Joe 2:25 | KingComments | STEP | That’s God! Once His people have converted to Him, He will compensate them for what they have missed all these years because of His discipline. God does not keep the blessing to Himself; He is the God Who distributes blessing, provided that the conditions He has set are met. He can only give blessing where things happen according to His will. Even if a person or a people are stubborn, He is able to make them act according to His will. That is how God always does it. It is in itself a blessing if, after a rebellious life, a person comes to the acknowledgment that God has to judge that rebellious life. This acknowledgment is sufficient for God to give new life. That new life is the life of God Himself. Then God shows how many blessings He has in His heart to give to those who are so connected to Him through new life. Everything that has been said and done in rebellion against God has only done harm. Conversion has put this to an end. After Israel’s conversion in the future, they will be allowed to take possession of all the promised blessings. How many years of our life have been consumed by locusts? Self-sufficiency, frivolity, waste of time, talent and opportunity, slowness, laziness, mixed and evil motives, hidden sin, they all played the role of locust. It made sure that there was no power to live for God and enjoy fellowship with Him. There was also no power to testify to those around us Who the Lord Jesus is for us. But God wants to forgive and give us a hopeful future again. Moreover, He wants to give back what the locust has eaten. The Lord Jesus did the same with Peter. After Peter has denied the Lord ( ) the Lord restored him and entrusts him with the care of His sheep ( ). He also did it with Paul. After Paul caused devastation in the church of Christ and the Lord has met him, He makes him a builder of the church. Paul has built both in the preaching of the gospel and in teaching the doctrine ( ). This is how the Lord wants to act in our lives. It begins with the removal from our lives of everything that is more important than Christ. We must condemn the things we do not do for Him, especially the confession and forsaking of sins ( ) that we still cherish. Then we will see that we have access to “all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” hidden in Christ ( ).

‏ Joel 2:25

Restoration

That’s God! Once His people have converted to Him, He will compensate them for what they have missed all these years because of His discipline. God does not keep the blessing to Himself; He is the God Who distributes blessing, provided that the conditions He has set are met. He can only give blessing where things happen according to His will. Even if a person or a people are stubborn, He is able to make them act according to His will. That is how God always does it.

It is in itself a blessing if, after a rebellious life, a person comes to the acknowledgment that God has to judge that rebellious life. This acknowledgment is sufficient for God to give new life. That new life is the life of God Himself. Then God shows how many blessings He has in His heart to give to those who are so connected to Him through new life. Everything that has been said and done in rebellion against God has only done harm. Conversion has put this to an end. After Israel’s conversion in the future, they will be allowed to take possession of all the promised blessings.

How many years of our life have been consumed by locusts? Self-sufficiency, frivolity, waste of time, talent and opportunity, slowness, laziness, mixed and evil motives, hidden sin, they all played the role of locust. It made sure that there was no power to live for God and enjoy fellowship with Him. There was also no power to testify to those around us Who the Lord Jesus is for us. But God wants to forgive and give us a hopeful future again. Moreover, He wants to give back what the locust has eaten.

The Lord Jesus did the same with Peter. After Peter has denied the Lord (Mt 26:69-75) the Lord restored him and entrusts him with the care of His sheep (Jn 21:15-17). He also did it with Paul. After Paul caused devastation in the church of Christ and the Lord has met him, He makes him a builder of the church. Paul has built both in the preaching of the gospel and in teaching the doctrine (1Tim 1:12-14).

This is how the Lord wants to act in our lives. It begins with the removal from our lives of everything that is more important than Christ. We must condemn the things we do not do for Him, especially the confession and forsaking of sins (Pro 28:13) that we still cherish. Then we will see that we have access to “all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” hidden in Christ (Col 2:3).