Trampling Locusts

There are times when the lifelong, amazing faithfulness of my God simply stupefies this old girl.

Recently, while sitting in church, listening to a wonderful sermon, designed to urge our church family to greater prayer, fasting, evangelism and discipleship, God brought today's verse to my mind.  Later, during the invitation period, a lady joined the church.  She is a Christian, but had not formally joined our local fellowship of believers.  Those are two separate events in a person's life, although many times joining a church closely follows the decision to accept Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.

In my friend's case, however, the latter was not the case.  She had some time ago made that eternal decision, for Jesus.  But, a family situation was holding her back from joining our church. Her husband is of another faith. After our service was over, we were invited to the front to come and welcome the new member into our fellowship.  This is typical of our church.  As I was standing in line, thinking about her situation, God reminded me of His faithfulness, even when we see little hope of things changing for the better.

When my husband and I married, there was no doubt in my mind he was a true believer in Jesus Christ.  He wanted to go to church with me, within our church denomination.  We settled in to a church routine. It was the first time he had regularly attended church in his adult life. We both attended, and I exercised my spiritual gifts.  This situation could have been worse, I understood. Still, I was longing for my husband to realize his own spiritual gifts and use them for God's kingdom.  He was very hesitant.  Years went on (about 17), and it appeared that, well, that's just the way it was going to be.

All during those years, though, God was working!  He was still faithful!  I could not see it, but He knew exactly what he was doing.

Fast forward: today my husband is a deacon, who ministers to widows, goes out weekly on visitation, teaches Sunday School, serves on key committees ... It's just a miracle, truly.  It was, and is, a beautiful work of God to behold, to see His faithfulness on display.  I thought about that, as this dear sister in faith, stepped out in obedience.  When I got my turn to shake her hand, I shared words of encouragement with her.  God is faithful!  

Your faithfulness continues from generation to generation. You established the earth, and it stands firm.

Psalm 119:90

When we exercise our faith, despite our circumstances, we are closely imitating Jesus.  I've been in some excruciating circumstances over the years, but honestly, I've never sweat drops of blood.  Have you?  Yet, that is what Jesus did in the Garden of Gethsemane, shortly before He was taken into custody to begin the long, torturous road to the cross and grave.  We are spared from knowing our own futures.  But, Christ knew God's plan.  He knew what He would be facing.  In those Gethsemane prayers, His humanity wrestled with His deity.  In the end, He submitted His will to walk in faith the path His father, our Father, set before Him.

It is when we exercise our faith, hold on to His love for us despite the circumstances that we trample on locusts.  It is only through our faith that God restores what the locusts have eaten.

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—

Joel 2:25 is such an interesting verse!  Even though the NIV translates the word "locusts" on the second and third lines above, the four Hebrew words used there have an unknown origin.  What seems to be the intent is that, regardless of the varied damage caused by our ravaging enemy, Satan, God can restore.  He can redeem.  He can bring beauty from ashes.  He only asks us to trust Him, exercise our faith in His ability to do it.  He gives us several examples in the Bible of where He has done this.  Here are a few: Abraham, Ruth, Naomi, Esther, Job, Daniel, David, Paul, Peter, Mary Magdalene, Lazarus...the more I've thought about it, there are "restoration stories" in nearly every biblical character. 

So, no roadkill-gazing!  We do ourselves nor anyone else any good to stand and watch the flies buzz over the roadkill of our choices, dreams, relationships, devastating losses. There is a time for regret or mourning.  But, we must move on to grab hold of His forgiveness and peace.   We must repent, if necessary, or if not, at least humble ourselves under the hand of our all-knowing, all-mighty God, put our hand in His, and move forward in faith.

Is this prosperity teaching?  Does this mean that things will always turn out as we wish them to?  No. Often His way of restoring does not look like we think it should.  He is the source of all peace, which surpasses all of our limited understanding.  Regardless of the way He chooses to restore, we can have His peace - - - that He has a plan, and that it is being unrolled for our spiritual good.  Always. Always!

Dear God, thank you for never "letting go" of us, Your children, for holding tight to our hands as You lead us through the valleys and mountain peaks of this life.  Thank you for the encouragement of Your Holy Bible, godly counselors and most of all the the Holy Spirit of Your blessed Son, Jesus, all of whom teach us how to walk in faith, how to trample locusts.  In Jesus' name, amen.