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A meaningful excerpt from “After the Locust” by Jan Coleman
Joel 2:20 - “I will drive the northern army far from you, pushing it into a parched and barren land.”
Drum roll. Bugle call. The bugs are taking flight. This verse in chapter 2 is certainly the turning point in the book of Joel. Although we don’t get specifics, we can assume that the people did respond to the prophet’s plea to return their hearts to God, so the Lord promises to scatter the ravaging bugs to the desert. Brighter days are on the way. I wonder if some of the farmers and townspeople still wrestled with disbelief, still suffered from shell shock when they heard Joel say, “Surely he has done great things. Be not afraid, O land; be glad and rejoice. Surely the Lord has done great things.” Joel 2:21 “Do not be afraid?” they may have uttered. “I’ve lived in fear and hunger for so long I’m used to it. Great things? Show me what they are, if you may, Lord. Then I’ll rejoice, OK?” Joel then called everybody who suffered, even the wild animals, to cast off their fears and celebrate. “The open pastures are becoming green. The trees are bearing their fruit; the fig tree and the vine yield their riches.” Joel 2:22 The prophet is so certain of what is to come that he speaks as if it has already happened! Now that’s optimism. And God used the activities of a horde of lowly insects as His object lesson….
Let’s not forget what Habakkuk tells us about waiting for the vision that seems to be delayed. When you’re in limbo, don’t circle the runway confused in the fog because you can’t see the field. Envision that perfect three-point landing now. OK, so you’re caught in zero visibility with low fuel. Take heart, for God is up in the air-traffic control tower in complete charge of this mission. In due time He’ll flip on those fog lights. We all hope for the best but an optimist expects it. …
Hebrews 11:13 says that the great heroes of the faith died “without having received the promises, but they saw them from a distance” and “greeted them.” Faith lays hold of promises far off. When God told Abraham, “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you.” (Gen. 12:1), he obeyed, confident that the blessing of the Lord would make up for all he could ever lose or leave behind. That’s faith. He didn’t know the way, but he knew the guide. Did he have questions? Most certainly, but he was also certain they would all be answered in time. God’s plan would exceed all the desires he would ever have. That’s sky-high optimism, refusing to let the difficulties and delays be too discouraging, being ready to persevere to the end….
Take hold of the words of Jeremiah 20:11: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” It’s helpful to keep in mind the audience Jeremiah is speaking to – people who face captivity in Babylon for seventy more years! He is urging them to await God’s deliverance. I’ll bet that this guy didn’t get voted Prophet of the Year by anybody. Still the Lord spoke through Jeremiah. “The days are coming …when I will bring my people Israel and Judah back from captivity and restore them to the land I gave their forefathers.” Jer. 30:3
God’s future blessings would include health, physical and emotional healing, restored fortunes, and honor. He would turn mourning into dancing. In a later chapter He says, “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness. I will build you up again.” Jer. 31:3-4
The glitch is, He never says how or when. Yet we are to believe with eagerness that He will drive the northern armies away. And when they’re gone, we can celebrate. He’d probably be thrilled if we start the party before the bugs hit the friendly skies and dash to their doom.
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