PART 3. I WILL RESTORE THE YEARS
INTRODUCTION TO PART 3 (JOEL 2:18-27)
RECAP
Over the last 2 weeks in Joel, we have seen that spiritual revival begins by seeing our devastated situation and seeing that God is both powerful and loving enough to deal with the deepest problems in and around us if we will seek Him in prayer. Joel reminds us of the importance of prayer and fasting in our journey toward revival.
THIS WEEK
Today, and through our devotions this week, we will see that when the Holy Spirit falls on an individual or church community (revival) God ‘restores the years that the locusts have eaten’ - there is a great harvest of transformation and salvation to the glory of God.
QUOTES TO INSPIRE YOU.
‘There is little that is new in revival. All the elements we discover in revival, whether in the Bible or in the story of the church, are present in the normal life of the church. The church prays, repents, worships and evangelises. It ceases to be the church without these things, but in revival they are heightened and intensified. I refer to the ‘normal life of the church’ deliberately. Revival is not normal any more than spiritual decline and backsliding are normal. These are opposite ends of the normal life of the church. Revival is supernormal and backsliding is subnormal. So we rarely find new things in revival. Where there are unusual things, I would call them the phenomena of revival. The main difference between the normal life of the church and revival is that in revival you find the old things with new life. The church should always pray and preach, Christians should always long for holiness and seek forgiveness and witness to their faith. These are the main ingredients in revival but they are nothing new. What is new is the way the Christians pray and preach, seek after holiness and forgiveness and witness to their faith. In revival there is remarkable life and power that cannot be explained adequately in any human terms. Christians do everything at a different level in revival.’ (Brian H. Edwards, Revival, P. 30)
Charles Finney wrote of his experience of revival,
‘I was powerfully converted on the morning of the 10th of October, 1821, In the evening of the same day I received overwhelming baptisms of the Holy Ghost, that went through me, as it seemed to me, body and soul. 1 immediately found myself endued with such power from on high that a few words dropped here and there to individuals were the means of their immediate conversion. My words seemed to fasten like barbed arrows in the souls of men. They cut like a sword. They broke the heart like a hammer. Multitudes can attest to this. Oftentimes a word dropped without my remembering it would fasten conviction, and often result in almost immediate conversion. Sometimes I would find myself, in a great measure, empty of this power. I would go and visit, and find that I made no saving impression. I would exhort and pray, with the same result. I would then set apart a day for private fasting and prayer, fearing that this power had departed from me, and would inquire anxiously after the reason of this apparent emptiness. After humbling myself, and crying out for help, the power would return upon me with all its freshness. This has been the experience of my life.’
CONTENTS
1. Come to Jesus Daily devotional- Monday – Then the Lord…
- Tuesday – He has done great things
- Wednesday – Abundant showers
- Thursday – Why have the locusts invaded?
- Friday – I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten
For links to the message go to our website,
1. COME TO JESUS DAILY DEVOTIONAL
One of our goals as a church is to spend at least 20 minutes every day in prayer and worship out of the bible. I hope you find this devotional helpful toward that end.
MONDAY – THEN THE LORD
Joel 2:18-19 Then the Lord was jealous for his land and took pity on his people. The Lord replied to them: “I am sending you grain, new wine and olive oil, enough to satisfy you fully; never again will I make you an object of scorn to the nations.
The words, ‘then the Lord…’ point to times and seasons with God. The story of the bible reveals God working in greater power at different times, and the history of the church bears this out. A season of revival is a time of God working in extraordinary power. In revival, He isn’t doing anything new or different, but there is a great deal more of what God is always doing - there is more conviction of sin, more repentance, more love, more worship, more courage, more miracles, more conversions…
RESPONSE
God is always working but are we also praying for the greater days of glory? Yes, of course, by thankful and make the most of every season, but, surely we are not content to see the church so impotent, and so few people coming to salvation!
God warns us “Who dares despise the day of small things” (Zechariah 4:10) but these are the days of small things! We must not become content and complacent. No! Let’s pray and build as we see in the days of Ezra and Nehemiah. Like Nehemiah who, when he heard the news that the walls of God’s city were broken down is says that he,
‘Sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven. Then I said: “Lord, the God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments, 6 let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel…’ (Nehemiah 1:4-6)
May we be thankful whilst praying, from the heart, for the greater days of revival.
