drought, but later, Joel uses the phrase to describe the terrible “Day of the Lord” when the nations will be judged. God is the Lord of creation, and without His blessing, nature cannot produce what we need for sustaining life (Pss. 65; 104:10–18, 21; 145:15). We should never pray lightly, “Give us this day our daily bread,” for only God can sustain life (Acts 17:25, 28). “How the cattle moan!” (Joel 1:18, NIV) This reminds us that all creation “groans and labors” because of the bondage of sin in
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