Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“Then afterwards
I will pour out my spirit on all flesh;
your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
your old men shall dream dreams,
and your young men shall see visions.”
NL Daily Devotion for Sunday, December 6, 2020
by Dr. Kimberly Leetch, Clergy Stuff
Main Idea: As Advent is underway, we can be tempted with visions of consumerism. But God’s Holy Spirit offers visions far more satisfying and lasting.
Although there is debate over the exact era of Joel, some believe he may have prophesied during the period of exile, and after the building of the second temple of Solomon. Many of the post-exilic prophets proclaimed destruction upon Israel, and many also proclaimed the promise of restoration.
In today’s verses, God encouraged Israel to mourn and repent, not only in their outward appearance but in their hearts. God reminded Israel that God is “gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and relents from punishing (2:13b).”
God also promised that God would imbue them with God’s Holy Spirit. The Spirit would enable God’s people to dream dreams and see visions. They would have hope for a better future.
In this season of Advent, we might long for evidence of God’s Holy Spirit in the midst of shopping malls and online advertising. We are bombarded with visions of consuming (goods and food), of an elusive, perfect holiday experience, and even the illusion of conflict-free family gatherings. The Holy Spirit doesn’t thrive in these visions, which are temporary at best, and fraudulent at worst. In these thrive the spirit of make-believe and a promise that stuff can make you happy.
But God’s Holy Spirit still does thrive even amid the dreams and visions of a consumerist secular holiday. It can take faith and a willingness to see visions from God—generosity over selfishness, joy over pleasure, relationships over stuff. God’s Holy Spirit is powerful and present, and sometimes all she needs is for us to allow the visions she offers to dance brilliantly before our eyes.
What dreams or visions do you have at this time of year?
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