13 Put on sackcloth, you priests, and mourn; wail, you who minister before the altar. Come, spend the night in sackcloth, you who minister before my God; for the grain offerings and drink offerings are withheld from the house of your God.
14 Declare a holy fast; call a sacred assembly. Summon the elders and all who live in the land to the house of the Lord your God, and cry out to the Lord.
The first one who should pray to God, wailing and fasting with sackcloth on are priests and ministers, and then elders and all who are in the house of God. In a word, all Christians should pray before the altars of the Lord, with confession and humbleness, as well as lamentation. The time or chances of offering, such as grain and drink offerings, to God is the sign of fully abundant blessings, though we never think it as before.
Looking back on my childhood, there was a time when my parents had to worry about daily food, but we never lost our joy and hope. Then I was just eager to offer to Him and give something to my friends and aquaintances around me as much as I was able. Nowadays, I do not worry about the food I eat the next day at all, and I have enough money to get something to eat, but I feel the lack of Joy and hope when I see my siblings including my mom who is aging and suffering from sickness. Who and What took the joy and hope for all of them?
The time of wild animals panting for God would come soon as there is no water and pastures since they are devoured by the unnamed disasters. Then there is the only EXIT for all, especially, for His sons and daughters: standing before Him with fasting and wailing. I feel the time has come around the corner as more and more people are losing joy and hope in life.
Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. (2 Corinthians 8:2)