God Will Restore All

“So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the crawling locust, the consuming locust, and the chewing locust, my great army which I sent among you.”

Joel 2:25

 Joel was the prophet to the nation of Judah. He was warning Judah of God’s impending judgement because of their sins.  He was urging them to turn back to God.  The people of Judah had become prosperous, took God for granted, and went back to their ways of idolatry and sin.  They were not following God or His commandments.  They were well aware of God’s law and His promise to bring judgment if they did not follow Him. 

The Life Application Bible tells us “Like a destroying army of locusts, God’s punishment for sin is overwhelming, dreadful, and unavoidable. When it comes, there will be no food, no water, no protection, and no escape.  The day for settling of accounts with God for how we have lived is fast approaching.” 

God’s forgiveness comes when we acknowledge our need of a Savior and repent, turn away from sin.  It was not too late for Judah and it is not too late for us.  God was calling Judah to repentance. God did not want an outward display of emotions but true repentance of the heart. Where there is repentance there is hope.

God was promising Judah that if they returned to Him, He would restore (give back, return; 2: to put or bring back into existence or use; 3: to bring back to or put back into a former or original state: renew; 4: to put again in possession of something) what they had lost.  His restoration would be complete.  When we turn from sin back to God, our relationship is restored with the Lord.  He pardons our sin and promises to meet our deepest needs.

What is the significance of the swarming locusts?  “..locusts can swarm, becoming a frighteningly destructive agent of crop devastation. In this swarming phase, usually brought on by drought, they breed rapidly and travel in large clouds, consuming all vegetation in their path… According to the BBC, in 2020, locust swarms appeared in dozens of countries at once. When they impact several neighboring countries in this way, we refer to this as a “plague of locusts.”” (What Do Locusts Symbolize in the Bible? Crosswalk.com) Locust were a source of destruction and devastation. 

God promised that even though the locust came and destroyed all, He was able (and still is) to restore, put back, return, and renew all that was lost.  He loved Judah and wanted the best for them.  As it is today, God is able to restore all that is lost if we turn to Him and follow His ways.

Repentance and commitment to God can cause Him to restore all!  Be blessed.