March 27, 2002
Grain, New Wine, and Oil
Then the Lord will be jealous for his land and take pity on his people. The Lord will reply to them: “I am sending you grain, new wine and oil, enough to satisfy you fully; never again will I make you an object of scorn to the nations.” Joel 2:18-19 (NIV)
After we have learned to live a life that is holy and pleasing unto the Lord he will be able to pour forth the blessings that he longs to pour forth. We must not forget that his promises are contingent upon us doing what is righteous and holy in his sight. When we have done this, then he is sending to us grain. The grain is the bread that Jesus said to take, eat, this is his body, broken for you. The grain was offered as an offering in the Old Testament as a sign of the coming of the bread that would make us never hunger again. That bread is Jesus. He is also sending to us a new wine, a new outpouring of him. The wine is his blood, shed that you might have life. Jesus has already come, and yet, only in true repentance can we experience the grain and the new wine. The oil was used to set apart the instruments of the temple, setting them aside as holy and righteous.
Do you see? Do you hear? When we learn to live for Jesus, totally sold out, letting his nature shine through, then, we are satisfied fully. He is ALL any of us needs! We do not need a spouse who is loving and kind. We need the spouse who is loving and kind, Jesus!
This day, the Lord longs for us to have the grain, new wine and oil that he has promised to his people. He says that if you eat this bread and drink this wine, that you will never thirst again. Do we truly eat the bread of Jesus? Do we drink the wine? Do we truly experience the fullness of the Holy Spirit that this verse promises?
I say to you, “No, we do not!” We do not, because we do not live a life that is in accordance with his calling. Yet, he longs for us to receive this promise. God is doing a new thing among his people. He is waking up the sleeping. He is rousing us to be ready to war. He is training us, that we might be filled. The day is quickly approaching that the judgment of a holy God is going to be poured on this earth. He shall set us aside, in that place he has gone before to prepare. We shall never again hunger or thirst, cry or hurt, or sin. We shall live with him forever in Zion, in the New Jerusalem, his people and he will be our God. He has the grain, the new wine and the oil all ready for us to receive. Come! Let him make you holy that you might be fully satisfied in him.
Father, I so long to be fully satisfied in you. I so long to go home with you for all eternity. Yet, the time has not come for me to go home. I beg of you, on this earth, to give me the grain and the new wine. Anoint me with the holy oil. Set me aside as holy. Mark me by your angels according to your word. Satisfy me fully, Most Holy God. Father, I praise you that Jesus is all I need. I praise you that I do not have to rely on any other to meet my needs. Father, help me to be fully satisfied, content, full of joy, regardless of the circumstances of my life on this earth, in Jesus name, amen.
All rights reserved: Amy Seelbach
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