A swarm of locusts is relentless force that destroys everything in its path, leaving a wake of destruction, desolation, and death. Like a plague of the Old Testament, the enemy uses “locusts” to try to steal God’s blessings. Problem is, he can’t. It might appear as if he is being successful, but our Defender is a killer of locusts.
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My pastor sent me the following verses the other day. He had been praying for us and the Lord brought these to mind:
25 “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. 26 You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, And praise the name of the LORD your God, Who has dealt wondrously with you; And My people shall never be put to shame. 27 Then you shall know that I [am] in the midst of Israel: I [am] the LORD your God And there is no other. My people shall never be put to shame.(Joel 2:25-27 NKJV)
What he didn’t know – couldn’t have known—is the significance this passage already has in our lives.
Back to the Beginning
I’ve written about my first deployment to Iraq several times. It has nothing to do with wanting any recognition, but rather because it was such a formative time in my life.
I got home on a Sunday. I’d been gone fifteen months. It had been an extremely difficult and dangerous time, not to mention my Dad had developed cancer while I was gone. Christi went to church that morning and shared this same Scripture with the congregation.
A few hours later we were reunited. Dad was there. God had brought me though the locust-consumed desert and restored our lives.
This verse brought us some comfort again a few years later. Emmy was two, Christi was pregnant with our second child, and I was about to deploy again to Iraq. When we unexpectedly lost our unborn son Micah, God used this verse to remind us of what He had already brought us through and would again.
And He did. We endured a long period of living in the swath of the locusts but He had a treasure at the end: Abrie, our unexpected, totally-hoped for, “Promise Baby.” He restored what the enemy took.
When I was diagnosed with leukemia in May 2013, we believed and still do that God would completely heal me. We feel that He promised us this from the beginning.
Coming Soon
Which brings us to today. Even as I was writing this post, the elders of our church stopped by and brought us the same message of restoration.
At nearly two years after diagnosis and thirteen months after transplant, I’m in remission, although still dealing with significant graft-versus-host disease, infections, and eye problems. I haven’t driven a car since November because of my diminished eyesight and I still have a lot of trouble with the stairs.
But! God is slaying the swarming locusts in my DNA that may threaten my cure. He is eradicating the crawling locusts of severe GVHD while He strangles consuming locusts of infections and the chewing locusts of bad eyesight.
Not only is He healing me, He is completely restoring me. I will “eat in plenty and be satisfied,” not just climbing the stairs easily but running again. Not just free from cancer and infections but healthy and full of life.
I don’t know how much longer He will ask us to endure. I don’t know when complete healing is coming…only that it is. I do know that God is true to his promises and He has promised restoration. My God is a slayer of locusts and I praise Him.
Amen! In total agreement! Praising and praying!
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