It's Going to Be Alright (The Art of Grieving): 6 Days Through the Book of JoelНамуна

If you have ever felt regret over past mistakes, heartache from loss, or the bitter longing for a redo on a season of life, this message is for you. Joel 2:18-27 offers one of the Bible's most exceedingly great and precious promises. God assures us that despite our sorrow, we can find happiness again.

It's common to distinguish between joy and happiness. Happiness is often seen as fleeting and tied to external circumstances, while joy is deeper and rooted in our relationship with God. However, it's essential to recognize that God desires both for us. The word "blessed" can actually be translated to "Oh, how happy."

When grief overwhelms us, we might feel disconnected from happiness. The locust infestation in the book of Joel symbolizes this darkness, a metaphor for the times when our lives feel plunged into despair. But God's response to the people's repentance in Joel 2:25 is profoundly hopeful: "I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten." God promises to redeem the lost years, offering restoration that goes beyond what we can imagine.

We often feel unworthy of this restoration, thinking we deserve punishment rather than Grace. Yet Grace is unmerited favor—God's Best given to us despite our worst. When we repent, God doesn't respond with anger but with kindness, offering us a robe, a ring, and a renewed sense of purpose. He restores our time, our joy, and our happiness.

To embrace this restoration, we must ask ourselves three questions:

• Do you actually want to be made well? Sometimes, staying in our pain feels like a way to stay connected to what we've lost. But true healing honors those we've lost by allowing us to live fully.
• What did you not lose? In grief, it's crucial to differentiate between what's truly gone and what remains. Hold on to the memories and the promises of the Eternal Life yet to come with our loved ones.
• What does it mean to make up for lost time? God promises to make up for lost time in various ways—financially, relationally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. His Presence can multiply our fruitfulness, making one day with Him worth a thousand elsewhere.

God's promise of restoration is not just for the future but for today. He can transform our grief into joy and our sorrow into happiness. Trust in His Grace, turn back to Him, and you will find that, indeed, you are going to be happy again.