Famine will not have the final word. God promises that He will restore His people. “I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter, my great army, which I sent among you” (Joel 2:25). Don’t miss that God sent the devouring locusts. Perhaps that’s not initially comforting to you. But when we’re in the midst of suffering, it’s important to remember that God is sovereign over all.

Are you experiencing a famine in your life right now? Perhaps you have been laid off from a job. Maybe after a season of achievements you now feel like no one is recognizing you. Perhaps you have just experienced another miscarriage. Maybe your adult child’s choices have left you grieved and disoriented. Perhaps your marriage is difficult and you’re discouraged. Maybe parenting has left you exhausted and overwhelmed. Perhaps a relationship needs to be restored but the other person won’t reconcile. Maybe you are weary of fighting the same sin of anger, envy or lust. Regardless of what kind of famine you are facing, you likely feel broken, confused, exhausted, and overwhelmed. 

During seasons of doubt, trouble, and uncertainty it can be tempting to wonder if things will ever get better. It can be tempting to doubt God’s goodness. It can be tempting to wonder if God’s ways and wisdom are really better than ours. It can be tempting to wonder if God can restore what seems broken beyond repair. Thankfully, God’s Word reminds us that God does indeed restore the years that seem destroyed by sin and suffering, whether our own, or that of another’s, or both. 

In Joel 2:18-27 we find ourselves at the halfway point of the book. The first half of the book describes a locust plague that was ravishing Israel, warns God’s people of future judgment that would be even greater than the present destruction, and calls God’s people to repent of their sin and return to the Lord, who “is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love” (v. 13). In the second half of the book we learn of God’s mercy. He will bring an end to the present plague, restore what His people have lost, and give them a glorious future. 

Amazingly, even after all the wrong that His people had done, “the LORD became jealous for his land and had pity on his people” (Joel 2:18). He will not share His glory with anyone or anything else. Such jealousy and pity leads Him to end the famine and satisfy His people.

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