Restoring what the locusts have eaten

It isn't an overly large creature, albeit and ugly one to most.  A locust can consume it's body weight in food per day.  As a single, solitary locust that is not much.  However and average swarm,

"a  very small part of an average swarm (or about one tonne of locusts) eats the same amount of food in one day as about 10 elephants or 25 camels or 2,500 people " from answers.com. 

That's a lot of destruction. 

In a Biblical sense, locusts can represent the effects of sin upon the lives of people.  It can be the sin a person committed themselves or they can be the victim of the sin, and it is the effects of what someone did that does the destruction. 

Locusts make wasteland out of the area they eat.  Sin or the effects of sin, make wasteland out of souls, lives and people's hearts.  This can cause bitterness in the heart of a victim or unrepentant sinner.  As the locusts eat away at the heart, destruction spreads.  Hurting people, hurt others.  The enemy uses this device to try and destroy hope, faith, love, lives and so much more.

However, there is a promise that our God gave us. When we turn to Him, when we rely on Him, when we let Him be the one to take care of it.
He said:

in Joel 2: 12 -13

12 "Even now," declares the LORD, "return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning." 13 Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity

and as the word discusses locusts and turning to God.  The scripture goes on to say: (Joel 2)

18 Then the LORD will be jealous for his land and take pity on his people. 19 The LORD will reply to them: "I am sending you grain, new wine and oil, enough to satisfy you fully; never again will I make you an object of scorn to the nations.

It isn't about God being mean, or spiteful.  It is the natural consequences of the sin of mankind that allows the locusts to swarm.  But God has and always will have a plan.  He WANTS, longs for His people, to turn to Him.  He does not enjoy seeing the consequences of sin that hurts and destroys and annihilates people.  He loves the sinner.  He loves the victim of the sinner.  He loves us all.  Every last one of us.  That is why in His word we find this promise

23 Be glad, O people of Zion, rejoice in the LORD your God, for he has given you the autumn rains in righteousness. He sends you abundant showers, both autumn and spring rains, as before. 24 The threshing floors will be filled with grain; the vats will overflow with new wine and oil. 25 "I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten-- the great locust and the young locust, the other locusts and the locust swarm...

He will restore. He is in the restoration business. However, for restoration to take place we must go to the restorer. If you have a piece of art that has been damaged, it is taken to a craftsman trained in the restoration of art. The craftsman can't restore it, if it just sits in the attic. But when that art piece is brought to the craftsman he carefully and slowly but surely restores it. He does not rush but gently cleans it and restores it. He is carful not to cause further damage. Sometimes, he has to use some sand paper on areas of the art, before he applies the new but proper paint. He can't just slap any paint on there. If it is an aged painting he has to be carful to match the paint as closely as possible or it will not take to the painting. Then he carefully fills in missing spots but knowing what the piece of art was before and what he wants it to be after.

Our Lord is the craftsman of our souls.  Sometimes, he has to sand us down.   Sometimes, he has to replace parts are areas with totally new canvas that has been refined to fit into that part of our lives.  When He restores us, He does it lovingly.  However, sometimes it can be painful.  It can take time.  But He WILL restore what the locusts have eaten. He is able to do things no earthly craftsman can do. For if He needs to, He can create a whole new work of art out of the damaged clay or canvas and turn ashes into beauty.  He is not limited to time or space.  He is not limited the way we are limited.  He can do the impossible.  Therefore His restoration is beyond what we can ever imagine and His promise to restore us and the effects of what locusts have eaten is a beautiful thing. 

He is faithful. Go to Him......He will restore.