Locust. As a child, my mother washed many a locust, in my pant pockets. Along with frogs, lizards and anything else that a little boy would seek out and be fascinated with. Locusts, they move through the air and present themselves as challenges to be caught and played with. A whole day could go by the only activity consisting of catching locusts, frogs and lizards. As a child they were toys, pets and playmates, but during the time of Joel, of Judah, they were anything but toys, pets, and playmates. They were destroyers eating all that the people worked hard to cultivate. They ate the food and that livelihood of the people. Locusts, they would arrive when things looked best, and would turn good to bad in the matter of a breath. So much for the playmates and toys of our childhood.
Hear the Good News, when we encounter the
locusts of life, God will be there. More than that, God will lift us up in
such a way that any locusts that have attack our way of life, our being,
will be but a distant history. Locust come in many shapes, forms, and
people. The one thing that must remain constant in our life is our faith and
our relationship with God. The locusts will come, but they will go. God
remains. God sustains. When you encounter the locusts in your life, see them
for what they are, they are finite, where God's love is infinite. When you
encounter Locusts in your church, understand they too are finite, their
hearts may change, but even then, they too are finite. Our challenge is also
our hope. Hang in there. Know that God is the infinite one and the locusts,
well I have a bunch of them, across my radiator and grill.
Prayer: Lord, they are in fact in our life, locusts, people
and things which come into our life and bring challenge and trouble.
Please help us to remain focused on You and understand the infinite nature
of Your love and presence. When we encounter the problem people in our life,
please help us to be positive and faithful witness to You. Thank You for all
that You have done in my life and all You will continue to do, for I ask
this through Christ, my Lord and Savior. Amen.