going through severe drought and famine, God promised it would get better. Then, later in the second chapter; God does exactly what He says. “Behold, I am going to send you grain, new wine and oil, and you will be satisfied in full with them;” Completely honest, trust was a great hindrance in my relationship with God. I knew He had so much planned for me, but I was afraid to surrender fearing that the outcome was out of my hands. I like being in control, and that’s not how it works. To say I’m completely there would be a lie, because I’m learning to trust God more and more each day. He meets every need, and the book of Joel is a fresh reminder of this.