TUESDAY – HE HAS DONE GREAT THINGS
Joel 2:20 I will drive the northern horde far from you, pushing it into a parched and barren land; its eastern ranks will drown in the Dead Sea and its western ranks in the Mediterranean Sea. And its stench will go up; its smell will rise. Surely he has done great things!
During seasons of revival there is greater victory on every front. Joel speaks of driving this attacking army out from among God’s people. This army is representative of the evil demonic powers that are at work in the world and seek to damage the church. As we see lives changed we will declare “Surely he has done great things!”.
But even now let’s remember and celebrate the great victory that Jesus has won over the enemy in our lives. We read in Colossians,
‘When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.’ (Colossians 2:13-15)
Do you see the great victory that Jesus has already won for you and His church? The devil can no longer accuse you of your sin, it has been nailed to the cross! The devil can no longer make you fearful of death, death is swallowed up on the cross!
RESPONSE
Even now let’s celebrate the great things that God has done for us in Christ.
But now, go on the pray for greater victories in your life and the church. Are there still people you know who are blinded by Satan? Are there still people who are sick? Are there still people struggling to celebrate the great things that God has done for them? Be stirred with compassion to pray for revival.
WEDNESDAY – ABUNDANT SHOWERS
Joel 2:23-24 Be glad, people of Zion, rejoice in the Lord your God, for he has given you the autumn rains because he is faithful. He sends you abundant showers, both autumn and spring rains, as before. The threshing floors will be filled with grain; the vats will overflow with new wine and oil.
If the people would listen to God, turn from their sin, and turn back to Him with all of their heart, He promises ‘abundant showers, both autumn and spring rains’ which will result in an overflowing harvest. In an agricultural society, if the rains fail, their is no food - no water, no harvest. This, however, speaks to us of a spiritual reality – if the Spirit is not being poured out, there is no spiritual harvest; if we grieve the Spirit by our sin, He will withhold His gracious influences on us, which leads to greater ungodliness and unfruitfulness in our lives and the church.
However, the promise for those who will respond to God’s call, “Even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning” (Joel 2:12). To such people, He will give the ‘abundant showers’ of the Holy Spirit’s empowering.
I feel that it needs to be clarified that it’s not on those who are pure and holy that God pours out His Spirit; rather, it’s those who desire to be pure and holy, it’s those who are grieved by their own sin, those who are the ‘poor in spirit’ that God blesses with His abundant, empowering presence.
RESPONSE
‘Abundant rain’ speaks of the super-abundance of the Holy Spirit. As John Newton wrote,
‘Dear name the rock on which I build
My shield and hiding place
My never-failing treasury
Filled with boundless stores of grace’
Are you running on empty? Do you wonder if God has enough of what you need to get you through? Do you think that you’ve reached the ceiling in your growth? Come and receive the abundance of the Holy Spirit.
THURSDAY – WHY HAVE THE LOCUSTS INVADED?
Joel 2:25 “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.”
The words of today’s text, ‘my great army that I sent among you.’ makes it clear that the army that was attacking them – analogised as locusts and lions – was under God’s control and was being used by God to discipline His people in order to revive them. We read something similar in the book of Hebrews,
‘No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.’ (Hebrews 12:11)
This principle always applies - their is a harvest - a restoration of the years the locust has eaten - for those who will respond to God’s discipline in repentance and prayer. Through this painful discipline God was saying, “Even now,” declares the Lord,“return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning” (Joel 2:12).
Today, I specifically want us to focus on asking the Holy Spirit to reveal sin and compromise in our lives. It’s through our rebellion to God that we let the ‘locusts’ in. Here are some big ‘doors’ that we can open to the enemy:
Money - we become greedy or put our faith in money rather than seeing that it is God’s gift to be used for His service. Are you worshipping God with how you use your money?
Sex – Sex is God’s gift. It’s only to be expressed in marriage between and man and a woman. Are you worshipping God in regard to your attitude to sex?
Power – We can allow the enemy into our lives as we become fixated on having the highest status, having things our way, becoming embittered through jealousy as others are more successful than us... Are you willing to be truly great by being a servant?
