What Has the Locust Taken?

Joel 2:25 - "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."

One of the promises of God is written above. Even as followers of Christ we have something for which we desire a change. Prayers sometimes seem to go unanswered. We have to cling to that unseen hope, knowing that God's will is going to prevail. Everything is in His time.

I've heard of miraculous things happening in the lives of people. Perhaps the restoration of a marriage or relationship that had gone sour. Perhaps the salvation of a spouse. Even the healing of an individual who was thought would die. There was even the account of a woman whose husband was not a follower of Christ and pronounced with a life threatening illness. He readily accepted the Lord at that point and she said of all their married years, despite the eventual outcome, it was the best year of their marriage. For many others it's a loved one who has turned away from God.

Why is it when something has been taken away or lost that we finally tend to realize its worth? Even our things. Our things, however, which we can hold to too dearly sometimes, can be replaced but if it's other than stuff, like relationships, in our life, it's much harder. Sometimes relationships will be treated like stuff; if it's lost, just replace it. But oh the real joy if true restoration occurs.

I think on the relationship I had with my father. His alcoholism became the thing that separated us because over the years it became intolerable and kept me away from him. I did not know Jesus at that time. Then when Alzheimer's struck at the end of his life, somehow the Lord brought healing. Not so much restoration because of the circumstances, but peace and lost love on my part, because I had the opportunity to lead Him to Christ. He did not change so much, but I sure did.

There are broken relationships all over...between those who called themselves believers and even among those who are not. In both cases the circumstances are difficult to bear. The difference is knowing and being able to rely on Jesus during it all and knowing where our hope comes from. God gives us the patience to endure. What does a person do without that hope and the promises He brings if there is no relationship with Him? The difference is the ability to have greater peace and the ability to forgive and let Jesus do the healing. What a great God we have.

Even within the Church restoration is necessary. We do not always see what God's plans are and we become anxious for change. He knows what needs to take place and we need to wait upon Him. If His truth Has been compromised, we may be waiting awhile. Like broken relationships, if we have broken our relationship with God, it is He who will bring the change, often within us. But for those who wait, the years the locust has taken will be restored.

Prayer plays an important part in all this, of course. Praying into the situation...for all involved. Throw away the victim mentality, the "why me." Stuff happens. It just does. It happens to everyone. Prayer will bring about that communication with God and show your desire for change...more often a change within yourself to accept and trust God for that change.

Job underwent one tragedy after another with the loss of his children and his property, despite His close walk with God. He was considered righteous but he suffered hardships just the same. A good example for us. He was about as down as a man could be. Even his wife said he should just curse God and die. His friends were of no help as they spoke more words to discourage than encourage. Some friends! Despite it all, He clung to one strand of hope. We are all going to go through times of adversity. That's where knowing the Lord is the only way to survive.

God's plans for His children are for good, not evil. Something is in the works in His atmosphere, His spiritual realm. He is putting things in order for the day of reconciliation. That's where our hope can be if we know Jesus as Lord and Savior. Another thought: that day of reconciliation may also be in the final days when we are reunited with Christ!

It can be a long, difficult walk. It may be a walk with "boulders" on the path or great divides to get across. But if Jesus is our Guide, He will show us the way. He will show us when to sit and rest and give us refreshing along the difficult road. He will show us when to make a turn for a safer passage. We need to trust in Him to bring about the perfect outcome of this journey in life. He restores our souls, as Psalm 23:3 tells us.

If there is a need, in your life, a reconciliation or restoration, look to the One who can provide the peace and bring that back time that has been taken away. We don't know how He does it, but by God's Divine nature it does! Sometimes we are given peace and the humility to submit to the situation. It might be we who need to change before the thing can be restored. A hard word sometimes. Pride and stubbornness can get in our way and until they are taken care of, God's plans take a little longer.

If we heed His voice, providing we know it, those plans that we view as unfair or evil, will turn into good. Praise God that He is into restoring the years of any circumstance. Praise Him that better days are ahead. To add to the word God gave to Joel above...

Job 42:10, 12 - And the LORD restored Job's losses when he prayed for his friends. Indeed the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before. Now the LORD blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning...