|
In Joel 2 we read;
12 "Even now," declares the LORD , "return to me with all your
heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning."
13 Rend your heart ,and not your garments. Return to the LORD your
God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and
abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity.
14 Who knows? He may turn and have pity and leave behind a blessing-
grain offerings and drink offerings for the LORD your God.
15 Blow the trumpet in Zion, declare a holy fast, call a sacred
assembly.
16 Gather the people, consecrate the assembly; bring together the
elders, gather the children, those nursing at the breast.
Let the bridegroom leave his room and the bride her chamber.
17 Let the priests, who minister before the LORD , weep between the
temple porch and the altar.
Let them say, "Spare your people, O LORD . Do not make your
inheritance an object of scorn, a byword among the nations.
Why should they say among the peoples, 'Where is their God?' "
(AND HOW DOES THE ANSWER)
18 Then the LORD will be jealous for his land and take pity on his
people.
19 The LORD will reply to them: "I am sending you grain, new wine
and oil, enough to satisfy you fully; never again will I make you an
object of scorn to the nations.
20 "I will drive the northern army far from you, pushing it
into a parched and barren land, with its front columns going into
the eastern sea and those in the rear into the western sea.
And its stench will go up; its smell will rise."
Surely he has done great things. 21 Be not afraid, O land;
be glad and rejoice.
Surely the LORD has done great things. 22 Be not afraid, O wild
animals, for the open pastures are becoming green.
The trees are bearing their fruit; the fig tree and the vine yield
their riches.
23 Be glad, O people of Zion, rejoice in the LORD your God, for he
has given you the autumn rains in righteousness.
He sends you abundant showers, both autumn and spring rains, as
before.
24 The threshing floors will be filled with grain; the vats will
overflow with new wine and oil.
25 "I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten- the great
locust and the young locust, the other locusts and the locust swarm
- my great army that I sent among you.
26 You will have plenty to eat, until you are full, and you will
praise the name of the LORD your God, who has worked wonders for
you; never again will my people be shamed.
27 Then you will know that I am in Israel, that I am the LORD your
God, and that there is no other; never again will my people be
shamed.
I wouldn't be totally honest if I said that I had no regrets!
Even though I am very happy with my life and am experiencing God's
blessing in my work, I can't help wonder if it's because of God's
will or despite of His will.
Have things gone as well as they have because I am walking in the
exact path that He laid down for me, because he loves me so much
that he is using my situation for good despite the fact that its'
not the way God planned it to happen.
Whenever I meet old friends from Bible College or take a look at
Friends Reunited I can't help thinking that things have turned out
differently to how I imagined they would.
Now many of my hopes, dreams and ambitions may have been realised
but is it how how the Lord willed that that my should be.
I often look back and thing if only I had done this instead of that
or had taken a different option.
How many years have you lost to the locust?
Have self-indulgence, sensuality, sinful motives, and personal
ambition robbed you of joy, peace, and fruitfulness?
Perhaps you feel discouraged when you think of all the time that
seems to have been wasted, never to be reclaimed.
If so, consider the words of the Lord through the prophet Joel.
God told the people of Israel that even though they had been
disobedient to Him and had been disciplined through a plague of
locusts, there was still hope.
The Lord said that He is "gracious and
merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness" (Joel 2:13).
Then He promised, "I will restore to you the years that the swarming
locust has eaten" (v.25).
When we confess our sin to the Lord, He is quick to forgive our past
and fill our future with hope. He can bring good out of our wasted
years.
He does that by teaching us humility through our failures, and by
helping us to understand the weaknesses we have in common with
others.
Although our previous years may have been blighted by sin, God is
eager to restore us and give us much fruit from our labour.
What we have learned from the past can now result in productive
service for Him and heartfelt praise to Him.
The year ahead is filled with hope!
Forgive me, O Lord, for all of my sin,
Please make my heart pure and cleanse me within;
To You I confess, my ways have been wrong;
Restore now my joy and fill me with song. (Fitzhugh)
No matter how dark your past, with Christ your future is bright.
Ephesians 6.24
Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love.
Use these wonderful words of the hymn, 'Take my life and let it be
consecrated Lord to thee', as a prayer.
Should you like others to pray for you and you seek to discover
God's plan for your life e-mail
prayer@kingsbridgeministries.org
Take my life and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee;
Take my moments and my days,
Let them flow in ceaseless praise.
Take my hands and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love;
Take my feet and let them be
Swift and beautiful for Thee.
Take my voice and let me sing
Always, only, for my King;
Take my lips and let them be
Filled with messages from Thee.
Take my silver and my gold,
Not a mite would I withhold;
Take my intellect and use
Every power as Thou shalt choose.
Take my will and make it Thine,
It shall be no longer mine;
Take my heart, it is Thine own,
It shall be Thy royal throne.
Take my love, my Lord, I pour
At Thy feet its treasure-store;
Take myself, and I will be
Ever, only, all, for Thee.
Frances R. Havergal, Composer: William H.
Havergal,
|
