The repentance (metanoia) called for throughout the Bible is a summons to a personal, absolute and ultimate unconditional surrender to God as Sovereign. Though it includes sorrow and regret, it is more than that. ... In repenting, one makes a complete change of direction (180° turn) toward God. It is a change of heart and desires.

        As I walk through the book of Joel or Yo,el which means "Jehovah is God", we should be reminded of God's wrath, His Mercy and His restoration. 
     
        A. Devastation of Judah: scourge of locusts, drought, and fire (1:2-20)
1. Graphic description of the locust scourge (vv. 2-4)
2. Call to various classes to mourn, or repent (vv. 5-14)
3. The awful calamity: day of Jehovah  prayer for mercy (vv. 15-20)
       
           In these verses we see Joel send a reminder of God's  wrath that was poured out on those who would not turn from there ways and listen to Him.  He explains this as an invasion and total devastation done by Locust.  Friends let us be reminded that refusing God and His correction only leads to destruction.

        B. A more urgent summons to repentance and prayer: the scourge is a forerunner of
 the day of judgment (2:1-17)
1. The urgent summons (vv. 1-11)
a) The trumpet of warning (vv. 1-3)
b) Vivid description of the calamity (vv. 4-11)
2. A more urgent call to repentance (vv. 12-17)
a) Rend the heart, not the garments (vv. 12-14)
b) Sincerely repent, fervently pray (vv. 15-17)
   
      We next see Joel give a command to gather all the people together, reminding them of the terrible day of the Lord and what God's wrath looks like. But he gives a way out in verse 12, Gods Mercy.
“Even now,” declares the Lord,
    “return to me with all your heart,
    with fasting and weeping and mourning.”
 
         Friends God makes a way for all of us. We may think we are too bad, we need to get cleaned up first, the building will fall in or there is no hope. But the good news is no matter how far you you think you may be God is only on step back.  His mercy endures forever.
​          II The day of Jehovah: a day of blessing to Israel, a day of terror to her enemies
[Jehovah speaks (2:18  3:21)]
         A. Blessings promised to Israel (2:18-32)
1. Repentance implied: Jehovah’s gracious change (v. 18)
2. The removal of Jehovah’s army, temporal blessings promised (vv. 19-27)
3. Outpouring of the Spirit and approaching judgment (vv. 28-32)
a) Outpouring of the Spirit (vv. 28-29)
b) Judgment upon the wicked parallel to blessings on Israel (vv. 30-31)
c) The escape of a remnant in Zion (v. 32)

        We finally see God's restoration. For us when we repent of our direction and turn back to God through faith in Jesus.  Remember Romans 10: 9-10. God will restore us when His spirit is poured out in our lives by accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior.  

​

   

 PRIDE:  a feeling of deep pleasure or satisfaction derived from one's own achievements, the achievements of those with whom one is closely associated, or from qualities or possessions that are widely admired.

  Friends pride is self-destructive and self-deceptive.

Self-deceptive:  When we put our trust in our achievements, our positions, our possessions, our jobs, or the people we surround ourselves with, we tend to not rely on God or only us Him like emergency services. We are deceived into not having the relationship God wants with us. We are deceived into not becoming the person God wants, but becoming the person we want.  We are deceived into not being the light of the world and guiding others to Christ. We are deceived into idly standing by while others go to Hell.
Matt 12:30  30 “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters
 
Self-destructive:  When we allow pride to reside in our lives it begins to destroy. When we build on anything other than Jesus we build upon the sand. When trials, hard times, uncertainty, and change come into our lives we put our trust and faith in empty, soft things.  
Matt 7:26 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.

Let me encourage you to seek out pride in your life. You might be saying, I don't have any. Like me when I first started the search I didn't see it because it was right in front of me. That is why pride is so dangerous, it hides in plane sight telling us all the time its not there. 

Seek out God, and be open to His moving and listen for Him in all things. Trust in Him and create a relationship with Him through His word. Friends when you do these things you build on the Rock.
Matt 7:24    24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.

​Those who trust in the Lord will have Victory!