Restoring the years the locust has eaten

"And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten…." (Joel 2:25 AV).

Do you ever live with regrets? Maybe you regret the way you lived before you became a believer in Jesus Christ. Perhaps you are plagued by recalling things from your past that were displeasing to the Lord. Maybe you are suffering with some of the real consequences of past sin.

Maybe you regret things that you have said or done, even after you became a believer. You were not home enough with your children as they grew up. You have uttered harsh words in anger. You neglected to cherish and appreciate your wife. You did not offer proper honor to your parents. You have not invested proper amounts of time in developing the spiritual disciplines of prayer, scripture reading, and meditation.

If this is your state of mind, consider the word of the Lord to Israel recorded in Joel 2:25. The Lord promises to restore the years that the locust has eaten. You cannot change the past. You cannot go back and do things over again. But from this moment forward you can give over to God your anxieties about the past and trust Him to restore what has been lost. You can learn from sin in your past and resolve to live fully for Christ from this day forward. Someone said that the best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago. The second best time in now. The Lord promised Israel that after a time of famine and blight, he would fill them. This is his promise to you as well.

Grace and peace, Pastor Jeff Riddle

Note: Evangel article for 4/15/08.