When God promised Israel that they would occupy the Promised Land, that land took on such importance; as the proof of the promise and, in turn, of their God, that their very identity began to shift from being God’s Chosen People to being Occupants of the Land. They began to relate so closely to the land itself that they lost sight of what it symbolized, what it represented; the One from Whom it was given. And so, even though they might have been prospering to the world, the prophet Joel was sent with a strong word. The locust, the cankerworm, the palmerworm, and the caterpillar all came to ravish the fruit of the land. Once Israel repented, God restored the “time” that these insects had taken from Israel.
We are part of the promise of Israel; adopted into the royal family of the Prince through His work on the cross. When we accepted the sacrifice that Christ made of Himself, for us, and believed in Him as our Redeemer, as our own personal Savior, we became His. We became a child of the promise made to Abraham. Our identity is no longer our own, but His. In the royal courts of heaven, when our names are read aloud with all the sin that we have committed, the Father does not see us, but His Son; the propitiation required by the Law. We are covered by the blood of the Lamb, the perfect holy and living sacrifice for our sins.
Why would we, then, seek to find our identity elsewhere? Why would we, as Israel had done, begin to associate ourselves with that which we do, or own, or occupy?
Should we be surprised if the love of the Lord requires that He will begin to take away our fruit, making the land barren, reducing our borders as well until, as Israel, we repent of our sin; our desire for an identity, for recognition apart from Him? Of course not. And when we repent and truly seek to be again seen only as His child He will do what no one else can; He will restore the time that the locust, and the cankerworm, and the palmerworm, and the caterpillar hath taken.
This is a promise of restoration, not just and only of the fruit but of the time.
Only the Author of time, the One Who is outside it, can do this. Fully and completely restore to us anything that the enemy has taken away.
Before you came to Christ, even before the moment that you are reading this, your life had and continues to have many facets. Those facets radiate outward. They start in where your heart lies. This is who you really are. Your faith, the One in Whom you have placed your life, your trust, your being. Then your physical facets, your personal relationships, your heritage, your accomplishments, your calling, your possessions, your past.
Whatever facet of your life that you have given to Him He will bless and multiply, using it for His glory. Whatever facet your hold on to, that you seek to maintain in your identity, you are at risk of losing. He will send the locust. You can choose to recognize that the loss is a chastening from the Lord and turn to him, or you can put your energy into trying to maintain what you believe to be yours.
If you chose to repent and refocus on Him then He will restore the “years” to you.
Is there a relationship that you need restored? Have you stopped experiencing success in any area of your life that you need restored? Is your relationship with Him not what it used to be? He can restore the years to you and it can be as though there was never a lost!
He is the true Restorer of all things.
SDG
