~ Joel 2:25
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The prophet Joel was speaking to a people devastated by a locust plague that wiped out crops and brought economic ruin. Yet, through Joel, God gave this incredible promise: “I will restore to you the years…”
This is not just about crops; it’s about time, opportunity, fruitfulness, and hope. God declares that He can redeem what seems lost forever.
Notice the beauty here:
1. God restores years. We often think in terms of things—food, money, health. But years represent seasons of life, times we feel wasted, broken, or stolen. God promises restoration that reaches deeper than material replacement—it heals time itself.
2. God restores after loss. The locusts had already devoured, but God’s promise was future: “I will restore.” Thriving means believing that loss is not the end of your story.
3. God restores abundantly. Later in Joel 2:26, He promises, “You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied.” His restoration is overflowing, not partial.
Applied to biblical health, this is profoundly encouraging. Many feel they have lost years—through sickness, poor choices, stress, or even generational patterns. But
4. God is a Restorer. He can renew strength, restore vitality, and even redeem seasons of suffering by bringing fruit from them.
Thriving in troubled times means not only surviving what was lost, but trusting God to restore beyond what we could imagine. He wastes nothing—not even our pain.
What locusts consumed, God can make flourish again.
So if you feel like too much time has been lost—take heart. God is not finished. The same God who restores years is at work in you.
Prayer: Restoring God, thank You that You promise to redeem the years that feel wasted or destroyed. I give You my past losses and trust You to bring new fruit, new strength, and new hope. Restore me fully so I may thrive and testify to Your goodness. Amen.
