“So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, The crawling locust, The consuming locust, And the chewing locust…” (Joel 2:25 NKJ).
Part One
The word restore is vital to our spiritual walk. It refers to more than bringing something back that is missing or has been taken away. When the Lord speaks of restoration He means bringing back the missing or lost ingredients so that a person can complete and finalize the very things he started out to do in life.
Our original vision can only be realized when all the spiritual components of our original call are brought back together. That is why restoration is so important to us. In order for God’s will to be done on earth as it is in heaven, the end-time Church of Jesus Christ must have restored to it all the pristine qualities of the first-century Church.
Sometimes some believers lose things in the spiritual journey and in the conflict with the powers of darkness. In this verse, the Lord promises to restore whatever has been consumed.
The natural world has no such program for rejuvenation, restoration, and renewed vision and strength. It is so absorbed with the aging process that restoration does not fit in with its way of thinking.
In our next lesson we will examine some of the things God has promised to restore to His people. Praise the Lord that we are coming back to full strength. Everything consumed by time, trial, and tribulation is being restored to us!
Excerpt permission granted by Harrison House Publishers
Dick Mills was ordained at The International Church of the Foursquare Gospel in 1949. He and his wife Betty traveled as evangelists all over the United States, Canada, Mexico, Latin America, Europe, and Australia. Dick and Betty are now home in heaven.
In 1966 Dick and Betty became a part of the then-emerging Charismatic Renewal. Passing through all denominational barriers, Dick has had the opportunity to speak in thousands of churches of varied backgrounds all over the world.
He ministered within several Christian organizations, including the Full Gospel Business Men, Women's Aglow, Inter-church Renewal Catholic Pentecostals, mainline Charismatic groups, CBN and TBN television networks, and many other independent Christian TV stations.
Dick appeared on numerous radio talk shows, written several magazine articles, and spoke at many Bible conferences and universities. He served as an adjunct professor at six Schools of the Bible and Seminaries.
In addition, Dick authored and co-authored several books and tapes. Dick's ministry was characterized by the unique gifts God has blessed him with. His services informed, enlightened, and motivated people to a higher level of commitment to God.