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; 1 Timothy 4; Isaiah 38-39; Psalm 119:121-144

After Israel became an independent nation in 1948, part of the things the new  government did was to demand pay back from Germany  for the atrocities against the Jews during the holocaust.

In making a case for the reparation, the Israeli leader, David Ben-Gurion asked the Germans this biblical question, from Kings 21:29, “Have you murdered and also inherited?”

For the German people, the answer was of course ‘yes.’

Not only had Hitler killed over 6 millions Jews, their properties, lands and businesses and belongings were also confiscated by his evil government.

In acknowledgment of their nation’s atrocity against the Jews, the leader of West Germany, Konrad Adenauer tendered a public apology and also agreed to make material restitution. Although some Germans protested against this decision, the German government went ahead and paid $7 billion in reparations to Israel between 1953 and 1967. Germany also paid $1 billion to the World Jewish Congress.  By 1956, the German nation was supplying 87.5% of Israel’s state revenue. This money from Germany became very helpful in the building of the new nation. Israel used the money to buy equipment and raw materials to build up its industry, railways and electrical grid and other development projects. Reparations also went to individuals in Israel. Apart from $4.9 billion paid to those forced into labor and servitude by the Nazis, the German government in 2013 decided to pay about $1 billion for the home care of all elderly Holocaust survivors.

Though the lives lost could not be restored, Germany has not only made restitution for the holocaust, but continues in other ways to contribute to the progress of Israel.

 

God included restitution as part of His Law for Israel. Restitution is the act of restoring what was taken unlawfully. And restitution in the Bible is such that, what is paid back is over and above what was taken away unlawfully. Indeed when God restores something, He makes it better than it could have been.

In 2 Kings 8, is the story of the woman whom Elisha had raised her son from the dead. At Elisha’s advice she had left town because of an impending seven years famine. However, when she returned at the end of the seven years, she had lost her property to some people.  When she went to the king to seek judgment, God gave her such favor that the king ordered immediate restoration for her.

2 Kings 8:6,  says “So the king appointed a certain officer for her, saying, “Restore all that was hers, and all the proceeds of the field from the day that she left the land until now.”

Money from all the crops harvested during the seven years of her absence were restored back to her in one day.

In Joel 2:25 God promises ‘ 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’

God is indeed able to restore the benefits of lost time to us. No doubt in this period of lockdown, many people have recorded losses. People have lost time, lost money, lost their jobs, lost their peace and joy  etc. But thank God we serve a God of divine restoration. And no matter what we may have lost, God is committed to restoring them back to us as we walk in faith to His Word. God not only promises to give us double for our trouble, He will make the enemy pay for bringing the trouble into our lives.

Proverbs 6:30-31 says that when a thief is caught he must restore sevenfold of what he stole. Therefore whatever the enemy may have stolen from you in this period, there is a sevenfold restoration coming to you.

Redemption qualifies us for Restoration. However revelation is the gateway to Restoration. Your inheritance is tied to your insight. It is as far as your eyes can see that will be given to you. This is why we need to labour in the Word to obtain the faith to claim the restoration that belongs to us by covenant.

With faith in God’s Word, anything you may have lost in this season will be restored to you in multiple fold.  God will restore your health, finances, joy and anything of your value you have lost. The God of Divine restoration will indeed give you divine enablement to pursue, overtake and recover all in Jesus Name.

 

PRAYER: Father, I thank You for granting me deep insight into Your Word to see the restoration You have in store for me.  By Your grace I shall recover every lost ground and move forward to greater heights in Jesus Name. .

 

Quote :

For you to enjoy victory in the Kingdom of God, you need to develop a Kingdom mindset, that thinks in line with the Word of God.  – WORDBITE 222.