“I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten ….. you will praise the name of the Lord your God, who has worked wonders for you.’ Joel 2:25-26
I wonder if, like me, you have regrets about the past; sorrow for things you have done or omitted, sadness for missed opportunities and wrong paths taken. But what is done is done and the past is past. There is nothing we can do about it, only learn from our mistakes and make restitution with people if this is possible.
This text tells us that God will restore the years we have lost and there is no point in keep going back over the past. God can even lead us to a place where we will give thanks for the times in the past where we have failed. The wrongs done and received can be a springboard into a more God-fulled life. Then, we will indeed be able to praise God and allow Him to work wonders through us.