Joel 2:25

And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you.

• DAILY READING – Matthew 26:47-75; Deuteronomy 3-4; Job 5

It is interesting to note that even before the Jews went into their long exile, God had 2700 years before, prophesied their restoration. God spoken of their return through prophet Isaiah; ‘Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west; I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth’ [Isaiah 43:5-6].

Almost 2000 years after their dispersal from their homeland in AD 70, this prophesy began to come into fulfillment. Jews from the east, west, north and south began to return back home to Israel.

By early 1900s, from the east, many Jews living in the Mid- East began to return to Israel. And during mid-1900s, from the west, many Jews living in western countries like Europe and America began to move back to Israel.

Note the precision of the word of God. The later portion of that Isaiah’s prophesy had indicated that the north and east may want to keep back the Jews. It said ‘I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back:’.

Now do you know that exactly as was prophesied the north and the south resisted the return of the Jews. North of Israel is Russia. During the Jewish exodus, they refused to allow the Jews resident in Russia to return back home to Israel. It took years of pressure from other countries before finally Russia caved in. Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev’s during the 1980’s, as part of his reforms, allowed a massive number of Soviet Jews to return to Israel. Among these were many highly trained doctors, engineers, and scientists, who helped to build modern Israel, into the great nation it is today.

And south of Israel is Ethiopia. Ethiopia’s communist government also refused to allow the Ethiopian Jews to return back home. Israel had to strike a deal and pay money to the government of Ethiopia before they let the Jews go, and in 1984 an evacuation known as “Operation Moses” airlifted 6,500 Ethiopian Jews back to Israel. And in 1991, another evacuation called ‘’Operation Solomon’’ flew over 14000 Ethiopian Jews from Addis Ababa back to Israel.

Isaiah’s prophecy also said the Jews would return “from the ends of the earth,”. And during the past 100 years, Jews living as far east as China, as far west as the West Coast of the United States, as far north as Scandinavia, and as far south as South Africa, have moved back home to Israel. Since their return Israel has grown to become a force to reckon with. This small country with a population of about 8 million people, continues to amaze the world with its prowess. And today God has brought back restoration to His people according to His promise..

It is a sign to us that God is faithful to restore back to us what we may have lost, when we reconnect to Him. It is through sin or disobedience that we suffer losses. But when we repent and reconnect back to God He restores what was lost. In Joel 2:25 God says ‘And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm,’

In this season God is restoring back the years the canker worm has eaten. God is bringing restoration back to us both as a church and as individuals.

God has a plan of restoration for His people. It doesn’t matter how much the enemy has tried to tamper with your life and destiny there is restoration. Your joy will be restored, your peace will be restored, everything stolen from you is about to be restored fully in Jesus name.

But don’t forget, if you remain far away from God you remain far from this restoration. Understand that the enemy only has power over you as long as you are in rebellion to God. As we have seen from the story of Israel, suffering losses only come as a result of straying outside of God’s will. But the moment you return back to God, He turns His hand against your enemies and brings restoration to you. So make up your mind today, to pay whatever price it takes, to stay in the center of God’s will for you. Never mind what you may seem to have lost in the past, as you draw closer to God today, be assured of all round restoration in Jesus Name. .

PRAYER: Lord, please help me to draw closer to You, so that I can begin to experience restoration of the years the canker worms may have eaten away from my life. Thank You Lord for enabling me to begin to experience full restoration, starting from this moment, in every area of my life in Jesus name. .

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God’s promises in Christ in your life may appear delayed, but never forget that delays are not denials. WORDBITE 222.

[ADAPTED FROM THE BOOK FAITH CLASSICS]