To kids on a playground, the concept of a “do-over” is well-known. When they’re playing kickball and the ball gets stuck in a tree, or when they’re playing basketball and the ball sticks between the backboard and the rim, a chorus of “do-over” can be heard. It’s an unspoken rule that every kid knows.

Sometimes as adults we wish we could resurrect the rule in our own lives. When we miss a bill payment, we long to be able to appeal to the utility company for a “do-over.” When we speak a thoughtless word that hurts another person, we wish for the same. Through the prophet Joel God tells the Israelites they can have a “do-over.” If they repent God will return what He has taken away in punishment. A plague of locusts destroyed the nation’s crops, and God promised to give the people abundant harvests once again.

Many people have had similar situations happen in their lives. Addictions, bad decisions, divorce, abuse, and other sins bring a hoard of consequences. These “locusts” rob us and those we love. Sometimes we wonder if we can ever recover from the days of spiritual ruin. Maybe you feel that your past sins have robbed you. God promised to “repay” His people “for the years the locusts have eaten.” God graciously wants to bring restoration.

Joel 2:21-27 is a reminder of how God has provided for us in our lives. In the good times and in the problems solved and health restored, we are quick to inhale and ask for more, but in the not so good times…in the hard places of life that are not so easy to chew and almost impossible to swallow, we rarely even finish the first helping.

In order to digest the nutrition God gives us properly, we must consider the following words:

1. “You will have plenty to eat…” If we are still standing on this earth, God is assuredly providing a way for us to be here another day, and if He’s provided another day, He will get us through it.
2. “…and you will praise the name of the Lord your God.” Good entrees in life call for a side or two of praise.
3. “…who has worked wonders for you…” By recognizing the miracles God has woven into our everyday lives, we acknowledge the fact that He’ll do it again! The Israelites had to be reminded constantly of the way God brought them out of Egypt and provided for them. If they were prone to forget the massive miracles that God had bestowed upon them, then we are surely prone to forget what He’s done in our lives. We must choose to remember.
4. “…never again will my people be shamed…” When Christ died on the cross, the guilt and shame and wrath we deserve for our sin was wiped out. In one last breath, He sealed those that believe in Him for good. Though our lives remain imperfect, grace forgives us over and over as we grow in holiness all the way to heaven.

God brings about both the good and the bad. The seasons of famine have a divine purpose in our lives. They accomplish things that only these hard times can accomplish. There is a time when those hard times have accomplished their purpose and He begins to restore. God wants us to know that there is a time when He will restore in order to demonstrate His gracious hand in our lives. He is a loving God who tenderly guides His children through the difficult places.

So how can we make the reality of “do-over” active in our lives once again? This concept usually doesn’t work in our adult lives and relationships without a good deal of work and humility on our part. We bear the consequences of our mistakes until regret grows and we ask for forgiveness. That’s when grace can intervene, and the person we’ve harmed can forgive. The same is true in our relationship with God. If we understand that sin has kept us from realizing our potential, we need to do the same as the Israelites: repent.

God’s provision of rain is highlighted in Joel 2:23 for good reason. Most of Palestine was totally dependent on rain to provide the water necessary for growing crops. There was no great river for irrigation, such as those enjoyed by Egypt and Mesopotamia. Sufficient rainfall was a crucial gift of the Lord to His people. Where there is rain, there can be growth. Where there is growth, there can be a harvest. Where there is a harvest, there can be hope. Where there is hope, there can be prophetic vision.

If we are without hope in the face of it all, the prophetic vision for change will not come. If we are without a harvest-without the richness of community, the resources for wellbeing, the fruits of wisdom-hope might not form. If we are without growth from seed to self, from fear to freedom, from apathy to love, we might miss the abundance of the harvest. If we are without rain-without the water and breath essential to life, without the respite of cool grace to ease the burns of struggle, without the clouds to pour over the maddening world until it stills-without rain we might not grow.

Joel 2:26-27 presents the results of the restitution offered in Joel 2:25. The receptacles for the products of the harvest will be overflowing. The threshing floor, where the grain is separated from the straw, will be full of wheat. The vats, where the olive oil and grape juice collect after the fruit is crushed, will overflow. The harvests will again be plentiful enough for the people to eat and be satisfied. The people will then praise the name of the Lord, recognizing the source of their sustenance. The people will confidently know God, His presence, and His uniqueness. They will know that He is in their midst, effectively present with them, that He is their God, active on their behalf and the One to whom they owe allegiance.

While it’s true that in the natural world we can’t get back time, we serve a supernatural God who knows how to make up for lost time. He’s not going to just restore the years we lost. He promises us an abundance of joy, an overflow of peace, and more than enough resources for what should have been ours-and that is a reason for us to be thankful.

(An audio version of this message is available at https://www.spreaker.com/episode/joel-2-verses-21-27-god-s-do-over–62342740)

Bibliography

1. Ogilvie, L.J., & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 22: Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc., 1990, pp. 252-254)
2. Os Hillman, “When God Restores What The Locusts Eat.” Retrieved from os@marketplaceleaders.org
3. Joel Osteen, “It’s Not Too Late.” Retrieved from www.joelosteen.com
4. Rachel Hackenburg, “Rain in the Forest.” Retrieved from dailydevotional@ucc.org
5. Ron Moore, “Restoration.” Retrieved from www.ronmoore.org
6. Meg Bucher, “The Swiftness of God’s Provision.” Retrieved from www.crosswalk.com/devotionals/your-daily-bible-verse/