Return to the Lord: A Study in JoelSample

What does it say?

Joel announced an even greater devastation of Judah coming in the future by a large army. Joel urged the people to repent to avoid judgment and receive blessings.

What does it mean?

The locust invasion seems to merge with a preview of a future invasion by a large army from the North. Judah had been unfaithful to the Lord’s covenant and would experience judgment through invasions by Assyria and Babylon. Nations, as well as individuals, face God’s judgment when they choose to rebel and ignore His warnings. When a nation or an individual turns back to Him, God responds with mercy and grace. His promise to restore the years the locusts have eaten has encouraged God’s people. God, in His time, will restore what was destroyed and pour out His Spirit on His people.

How should I respond?

Many Christians find it difficult to move beyond the guilt of one period or the regret for a particular sin. To reassure us, God gives us many examples in Scripture of men who had “wasted years” and regrets their sin against God and man (Moses, David, and Paul). But these men repented, put their sins behind them, and moved forward to accomplish the work God gave them to do. In the same way, God encourages us to move beyond the past and trust His promise that “there is no condemnation” for those who are in Christ (Romans 8:1). How will you put the past regrets and guilt behind you and focus on His promise to restore your “wasted years”?