Joel 2:25-27 ERV; “I, the Lord, sent my army against you. The swarming locusts and the hopping locusts and the destroying locusts and the cutting locusts ate everything you had. But I will pay you back for those years of trouble. Then you will have plenty to eat. You will be full. You will praise the name of the Lord your God. He has done wonderful things for you. My people will never again be ashamed. You will know that I am with Israel. You will know that I am the Lord your God. There is no other God. My people will never be ashamed again.”

A couple weeks ago, the Lord instructed me to give this passage to some dear friends of mine. They have experienced senseless loss in almost every area of their lives. Sometimes loss just doesn’t make sense, does it! But the Lord reminded me this morning that HE did this, so it had to have purpose. Our steps are planned for purpose, not our own, but His. We can whine and complain about our losses or we can bless the Lord that even in the midst of the loss, He’s planning to pay us back for all the years of trouble.

God says, “Stop looking at the losses! Stop counting how many times you’ve failed! Get back on your feet and praise me one more time because I’m getting ready to open up the windows of Heaven and pour you out an abundance of blessing you don’t even have room for yet. Get ready! Push back the curtains of your dwelling place. I have more for you than this. I took you from ‘that place’ because that was a temporary residence. Don’t look back and wish for what was because I have bigger plans for you. What you had won’t contain what I have for you. Stop asking ‘why’ and start rejoicing for what is coming. You cannot go forward when you’re walking backward.”

Oh, I like that! You can’t go forward walking backward. When investments don’t pan out, take the little you have left and ask God what you should do with it. Whatever he says, ESPECIALLY if it doesn’t make sense, DO IT! If He can turn water into wine, take a two piece fish dinner and feed 5000 men plus women and children, you can trust Him with the little you have left. Invest it in the Kingdom and walk away, it’s no longer yours, it’s Gods. As long as you keep looking at it, you never gave it to Him in the first place.

If it’s friends you’ve lost, trust God to bring you new ones. They’ve moved on to be an influence in another community, allow God to use you the same way. Stop looking back! Not that you can’t still have them as friends, it’s just in a different way. In other words, if your hands are full, how will you catch the new things God is going to throw your way? Sometimes you have to lay down what is no longer yours so that God can bless you with more than you’ve ever dreamed you could have.

Father, I look back on my life and what I thought were losses, You’ve set me up for great gains. You are always looking out for me and You always have the best blessings in mind for me. All of what I viewed as setbacks, were merely setups. Everything that devours is not from the devil, sometimes You send them to strip away and make room for more. I love You for that. You have planned for me a future I can’t comprehend. My hope and trust are in You alone. It’s in Jesus’ name I pray. Amen