Be not afraid, O land (of Judah); be glad and rejoice. Surely the Lord has done great things. — Joel 2:21
This reassurance from God is given to a people facing desperate times, times which God caused to lead his people to repent of their evil ways. Their land was desolate and decimated by drought, plagues, and poor harvests. However, God promised to bless them if they would return to him with all their hearts. The Lord, the covenant God of Israel, promised to do great things to bring his people to deliverance through their repentance and because of God’s gracious power. The land would be able to rejoice and be glad. So would his people! So should we! Part of the fulfillment of this prophecy happened in Acts 2 on the day of Pentecost when the church was born (Acts 2:22-47). We know that “the Lord has done great things” for us based on this promise.