“And afterward,
    I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
    your old men will dream dreams,
    your young men will see visions.
Even on my servants, both men and women,
    I will pour out my Spirit in those days.
I will show wonders in the heavens
    and on the earth,
    blood and fire and billows of smoke.
The sun will be turned to darkness
    and the moon to blood
    before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.
And everyone who calls
    on the name of the Lord will be saved;
for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem
    there will be deliverance,
    as the Lord has said,
even among the survivors
    whom the Lord calls.
Joel 2:28-32

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My heart was beating so hard I could feel it in my throat. When I put my hand on my chest, it almost felt loud—if sound had a feeling, that was it. My eyes were wide, and I took in the scene as I sat on my couch. It was a movie that was making my body think it needed to go into flight or fight mode. It was just a little intense.

I was watching the film Hurt Locker. It’s about an elite army unit in Iraq during the war that was tasked with defusing explosives. Often these were in very public and extremely dangerous situations—like in the middle of a street where armed men hid in the surrounding buildings waiting to take out the soldiers. 

As I watched one of the scenes, I was overwhelmed by the main character’s fearlessness. He approached a car in the middle of an abandoned street and slowly opened the hood to peer inside and see if that was where the explosive was—an explosive that wouldn’t just kill him and his fellow soldiers but was sure to decimate the surrounding buildings as well. I sensed no hesitation in him whatsoever. I knew I was watching a movie, but I was overwhelmed by the courage of this character. And then I had another thought, as followers of Jesus, we know that no matter what we are facing, evil does not have the final say. Yet, do we walk around so courageously?

The prophets spoke of the Day of the Lord, which would bring disaster and salvation. Today’s passage describes this terrifying day when God comes to judge all people and powers. It also presents hope for all who know God. In Acts 2:16–21, Peter quoted today’s passage to explain the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, indicating that the “last days” have begun. 

In these last days, we can walk around even more courageously than the soldier in Hurt Locker, not because we’re ignorant or careless but because we know that even though we walk through dark times, we need not fear evil because God is with us (Psalm 23:4). We find comfort in knowing that one day, Jesus will return to bring justice, and all who call on His name will be saved.     

Next Steps

• If anything is causing you fear today, write it down and pray over it, asking God to show you His goodness and faithfulness in the midst of your fear.
• Have you started the New Testament reading plan yet? If not, you can find it in the app or on our website. Join in at any time! It’s never too late.