Fear not, Earth! Be glad and celebrate!
God has done great things.
Fear not, wild animals!
The fields and meadows are greening up.
The trees are bearing fruit again:
a bumper crop of fig trees and vines!
Children of Zion, celebrate!
Be glad in your God.
He’s giving you a teacher
Teaching, like rain out of heaven, showers of words
to refresh and nourish your soul, just as he used to do.
And plenty of food for your body—silos full of grain,
casks of wine and barrels of olive oil.
Joel 2: 21-24 The Message
In the midst of spring, with new life all around us, it is good to remember that the Lord is behind the miracle of growth and seasons.
Each detail of creation, even rain showers, add to the opportunity for us to give glory to God. No matter what is going on in the world, God’s creation continues to unfold before our eyes...
Joel is speaking to his people after a period of lean years. Now they are finally experiencing some bounty. He is reminding them that God is behind it all. Whenever we are tempted to think that God does not care for us, and that we do not matter to God, think about all that God provides for us on a daily basis. For every provision we enjoy from the earth- from grain, to fruit, to olive oil- God has created it. As a result, we ought to give thanks to the Lord.
From the food we eat, to the beauty our eyes behold, each detail is a sign of God’s love. As spring turns to summer, and the blossoms of our valley fade, we should not mourn for the loss of their beauty. The next phase, tree fruit, provides us with the nourishment our bodies require. Trees need both sunlight and water to thrive, so rejoice when the weather is good, but also when we have the occasional rainy day. All of creation works together, to give glory to God. God’s creation provides us with what we need, and brings some beauty into our lives. Rejoice in the blessings of spring!
Prayer
God of the harvest,
Thank you for providing the food that we need. May we never neglect to see You behind every tree that grows, every blade of grass which provides us with a carpet of green, and our daily bread. You provide for us always, in good times and bad. Thank you for Your care! We rejoice in Your love, especially in springtime. With gratitude in our hearts, we pray this prayer in Jesus’ name. Amen.
PS Please join us for online worship tomorrow, Sunday, May 17th,
when our focus for worship will be the following:
Scripture Matthew 13: 3-9, 18-23
Sermon Growing towards our full potential:
Avoiding all that hinders a good harvest
