Read: Joel 2:28-32
. . . everyone who calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved. (v. 32)
In our world, we value fairness. It seems fair to us when bad people suffer, and good people prosper. We can even make ourselves the judge and jury, declaring in our hearts and minds who is deserving of good things and who is not.
The prophet Joel foretells there will be a time when God’s Spirit will be poured out on all people; that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. This was a radical concept, for at that time God’s Spirit seemed only available to chosen people such as kings and prophets. In the New Testament, Peter identifies this prophecy as being fulfilled when the Holy Spirit was poured out at Pentecost (Acts 2:16-21). From that day forward, regardless of what anyone has done, whoever receives and believes what Jesus has done for them becomes a child of God with the same rights and privileges available to all his children. There are no positions of power. We all have access to his love, forgiveness, and the power of the Spirit, and all who call on his name will be saved.
This may not seem fair, but when we realize that we all sin and fall short of the glory of God, we can be thankful that God isn’t fair. God does not give us what we deserve. We can be thankful that in the midst of judgment there is mercy, and we can show that mercy to others as it has been shown to us. —Kelly Slaybaugh
As you pray, thank God for saving us by his grace.
About the Author
Kelly Slaybaugh lives in Wake Forest, North Carolina, is a student at Asbury Theological Seminary, and an “empty nester.” She loves connecting with God through nature and outdoor activities.
