God can restore lost years

"I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter, my great army, which I sent among you." Joel 2:25 ESV

Earlier in the month, Gracie Laney, a senior at Utah's Logan High, was competing in the 4x200-meter relay heat during the Grizzly Invitational when she sensed that someone was gaining on her as she rounded the final turn before the finish line. Only it wasn't someone but something that was closing in fast. That something turned out to be Holly, a goldendoodle who had broken free from her owners and had taken off with her leash flying, nearly tripping one runner as she pursued Laney. "I was trying to focus and to run my best 200,” Gracie said, “and I think coming around the corner, you know, I was pretty confident that I was far enough ahead, that I could keep [the lead] and that I could finish it first. But with maybe the last 15 yards, I could kind of feel something coming up on me, and I thought it was a runner. Then I realized it was just too small and was a dog. I thought, ‘I’ll just keep running,’ because it wasn’t trying to attack me or jump on me or anything. It was kind of running by my side.” Laney, who plans to attend Utah State after graduation before going on a Mormon mission, was left with one regret: “I really wish I had gotten a selfie.” 

And you know if we're honest, each and every one of us would admit to having at least one regret or feeling of sadness or disappointment, which is caused by something that has happened or something we have or have not done. In fact, the majority of people have a whole list of regrets; something that can cause deep heartache. Thankfully though, the Bible tells us that God can restore "the years that the swarming locust has eaten." What does that mean exactly? Well Charles Spurgeon explains it like this, "You cannot have back your time; but there is a strange and wonderful way in which God can give back to you the wasted blessings, the unripened fruits of years over which you mourned. The fruits of wasted years may yet be yours." 

So if you're looking back on lost time with sadness today my friend, don't. You can't get back even one minute by doing so. Cling to Christ instead and look toward to the future, trusting God's promise to make the rest of your life full, fruitful and productive. 

Heavenly Father, thank You for promising to redeem the time we may not have used as we should have. Compel us to lay our regrets and sadness at Your feet God, knowing they only serve to keep us from being who You want us to be today. Let us exchange them for the joy Your promise brings and look to the future with hope. It's in your precious name we pray Jesus. Amen. 

Happy Running!!!

Restore me