Did you ever feel as if life just passed you and you have even lost years? In this case there is good news for you. God will restore the lost years to you.
I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter, my great army, which I sent among you. Joel 2,25
God himself promises that he will restore to you the years that have been stolen from you. Locusts and hoppers have one thing in common: they eat whatever they find. Have you ever looked at a leaf after such an animal was done with it? There is more hole left than anything else. It’s the same in our life. Sickness, broken relationship, loneliness, unsatisfied desire, argument, etc. rob you from having an abundant life. These things eat holes into our existence and leave destruction and devastation behind. But that’s not the life God wants you to have.
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. John 10,10
Jesus came to bring sin, sickness, death and destruction to a stop in your life. The thief is the devil and all bad things are coming from him. They are part of the fallen world. But as a believer, you are no longer part of the world, for your home is in heaven (John 17,16). Jesus wants you to have an abundant life. Restoration of lost years is part of that. You may think this would be nice, but it’s your own fault you being where you are right now. Yes, that may be true. Maybe wrong decisions or sin has brought you into your current situation. It doesn’t matter why you stranded where you are right now, because Jesus saves you irrespective of what you did or didn’t do. Jesus bore your own failure at the cross to free you. Through Jesus blood at the cross, you have been forgiven of all your sins, past, present and future, both wilful and unintended sin.
For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.” Hebrews 8,12
God remembers your sins no more! Jesus bore the sins at the cross and therefore God will never ever impute sin to you again. If he doesn’t remember your sins anymore, they are also no longer an obstacle for your rescue out of your situation.
He will again have compassion on us; he will tread our iniquities underfoot. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea. Micha 7,19
God casts your sins into the depths of the sea and it’s forbidden to fish there. All your sins are forgiven. Therefore expect your restoration of lost years. You get it not because of your obedience but because of Jesus’ obedience. Jesus paid the price for you at the cross. You are now free to receive your restoration. This is grace. You get what you didn’t deserve because Jesus became your representative. Jesus is the reason God restores the lost years to you.