What has been eaten by the deadly locusts in your life? Have they devoured precious time that you'll never get back? According to the book of Joel, the kingdom of Judah had just experienced vast destruction by a swarm of desert locust. They had destroyed the crops, vineyards and livestock. The people had been impacted with famine and starvation and their spiritual lives suffered as there was nothing left to bring to the temple for sin offerings.Note: A desert locust swarm can be 460 square miles in size and pack between 40-80 million locusts into less that half a square mile! Each locust can eat its weight in plants each day, so a swarm of such size would eat 423 million pounds of plants every day!
After Joel's admonishment for the people to return to God "for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love" (2:13b), God assures the people of Judah that He will "restore to you the years that the locust have eaten" (2:25a). He was telling them that He would restore their land to what is was before the locust plague. They would be prosperous again - if only they would turn from their sinful ways and return to Him. One can only wonder if God allowed the locust attack to get their attention; to bring them to a place of complete nothingness in order to see what God was waiting and willing to do for them.
What have the locust eaten in your life? What feels dead and without hope? Is it a relationship that's been attacked by the locust of anger, revenge and unforgiveness? Are you ready for God to restore it? He will, but you have to give it over to Him first; let go and let God handle it.
What about a dream you once had for your life? Have the locust of busyness and distractions of life caused you to give up on it? Have they eaten away at your motivation and the once felt strong determination? If it's a dream from God, He's ready to restore it; to give it new life again.
What about your joy and fruitfulness for God? Have the locust of unconfessed sin, attitudes needing adjustment and worldly temptations eaten away at your walk with God? The people in Joel's day suffered when their "joy and gladness withered away." Has that happened to you?
What about the years you've wasted; years you wish you could go back and live differently? Although we can't change the events and choices of years we've already lived, we can't let the locust of guilt and shame kill our hope for the future.
Remember, God's mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:23) and He is a gracious, compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love God - ready to restore what has been eaten by the locust - and return to us the blessings we don't deserve, but blessings He desires for us! Spend time with Him today - asking for and accepting His restoration.
BLOG COMMENT: Do you have an example of God's restoration in your life? Are there still areas where the locust have destroyed and you need God to bring them back to life?
3 comments:
The Lord Jesus Christ has restored my health well enough to keep going many, many times. There were so many times when I thought I would never get back the ability to do things many take for granted each day, but Jesus restored me to do these things again and more and make a path through immense challenges I could never have navigated on my own reliance. Yet still having been hurt so many times by thoughtless people or perhaps simply because they didn't understand my challenges...I find it hard to trust others or want to be close. Maybe some day Christ will restore my faith in people or maybe He will use that wariness, and weariness for His kingdom...I don't know.
I would like to leave a verse or two for Nancy today. In her closing few words she comments on the word "maybe" !
The Lord HEARS his people when they call to him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles....The righteous face many troubles, but the Lord rescues them from each and every one. Psalm 34:17,19
Be STRONG and COURAGEOUS! Do not be afraid.... ! The Lord your God will go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor forsake you.
Deuteronomy 31:6
And God does use us any time and any place; no matter good or bad, and always for the advancement of HIS KINGDOM! Praise His Holy Name!
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Please don't feel you are alone in these comments, but these verses have helped with healing..
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