Locust

Joel 1:4
"What the gnawing locust has left, the swarming locust has eaten; what the swarming locus has left the crepping locust has eaten' and what the creeping locust has left the stripping locust has eaten"

Many times in our lives we experience events that feel as if locust have come in and stipped us bare. They have swarmed in to our lives and stripped us bare of strength, pride, demands, self centeredness and sometimes our hopes and dreams. Whether it is infertility, cancer, rape, divorce, faileD adoption, broken friendships and other heartbreaks, the locust experiences in our lives seemingly destroy us. But there is a HOPE, A SAVIOR, A KING, that comes in and rescues us from all of the pain and heartbreak this world deals out. Joel 2:25 "Then the LORD says, I will restored to you, make up to you the years that that swarming locust have eaten, the creeping locust, the stripping locust and the gnawing locust have taken away." Even in heartache and that is hope and healing through the power and the grace of Jesus Christ.

"THE IS A FOUNTAIN, WHO IS THE KING, BLESSED REDEEMER AND LORD OF EVERYTHING!"

Bugs in the Fruit

Amos walked amongst the sycamore trees, exaiming each piece of fruit carefully. Every noow and then he would reach up and pick a piece of fruit, take out his small knife and cut out a hole. He waited just a second, soon bugs were scurring and flying out of the fruit. Once the bugs were out he gentley placed the fruit in his basket. He placed the basket in the barn and waited for four short days until the fruit was at its peak of perfection. He gathered the ripened fruit up and took his prized collection to the market where it was sold in high demand.

In order for the sycamore fruit to reach the perfect state of ripeness, bugs have to live in the fruit. Once the fruit grows close to its ripe stage, the farmer will cut a small hole in the fruit to allow the bugs to escape allowing there to be just enough roon left for the piece of fruit to come to complete ripeness. As you look at this farming analogy, just think about how this can apply to your own life. Why does God allow "bugs" in your life? What "bugs" in your life do you need allow the ultimate "Gardener" to remove so you can fully ripen?