RESPONSE
It’s time to shut the doors on the devouring locusts! During seasons of revival the Holy Spirit reveals sin, and Christians and the church seek greater holiness. As fire purifies silver and gold, so the fire of the Holy Spirit purifies us. Now, this purification comes with pain. Maybe our sin is exposed in some way, we become miserable with our failures, pain hits us in some way that wakes us up to our spiritual lethargy. As David wrote,
‘It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees.’ (Psalm 119:71)
FRIDAY – I WILL REPAY YOU FOR THE YEARS THE LOCUSTS HAVE EATEN
Joel 2:25 “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.”
God promises His people that He will ‘repay you for the years the locusts have eaten’ if we will come back to Him, from the heart, and in prayer. There is no person, church or nation that is beyond hope. God cannot give us back our wasted time, but He can give us such a harvest that it makes up for the ‘fallow’ times in our lives and church. If we will return to God with all of our hearts He promises,
You will have ‘enough to satisfy you fully( v.19) The wilderness will become green (v.22) Abundant showers (v.23) The threshing floors will be filled with grain; the vats will overflow with new wine and oil.(v.24) You will have plenty to eat, until you are full, (v.26)
No matter who you are, what you’ve done, how much of your life you’ve wasted, this promise that God will ‘restore the years the locusts have eaten’ is for you! But only if you will return, from the heart, with prayer and fasting.
The thief on the cross had a great harvest!
For example, consider the thief on the cross who had wasted his life. The ‘locust had devoured everything’ and he was facing God in judgement. Can God restore the years the locusts have eaten in such an unworthy case? Surely he has lost his opportunity in life? No! We read,
'He turns to Jesus and asks Him, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 24:42-43)
This man is now in heaven. He is enjoying the glory of God. All sorrow and loss are past! If that were not enough, he is also enjoying the ‘harvest’ of having his story being used to incalculable comfort to countless people. In fact, his hopelessness and wickedness are what give his story its power - his story tells all of us that God can restore the years the locust has eaten if we will humble ourselves, turn to Jesus, and pray from the heart.
RESPONSE
May God give us the heart of the psalmist who wrote,
‘Restore our fortunes, Lord, like streams in the Negev. Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy. Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them.’ (Psalm 126:4-6)
The desire and prayer for revival is that God would ‘restore our fortunes’. It is a cry to God. The Christian is not to emphasise the making of plans, forming committees, doing research into how we can succeed! Rather, let’s hear God’s promise in this psalm, as he promises through Joel (see 2:12-13) that those ‘sow with tears’ - pray from the heart, will, ‘reap with songs of joy…return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them’; or, to put it in the language of Joel, ‘to those who will pray from the heart, God will repay for the years the locusts have eaten’.
Do you pray “oh lord repay me for the years the locusts have eaten“? What has disappointed you over the years? Are there things that you would like to have seen God do? When we look out at our church and the church in this nation surely we should be praying, “repay us repay us for the years of low or no harvest in regards to salvation…”
Let this quote by Oswald Smith inspire you,
‘Work among believers of itself will not suffice. It matters not how spiritual a church may profess to be, if souls are not saved something is radically wrong, and the professed spirituality is simply a false experience, a delusion of the devil. People who are satisfied to meet together simply to have a good time among themselves, are far away from God. Real spirituality always has an Outcome. There will be a yearning and a love for souls.’
2. COMMUNITY GROUP/FAMILY STUDY
Opener - Have you had the joy of something happening that you had been praying and waiting for? If so, what?
Joel 2:23-25 Be glad, people of Zion, rejoice in the Lord your God, for he has given you the autumn rains because he is faithful. He sends you abundant showers, both autumn and spring rains, as before. The threshing floors will be filled with grain; the vats will overflow with new wine and oil. “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.
God promises His people that He will ‘repay you for the years the locusts have eaten’ if we will come back to Him, from the heart, and in prayer. God cannot give us back our wasted time, but He can give us such a harvest that it makes up for the ‘fallow’ times in our lives and church. If we will return to God with all of our hearts.
Discuss – How should this promise be of comfort to:
- Those who have become Christians late in life?
- Those who have had a period of ‘back-sliding’?
- All of us?
- How does this promise encourage you personally?
Share and pray
- Are there any areas of disappointment in your life, things that you would like to see God do, temptations that you thought would have been overcome by now…share and pray together.
- Secondly, I love all that God has done in CCP over the years but I would love to see a ‘harvest’ in regard to salvation. Let’s pray together that God would ‘restore the years that the locust has eaten’ in this regard.
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