1The word of the Lord that came to Joel, the son of Pethuel:2 Hear this, you elders, And listen, all inhabitants of the land. Has anything like this happened in your days, Or in your fathers’ days? 3 Tell your sons about it, And have your sons tell their sons, And their sons the next generation. 4 What the gnawing locust has left, the swarming locust has eaten; And what the swarming locust has left, the creeping locust has eaten; And what the creeping locust has left, the stripping locust has eaten Joel 1:1-4

When calamity or adversity hits, what do we do? How do we get through bad times? Do we hide? Do we face the problem head-on and attack the source of what is giving us anguish? First, we must recognize that calamities or plagues can hit us on five fronts. 

One. Our livelihood. 

Have you lost your job? Is your business failing? Is your workplace hostile or unbearable? Whatever the details, we can face adversity when trying to make a living. Things could be going great, but you’re suddenly laid off, or a pandemic threatens your business, or the competition gets the upper hand. Calamity hits our livelihood, and we feel it to our bones. 

Two. Food. 

Joel 1:10 says, “The fields are ruined, the ground is dried up; the grain is destroyed, the new wine is dried up, the olive oil fails.” The second kind of plague is when God hits our food source. It can be something about a general plague that hits society or a personal plague that inhibits your ability to put food on the table.  

Three. Man-made. 

The third kind of calamity has nothing to do with nature but everything to do with human-made plagues like toxic human relationships or good relationships turning sour. You lend money to a fellow church member; you co-sign on a loan; you start a business together- it’s all good until calamity hits, and you end up destroying your relationships. Friends betray you. Whatever the case, the third kind of calamity is human-made. 

Four. Happiness. 

Joel 1:12 says, “Surely the people’s joy is withered away.” The fourth kind of calamity hits our happiness. Somewhere along the way, we stopped smiling. We stopped enjoying life, and we stopped even having moments of happiness. The happiness plague seeps into every part of our lives, leaving us sad and depressed. Do you lack joy in your life? Then for certain, the fourth plague has struck. 

Five. Gratefulness. 

When things are good, you’re thankful for everything. You’re thankful for your health, the people around you, your job… But when calamity hits, you search hard but find nothing about which to be grateful. You complain about everything. You’ve been wronged. You’ve been dealt a poor hand. Nothing ever works out. Bad luck. When this fifth plague hits, your thankful heart goes out the window and is replaced with a grumbling, black heart. 

Now, when calamity hits, what do we do? When we’ve been wronged, do we go after that person? Do we hit our competition harder and go after them? Do we look for things to blame for our unhappiness and ungrateful heart? No! We must do three things. 

One. 

When these five calamities hit, we must first recognize and believe without a doubt that it comes from God. Let that sink in. Good or bad, everything comes from God. The so-called distress and adversity you’re facing do not come from the apparent agent in front of you: it comes from God. Believe this, and don’t waste your energy looking for the solution from things and people who have no answers. 

Two. 

Examine and look back at the path that brings you to the calamity. If you have done nothing wrong- In other words, if you have done the will of God and listened to His word, be patient and endure. Be steadfast because God will get you through it. He gives you hardship and distress because He wants to give you a bigger prize. Keep doing what you’re doing, and press on!

Three. 

Examine and look back. If you have sinned and lived against the will of God, repent. And, God does not want a gentle repenting; He wants us to cry out to the Lord. “Put on your sackcloth, you priests, and mourn; wail, you who minister before the alter.” He wants us to declare a “holy fast.” So when we’ve done something wrong… when we haven’t lived right in the eyes of God… when we have lived in sin, God does not want a gentle, flippant repentance. He wants us to wail before him. He wants us to mourn and fast. That’s how we get through calamities! 

Are you experiencing hardships in your life? Are you facing any of the five calamities? If you are, look no further than placing everything in God’s hands. First, recognize it’s all God’s love, and it’s coming from God. Second, if you’re living the right way and living according to His will, stay the course and be steadfast. Third, repent adamantly if you have strayed from God- wail, mourn, and fast! 

For Korean sermon click https://www.younghiepaik.com/sermon/media/player_audio.php?seq=384&page=1&key=all&word=&memo=&sort=&type=V&sermon_year=1983&sermon_month=02