Joel 2:25-27
And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you. 26 And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you: and my people shall never be ashamed. 27 And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the Lord your God, and none else: and my people shall never be ashamed.
Over the past 18 months or more I, like you, have experienced a great deal of loss. I recently heard that the life expectancy in our nation decreased by more than one year in 2020. We have witnessed separation, civil unrest, spiritual challenges, political strife, and strains on relationships. There can be no doubt that we need restoration.
In the text, Israel experienced tremendous loss as a result of their disobedience to God. They worshipped other gods and God had punished them as He promised. However, because of the love God has for His people, He always leaves a message of hope – something for us to hold on to.
There is a phrase the prophet Joel uses quite often in this book: The Day of the Lord”. In the first application, Joel spoke of that day when the Lord sent locusts on Egypt to aide in Israel’s eventual freedom from pharaoh. The prophet spoke of the Day of the Lord again, but in a future tense to foretell that as God would send locusts, but this time to punish His people. Joel then speaks of another Day of the Lord that would come as a result of God’s people repenting. This would be a time when the Holy Spirit would come and dwell in man. It is in this context we remember God’s promise to restore what the cankerworm, caterpillar and palmerworm have eaten. This is a concept most of us have difficulty understanding without the help of the Spirit.
When God restores us, He literally places us back into the same position we held before we strayed; He does not require us to start all over again or work our way back up. Jesus told a parable (Luke 11:15-24) about a Prodigal Son. You may recall the father had not mistreated the son; the son just wanted to leave. After he had spent all his money, and had been deserted by his “friends”, he came to himself and decided to return home. He was willing to go back as a servant, but the father restored him to the same position he left. I believe this is God’s desire for us.
When God created man, we were good. We were given dominion over everything on the earth. However, just as Esau relinquished his birthright, I believe we gave up a great deal of our authority. Adam and Eve lived in perfect harmony with God, and they had fellowship with Him. After they sinned, that relationship was broken. I believe it is God’s desire to place us back into the place Adam and Eve vacated (Joel chapter 2 even speaks of a new Eden).
Too often I hear the people of God reminiscing how strong they used to be in God. Too often we talk about how the Church used to be; how powerful the saints of old used to be. I contend God wants us to ascend to the place where we used to be. However, there is a key we must all consider. Just as the Prodigal Son came to himself and returned to his father – an act of repentance – we must be willing to repent and return to God. I believe it is worth it. I cannot speak for you, but I want to be restored to my rightful place in God.
There was a widow of Shunem who ministered to the prophet Elisha (she asked her husband to build him a room). After the impact of the famine, the death of her husband, and the death of Elisha, she lost all her possessions. But one day as Gehazi (Elisha’s armor bearer) was telling the king about some of Elisha’s exploits – which included the raising of the widow’s son – she happened to walk by. Seeing her, Gehazi exclaimed to the king, “…there is the widow now…”. The king immediately ordered that all the widow’s land and money be restored! Yes, God can do it that quickly, and I am asking Him to restore me.
I bless you in the name of the Lord.