Devotions by Dave // 1

Hi friends! Welcome to my first post / series of 'Devotions by Dave'. I want to give you a little background of how all of this came about. There are a couple of reasons. First, as Dave and I dated long distance for a year, we journaled (a full post is coming on that soon). Dave and I didn't just write mushy gushy stuff but we would write what we learned in our devotions. I loved that because I could see what God was teaching him. Dave also preaches at his church on occasion when we go home to visit. I knew prepping for a sermon was work but seeing your husband work all day and then spend his evenings studying was eye opening to me how much work actually goes into sermons. So, after reading journals and hearing Dave preach I thought it would be great to share some of what God has taught him on my blog. 

The first two posts come from one of his sermons that he preached on Joel. I didn't know this what he was going to give me to blog about but it couldn't have been better. The verses he talks about where verses that I clung to during a time in my life when I was very broken. It's neat to see how God works like that. Not the broken part (that was my own doing) but to see how he ties verses together with the stories of our lives.  

Also - I was thinking what picture of Dave I needed for this and I knew it had to be one of him 'stepping off the edge'. He takes pictures like this all the time. I always thought these pictures were fun until I got married that is. Now, when he gets close to the edge I'm far away with a camera saying "Dave! You better not get too close to that edge. You are married now"! =)

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In all your life have you ever seen a day like today?

This was the Prophet Joel’s question to Israel after facing one of the most devastating natural disasters in the countries history. A locust plague. Now most of us have never faced a locust plague but what about you? Have you ever faced a day in your personal life quite like today? Have you ever faced a challenge like the challenge you are facing today? Have you ever been through a difficulty like the problem in front of you now? Do you feel like your past and your mistakes have ruined your future?

Joel 1:4 describes the problem with these locusts.

• Palmerworm – meaning to gnaw or chew
• Locusts – swarm - many
• Cankerworm – creeping locust to lick off
• Caterpillar – devour or consume – rasping teeth. 

We today face issues which correlate to the locust plague:

• Gnawing - continual bother (not a major problem)
• Swarming - overwhelming problem
• Creeping - lingering effects of the swarm, after the shock and surprise of that overwhelming trouble has come and gone - some of it remains and creeps into your heart and mind and trouble you incessantly. 
• Stripping - devouring brings total devastation - seems to take what little good is left. Not just ruins your today but seems to destroy any possibility in your future. 

Maybe you feel like one  or all of those locust has got to you and you’ve missed out because of your sins and your mistakes. Maybe your past was dismal, maybe in your present the situation is messed up too.

Joel 2:25-26 

And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpillar, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you. And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the LORD your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you: and my people shall never be ashamed. 

Restore the lost years

You can't get your time back, you can’t undo things or change some of the consequences you’re suffering, but you can get back many of the blessings you missed and God can give you a better future than you’ve ever imagined.  A future that takes those past failures and those mistakes and redeems them to where you aren’t troubled by them or held back because of them but find joy in what Christ has given you now. God can use talents and your success, but  He can also use your failures, mistakes, even your messed up past. He doesn’t endorse or embrace your sin but when you come around he is able to use it. Moses murdered an Egyptian, David committed adultery, Rahab was a harlot  - God didn’t say 'you messed up so now you’re done'. Instead through those situations he used them.

Whatever you’ve lost, for whatever reason - a friend, your job, finances, your time, your purity, your reputation – God can restore it.  He has no limits and he can let you live a life without limits.

Even better one day he will make all things new. And that will more than make up for the insignificant things that “the locust” cost you here on earth.

Linking up with Simple Moments Stick for Faith and Fellowship