July 29

The book of Joel begins with devastation. A plague of locusts has stripped the land bare—nothing green remains. It’s a picture of judgment and loss, both physical and spiritual. Yet amid the wreckage, God speaks with tender urgency: “Return to Me with all your heart… for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love.” (Joel 2:12–13)

God’s desire is not to destroy but to restore. Joel promises that if the people repent, God will pour out His Spirit on all flesh—men and women, old and young. What was lost will be repaid. Dry land will bloom again. God doesn’t just restore what was broken—He renews His people for a greater purpose.

That promise finds fulfillment in the New Testament as Jesus sends out His disciples in Matthew 10. They are commissioned to go with authority—to heal, cast out demons, and proclaim the nearness of the kingdom. But Jesus is clear: following Him will not be easy. They will be opposed, rejected, and misunderstood. Yet He also tells them not to be afraid—for “the Spirit of your Father will speak through you.”

This connection between Joel and Matthew reveals a powerful truth: restoration leads to mission. God doesn’t heal us just to make us whole—He heals us to send us. He fills us with His Spirit so we can speak life to a hurting world. The pain that once silenced us becomes the very place from which our voice is strengthened.

The question is not whether we are qualified, but whether we are willing to return, be restored, and be sent.

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