#DailyDevotion In True Repentance You Know The One True God
Joel 2 24Then the threshing floors will be filled with grain, and the vats will overflow with fresh wine and olive oil. 25I will repay you for these years the locusts consumed, the hopping, stripping, and cutting locusts, My great army that I sent against you.
Here the prophecy of restoration appears to be for the immediate future. The plague the LORD sent upon His people did its job in waking the people up from their spiritual death before it was too late for them. You can think of it in terms of Scrooge in A Christmas Carol. The Law has done its good work and the people repented and returned to the LORD with faith and trust. Now the damage to the land He had brought He is reversing. This is also similar to Job’s restoration also.
It is interesting the LORD uses the term “repay” here. The Hebrew word is shalam which is related to shalom. He is basically restoring to them everything He had taken away from them. Of course, He took it away because they refused to acknowledge He gave it to them in the first place. Of note here is the locust plague seemed to last several years and not just one year. And then there is the army which was like locusts who did their damage. Or perhaps He is lumping the human army in with the locust. It is difficult to tell.
In any case, we can take courage that when we are beset by many troubles, the place to be is in a state of repentance. We should examine ourselves for not only wrongdoing on our part but also wrong thinking. Have we forgotten the LORD Jesus Christ? Are we trusting Him not only for our eternal salvation but also for our day to day lives? It seems we sometimes forget the blessings the LORD gives us every day. The best cure for that is perhaps using the prayers for blessing food and returning thanks in the Small Catechism:
The eyes of all wait upon thee, Lord ; and thou givest them their meat in due season. Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing. Whereupon the Lord’s Prayer, and the following prayer, may be repeated : Lord ! our heavenly Father, bless us, and these thy gifts, which we receive from thy goodness, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
O give thanks unto the Lord ; for he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever. He giveth to the beast his food, and to the young ravens which cry. He delighteth not in the strength of the horse : he taketh not pleasure in the legs of a man. The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy. Amen. Whereupon the Lord’s Prayer, and the following prayer, may be repeated: O God our heavenly Father, we thank thee, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, for all thy gifts and favors. Thou dost live and reign for ever. Amen.
26Then you will eat plenty and praise the name of the LORD your God Who has done wonders for you, and My people will never again be ashamed. 27Then you will know I am in Israel and I am the LORD your God, and there is no other. My people will never again be ashamed.
True knowledge of God is part of being in the image of God. When we recognize Jesus, the LORD is our God who provides for us, we can eat plenty and in peace. We will not be ashamed. There is no other God than He who is revealed in Christ Jesus.
Heavenly Father, grant us such repentance we acknowledge and confess You, Father, Son and Holy Spirit to be the only One and True God. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.