Joel 1:15-20
To You, O LORD, I Call
Read the passage
15Alas for the day! For the Day of the LORD is near, and it will come as destruction from the Almighty.
16Has not the food been cut off before our very eyes—joy and gladness from the house of our God?
17The seeds lie shriveled beneath the clods; the storehouses are in ruins; the granaries are broken down, for the grain has withered away.
18How the cattle groan! The herds wander in confusion because they have no pasture. Even the flocks of sheep are suffering.
19To You, O LORD, I call, for fire has consumed the open pastures and flames have scorched all the trees of the field.
20Even the beasts of the field pant for You, for the streams of water have dried up, and fire has consumed the open pastures.
Berean Standard Bible
Read aloud
Joel cries out over the approaching Day of the LORD. It will come as destruction from the Almighty. Food has disappeared before the people’s eyes, and joy and gladness have been cut off from the house of their God.
Seeds shrivel beneath the clods. Storehouses lie in ruins and granaries break down because the grain has withered. Cattle groan and wander without pasture; even the sheep suffer. The disaster reaches the creatures that depend on the land for food.
Joel turns directly to God: “To You, O LORD, I call.” Fire has consumed the pastures and scorched the trees. Even the beasts pant for God because their streams are dry. The prophet who describes the disaster also prays from within it. His words bring ruined fields and thirsty animals before their Creator.
Questions
1 What has been cut off from the house of God?
AnswerJoy and gladness have been cut off from the house of God. Joel also says that food has been lost before the people’s eyes.
2 What has happened to the seeds and storehouses?
AnswerThe seeds lie shriveled beneath the clods, and the storehouses and granaries are in ruins.
3 What do the cattle and sheep experience?
AnswerThe cattle groan and wander because they have no pasture, and the flocks of sheep are suffering.
4 Who does Joel call when fire and drought consume the land?
AnswerHe calls to the LORD. He brings the disaster to the God who hears rather than pretending he can solve its meaning alone.
What This Means for Us
Joel’s prayer includes needs that are easy to overlook when we focus only on ourselves: pastures, water, cattle, and sheep. The land’s suffering matters to the people who depend on it and to the creatures that live there.
Bring material needs into your family’s prayers. Pray for people facing a failed harvest or loss of work, and attend to the creatures in your own care. Calling on God and taking responsibility for what depends on us belong together.
Prayer
O LORD, hear us when the land is dry and the future feels consumed. Care for people, animals, and places under strain, and teach us to call to You honestly. Amen.