24 "The threshing floors shall be full of grain;
the vats shall overflow with wine and oil.
25 I will restore to you the years
that the swarming locust has eaten,
the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter,
my great army, which I sent among you.
26 "You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied,
and praise the name of the Lord your God,
who has dealt wondrously with you.
And my people shall never again be put to shame.
Joel 2:24-26 ESV
One of my favorite shows of all time is Fixer Upper with Chip and Joanna Gaines. I don't know if it is the fact that I think my wife and I could be friends with Chip and Joanna, or maybe it's that they take something that is in horrible shape and restore it to what it was intended to be. It may be a combination of both of those things. I believe everyone, myself included, loves when something broken is restored and returned to what was intended. Restoration speaks to our soul; I think it may be because we all long for broken things to be restored. The same is true for a redemption story - someone who did not start well yet, through some event, can change and find a new way to walk.
In the text today, we see a glimpse of the heart of God. Joel is reminding the people of God that, even though the process has been arduous, the journey has been extended, and God will redeem what has been broken and lost. God is not done working and will bring what He has begun to fruition. That is worth repeating; the Lord will bring what He has already started to completion. He can restore and replenish what has been lost. In an article written for The Gospel Coalition, Colin Smith, who is a lead pastor in Chicago, says this about restoration:
"Here was the Lord Jesus in the prime of life. He was three years into His ministry at 33 years old. You would think that a man launching a new enterprise at the age of 33 has everything in front of Him. But Isaiah says, "He was cut off." He was cut off because He came under the judgment of God, not for His own sins--because He had none--but for ours.
Our sins, our grief, and our sorrows were laid on Him. Our judgment fell on Him. Our locusts swarmed all over Him. The life of God's tender shoot was "cut off." Then, on the third day, the Son of God rose in the power of an eternal life. He offers Himself to you, and He says what no one else can ever say: "I will restore the years that the locusts have eaten."
Based on the truth of God's word, how will you walk in restoration that is and is to come? Are you willing to believe that restoration will happen, even if not on this side of eternity? I hope for you today that you know the restoration has begun in you and will be brought to completion by the King.
