September 13

Joel 1-3
“Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy hill.  Let all who live in the land tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming.  It is close at hand.”  Can you sense the urgency?  This isn’t some passive announcement, with a mild hope that people will repent.  This is an all-out alarm!  Trumpets are blowing, sirens are going off, people are shouting from the hills and rooftops, the day of the Lord is coming!  These are people who know first hand what the wrath of God can accomplish.  They know that if their friends, family, and neighbors don’t hear the alarm and heed the warning, they will be swept away on the day of the Lord, never to have another opportunity to take advantage of His mercy and grace.  I wonder, do we Christians share this same sense of urgency?  God has made a way for all to be saved, yet, all are not saved!  Are the unsaved hearing the sirens?  Is the alarm loud enough?  Are we shouting the message from the rooftops and upon every hill?  Are we, not only seizing every opportunity, but also speaking boldly to those we can reach?  Today, more than at any time in the history of the world, we have no excuse for not sharing the good news.  Communication is open in unprecedented measure to nearly every living soul on the planet.  I have found myself simply stating to another, “I would really like to see you in heaven.”  I do not want to be standing over anyone’s grave asking myself why I never raised the alarm.  Truly, the day of the Lord is coming, and it is close at hand.  Don’t let anyone miss the trumpet call!