He is Gracious.

And the LORD shall utter His voice before His army: for His camp is very great: for He is strong that executeth His Word: for the day of the LORD is great and very terrible; and who can abide it? Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to Me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your GOD: for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth Him of the evil. (Joel 2:11-13)

We have now arrived at the prophecies of Joel on our journey through the 'minor' prophets.  Here GOD is telling those with an ear to hear of His judgment on the world and on Israel in that great and final Day of the Lord, which will begin when the rapture of the Church occurs, and finish when all of Israel is gathered in to its place of safety and rescued by our Lords return to this earth to reign and rule from Jerusalem.  But it is also a desire on GOD's part for His people to reject the ritualism of religion and repent that they might be in a true relationship with Him by faith in Him as the Messiah that would deliver them.  A deliverance that is primarily spiritual in nature  because of our sIn that separates us from GOD, though there is a future physical deliverance to come.

While He is a loving GOD that desires a relationship and a restoration of all things, He cannot allow sIn to remain and it must be paid for in blood.  Those that repent of their sIn and receive Jesus Christ, believing in His finish work on the Cross will live, a new creature in Christ. Those that reject His free gift will be cast away from His presence forever.  It is just, because we have all sinned.  It is also love, because He has paid His own price for our sIn.  Receive Him today. 

If you already know Him and rest in His security, tell others about the forgiveness and sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

In Christ,
Jefferson A. Sweet