“Be glad then, you children of Zion, And rejoice in the Lord your God; For He has given you the former rain faithfully, And He will cause the rain to come down for you- The former rain, And the latter rain in the first month.” (Joel 2:23, NKJV)

An alarming famine, caused by an unprecedented plague of locusts followed by prolonged drought, had devastated the land. The locust is an insect that resembles a large grasshopper. Large clouds of locusts, darkening the sun, swarming upon the earth, devouring every green thing, brought the people to their knees. God heard their cry, removed the locusts, and promised an era of prosperity.

Image courtesy of olivetree.com

There may be some unpleasantness at first because of the smell from the millions of decaying locusts carcasses, some lying in heaps on the ground, others washed up on the shores. But after this, the land will become productive again. God will give good rains and good harvests to compensate for the losses suffered during the locust plague.

This whole experience of judgment, repentance, forgiveness, blessing and thanksgiving will cause them to know God better (2:12-32).

It is never too late to ask for forgiveness and mercy from God. If it is inwardly genuine and sincere God will restore our lives and will be able to know Him better.

References:

Bible Gateway. http://www.biblegateway.com

Halley’s Bible Handbook. ePub Format. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2000.

MySword for Android. Riversoft Ministry, 2011-2019.

Olive Tree Bible Software. http://www.olivetree.com

Published by Pastorbluejeans Unplugged

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