Provision, Restoration and the Holy Spirit!

This morning I felt led to read from Joel 2:21-32 NIV:

[21] "Do not be afraid, land of Judah; be glad and rejoice. Surely the Lord has done great things! [22] Do not be afraid, you wild animals, for the pastures in the wilderness are becoming green. The trees are bearing their fruit; the fig tree and the vine yield their riches.

[23] Be glad, people of Zion, rejoice in the Lord your God, for he has given you the autumn rains because he is faithful. He sends you abundant showers, both autumn and spring rains, as before. [24] The threshing floors will be filled with grain; the vats will overflow with new wine and oil.

[25] “I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten---the great locust and the young locust, the other locusts and the locust swarm---my great army that I sent among you. [26] You will have plenty to eat, until you are full, and you will praise the name of the Lord your God, who has worked wonders for you; never again will my people be shamed. [27] Then you will know that I am in Israel, that I am the Lord your God, and that there is no other; never again will my people be shamed.

[28] “And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. [29] Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days.

[30] I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and billows of smoke. [31] The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. [32] And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved; for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the Lord has said, even among the survivors whom the Lord calls."

I really love the imagery of these verses for in them the Lord promises provision and blessing, restoration of all that was lost, and an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. I mean what more do we need?

I also like the fact that we see the natural leading the way for the spiritual. He promises spring and autumn showers that bring natural provision for the feeding of our natural bodies. And afterward, He promises to pour out His Spirit on all, bringing provision of dreams and visions and prophecy that will feed our spirits, and bring us real life, life from the Holy Spirit.

As I read these verses this morning, the message of restoration of that which was lost resonated the strongest with my spirit. I believe the Lord wants us to know that anything that has been lost in our pursuit of His will and way has been noticed and He will be faithful to restore. I am reminded of the promise of Jesus in Luke 18:27-30 NIV:

[27] "Jesus replied, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.”
[28] Peter said to him, “We have left all we had to follow you!”
[29] “Truly I tell you,” Jesus said to them, “no one who has left home or wife or brothers or sisters or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God [30] will fail to receive many times as much in this age, and in the age to come eternal life.”

These really are such awesome promises, and we need to hold onto them, for the enemy would try to convince us that we have given more than we have received. He tries to convince us to count the cost and see how God has shortchanged us. He accuses the Lord in our hearts and is trying to convince us that we serve a stingy, cold hearted God who demands much and gives little in return.

Nothing could be farther from the truth! As Paul says in Romans 8:31-32 NIV: "What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? [32] He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all---how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?" The Father has given us that which was the greatest treasure, His Son Jesus, as a ransom for us all. He has given us all things to enjoy and fill our lives. He is the most gracious and giving individual there ever was or ever will be.

So let us rejoice in His promises, believe God's description of Himself, and trust Him to pour forth provision, restoration and His Holy Spirit. He does love us more than we can ever comprehend, and He is faithful!