With this symbolism in mind, let’s look at the first chapter of Joel. It gives us a picture of total desolation inflicted by an invading army of insects: “What the chewing locust left, the swarming locust has eaten; what the swarming locust left, the crawling locust has eaten; and what the crawling locust left, the consuming locust has eaten” (Joel 1:4).
The result of the invasion by these insects is summed up in Joel 1:12: “The vine has dried up, and the fig tree has withered; . . . joy has withered away from the sons of men.” God is moving today to meet this need within the Church. The Lord is delivering His people from the demonic spirits that have eaten away at the very root of their joy, peace and liberty. How do demons gnaw away at the joy of God’s people?
They bring fear and frustration, defeat and poverty, sickness and infirmity, despair and suicide, resentment and hatred. How has this happened? It takes place when God’s people become followers of external religious customs that are devoid of internal reality. Doctrines can be strong in theory—but not in experience. Sometimes the people singing hymns about joy and peace look so worried and miserable that one might wonder how they could even get those words out of their mouths. In reality, the more you have in doctrine, the greater your frustration can be if you do not have it in experience. Parts of the Church are experiencing this kind of desolation.
Fortunately, beside a picture of desolation, Joel also gives us a wonderful promise of God’s restoration: “So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the crawling locust, the consuming locust, and the chewing locust, My great army which I sent among you” (Joel 2:25). God has allowed this invading army of demons because the Church began to look to standards other than the Lord Jesus. The great promise of restoration continues with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit: “And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh” (Joel 2:28).God will always be faithful to His true remnant.
My name is Cesar and I’m A Voice in The Desert
www.mywalkwithmycreator.com
#avoiceinthedesert.net
The result of the invasion by these insects is summed up in Joel 1:12: “The vine has dried up, and the fig tree has withered; . . . joy has withered away from the sons of men.” God is moving today to meet this need within the Church. The Lord is delivering His people from the demonic spirits that have eaten away at the very root of their joy, peace and liberty. How do demons gnaw away at the joy of God’s people?
They bring fear and frustration, defeat and poverty, sickness and infirmity, despair and suicide, resentment and hatred. How has this happened? It takes place when God’s people become followers of external religious customs that are devoid of internal reality. Doctrines can be strong in theory—but not in experience. Sometimes the people singing hymns about joy and peace look so worried and miserable that one might wonder how they could even get those words out of their mouths. In reality, the more you have in doctrine, the greater your frustration can be if you do not have it in experience. Parts of the Church are experiencing this kind of desolation.
Fortunately, beside a picture of desolation, Joel also gives us a wonderful promise of God’s restoration: “So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the crawling locust, the consuming locust, and the chewing locust, My great army which I sent among you” (Joel 2:25). God has allowed this invading army of demons because the Church began to look to standards other than the Lord Jesus. The great promise of restoration continues with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit: “And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh” (Joel 2:28).God will always be faithful to His true remnant.
My name is Cesar and I’m A Voice in The Desert
www.mywalkwithmycreator.com
#avoiceinthedesert.net
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