What is Crisis?
How are you handling the challenges encompassing the global crisis of the corona virus in 2020? Are you heeding the advice of authorities? Or are you ignoring them?
Shopping for household goods has become a bigger challenge because of this 2020 virus crisis. People whose panic button is easily triggered started buying out shelves of all kinds of items.
We’re being told by authorities that there’s no need to hoard items. Yet stores are having to literally stand watch in certain aisles to insure you obey the new limits of only 1 paper goods item or 2 sweet potatoes allowed per customer.
How do you respond to this? Are you getting upset and angry at the clerks running the store? Or are you taking it in stride and adapting to the current perceived crisis? Do you smile and thank the clerks for their efforts to limit hoarding behavior?
Are we truly in crisis at this point?
Vocublary.com defines crisis as a crucial stage or turning point in the course of something.
Today I want to look at a description of a crisis from Joel 1:4
What the cutting locust left, the swarming locust has eaten. What the swarming locust left, the hopping locust has eaten, and what the hopping locust left, the destroying locust has eaten. (Joe 1:4 ESV)
Prior to this verse Joel had introduced himself as being chosen by God to deliver a message. He called for all inhabitants of the land to pay close attention and to remember this message by continuing to tell it to successive generations. Finally, in verse four he reveals why he’s asking for everyone’s attention.
What does verse four tell you about what has happened in Joel’s community?
Locusts of either different kinds or stages of growth have decimated their food supply. All vegetation has been consumed by this invading army of bugs. This imagery is intentionally evoking utter destruction.
Can you now see why Joel 1:1-3 was doing everything possible to get the people’s attention?
Joel’s audience was truly in crisis. Something needed to be done to resolve the situation if they were going to survive.
What is your response to the crisis we’re facing today?
Are you seeking God’s message for how to respond?
Are you being a solution to our crisis or part of the problem?
I typically take advantage of buy one get one specials. When I went shopping for groceries this week one of the bogo specials was a bag of mini sweet peppers. There were two bags on the shelf. I had a choice to make in that moment. Do I take both bags or leave one for someone else?
How we conduct ourselves matters even in the little day to day choices we make. This is one of the messages that God is sharing through the book of Joel. How we respond to Him and the circumstances he allows have significant impact both immediately and in the future.
What are you doing differently today so that others can thrive during this temporary crisis?
Send me your comments!
Blessings,
Barbara Lynn
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