+DEV+ Ministry Restored

Date: October 1, 2012 11:02 PM
Topic: +DEV+  Ministry Restored

Ministry Restored

"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."  (Joel 2:25)
Scripture Focus: Joel 2

When I returned to music ministry after a gap of three years, I was often reminded of the Lord's promise to His chosen people that He would repay them for the years the locusts had eaten. I wondered if He might do the same for me. In time I did come back to my music, to leading songs in church, and even to having a solo concert, realizing a new depth in my ministry. Now a powerful message of challenge, hope and comfort borne out of the reality of the darkest struggles was evident.

Re-read the last five words of Joel 2:25: "that I sent among you." Are you as struck by that phrase as I am? All along the locusts had been sent by God! Could it really be that my depression was sent by God as a tool in His reformation, re-shaping and restoration of my soul? Is there a trial - a valley of the shadow of death - that you are experiencing now? Consider God's providence for you. Be comforted and awed to know that it will be used not only for your good, but also for His glory.

Insight: The Crucible Is A Place Of Focused, Intense Heat; However, Without It, Purification By Removing The Dross Could Not Take Place.