23 BE GLAD, O PEOPLE OF ZION,
REJOICE IN THE LORD YOUR GOD,
for he has given you the autumn rains
because HE IS FAITHFUL.
He sends you ABUNDANT SHOWERS,
both autumn and spring rains, as before.
24 The threshing floors will be FILLED WITH GRAIN;
the vats will OVERFLOW WITH NEW WINE AND OIL. Joel 2
I have felt drawn back again to the second chapter of Joel, on the Winter Solstice or shortest day of the year. God speaks of blessing His people with Abundance, Floors Filled with grain and Overflowing new wine and oil.
25 “I WILL REPAY YOU for the years the locusts have eaten—
26 YOU WILL HAVE PLENTY TO EAT, UNTIL YOU ARE FULL,
AND YOU WILL PRAISE THE NAME OF THE LORD YOUR GOD,
who has worked wonders for you;
never again will my people be shamed. Joel 2
It’s difficult to Praise God on an empty stomach and He knows that full well, so He promises to bless Israel again IN THE NATURAL OR PHYSICAL REALM SO THEY WILL WANT TO PRAISE THEIR GOD!
The last verses of Joel 2 are better known as Peter quoted them on the Day of Pentecost in Jerusalem,
28 “And afterward,
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.
29 Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days.
Joel lived over eight centuries before God poured out His Spirit on the people who’d visited Jerusalem for Passover, yet in his prophecy the verses follow immediately after God’s promises of physical blessings for His people.
BLESSING IN THE NATURAL REALM PRECEDED BLESSING IN THE SPIRITUAL REALM.
I believe God may repeat this in our day, but the enemy will try and block those blessings coming to the peoples. The wealthy elite think they can stop God, but He’ll vanquish them. (The Guardian, UK newspaper, has published an article, Tuesday 20 December, stating Wells Fargo have agreed to pay $3.7 billion over illegal fees and interest. Be assured they haven’t done it willingly.)
God is on the move and we must stand with righteousness at this time.
Blessing – coming in the natural and following soon in the spiritual.
God bless and keep you today.