Growth - Love Church

December 29 2020

Why Locusts?

Bryant Stokes Contributor, new Acceptance, Anxiety, Blog, Christ, Church, Disappointment, Doubt, Encouragment, Expectancy, Expectation, Faith, focus, Growth, Perspective, Prayer, Steadfastness

[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ custom_padding_last_edited=”on|phone” _builder_version=”4.6.0″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin_tablet=”” custom_margin_phone=”-82px||||false|false” custom_margin_last_edited=”on|phone” custom_padding=”||12px|||” custom_padding_tablet=”” custom_padding_phone=”0px||||false|false”][et_pb_row custom_padding_last_edited=”on|phone” _builder_version=”4.6.0″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”0px|||||” custom_padding_tablet=”” custom_padding_phone=”|0px||0px|false|false”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.6.0″ _module_preset=”default”][et_pb_image src=”https://welovechurch.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/WhyLocusts.jpg” title_text=”WhyLocusts” disabled_on=”off|off|on” _builder_version=”4.7.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”||8px|||” border_radii=”on|8px|8px|8px|8px” box_shadow_style=”preset1″][/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.7.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Neue Montreal||||||||” inline_fonts=”Ogg Medium”]Why Locusts?

I hate bugs. They always seem to strike a particular annoyance with me. Those little creatures seem to pop up at the most inopportune times. My first response is always to kill what annoys me, especially when the fate of its life is dependent upon my jolted emotional state. And if you’ve ever been bitten/stung by a bug, the bite stays for much longer than desired.

Ironic right?! that something God created can be so annoying? Why would God do that? Doesn’t He care how I feel about bugs? Doesn’t He know that when they bite, sting, or are just present that their effects carry long lasting impressions? Clearly he knows. He has to know.

I can think of three instances in the Bible where bugs, locusts in particular, were certainly necessary.

God will use whatever is necessary, whenever necessary to acquire and retain our attention.

In Exodus, locusts were used as a weapon against Pharaoh and the Egyptians. God used the stubbornness of Pharaoh to show His miraculous power on behalf of the Israelite slaves and through the command of Moses the swarm of locusts ate everything that grew from the ground.

In Joel, we receive word through the prophet that God will restore what the locust has eaten. The words of the prophet are incredibly specific to how it was lost and the fact that it will be restored.

“The Lord says, “I will give you back what you lost to the swarming locusts, the hopping locusts, the stripping locusts, and the cutting locusts…’” Joel 2:25 NLT

Lastly, in the Book of John, we find the Prophet John who lives in the wilderness eating wild locusts and honey. They were provided as a form of sustenance, as abnormal as it may be.

Here’s the epiphany. God will use whatever is necessary, whenever necessary to acquire and retain our attention.

In all three instances we see the character of God being reveled: as divine protector and deliverer, as a restorer, and as a keen provider. The small things in your life are merely signals that God is there with you. Prayer helps us navigate our emotions to find God in every situation.

According to Genesis, God created every living creature. His purpose and intention for each of them is divine and harmonious. The same goes for you. No matter what may annoyingly insert itself into your ecosystem, God is the sovereign sustainer of life and remains in complete control. My warning is this; don’t kill what God is using to protect, provide and restore you.[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.6.0″ _module_preset=”default” width_tablet=”80%” width_phone=”80%” width_last_edited=”on|tablet” max_width=”1920px” module_alignment=”center” locked=”off”][et_pb_row custom_padding_last_edited=”on|phone” _builder_version=”4.7.4″ background_color=”#ffffff” width=”100%” max_width=”1920px” custom_margin=”0px|0px|0px|0px|true|true” custom_padding=”51px|60px|51px|60px|true|true” custom_padding_tablet=”60px|40px|60px|40px|true|true” custom_padding_phone=”40px|20px|40px|20px|true|true” border_radii=”on|10px|10px|10px|10px” box_shadow_style=”preset1″ box_shadow_color=”rgba(0,0,0,0.1)” locked=”off”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.0.3″][et_pb_blurb title=”@ET-DC@eyJkeW5hbWljIjp0cnVlLCJjb250ZW50IjoicG9zdF9hdXRob3IiLCJzZXR0aW5ncyI6eyJiZWZvcmUiOiJCeSAiLCJhZnRlciI6IiIsIm5hbWVfZm9ybWF0IjoiZGlzcGxheV9uYW1lIiwibGluayI6Im9mZiIsImxpbmtfZGVzdGluYXRpb24iOiJhdXRob3JfYXJjaGl2ZSJ9fQ==@” image=”https://welovechurch.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/bryantbiophoto2020.png” image_max_width=”150px” content_max_width=”860px” image_tablet=”” image_phone=”” image_last_edited=”on|desktop” image_max_width_tablet=”150px” image_max_width_phone=”150px” image_max_width_last_edited=”on|tablet” _builder_version=”4.7.4″ _dynamic_attributes=”title,content” header_font=”New Montreal Medium|600|||||||” header_text_color=”#333333″ header_font_size=”22px” header_line_height=”1.4em” body_font=”Neue Montreal||||||||” body_font_size=”16px” body_line_height=”1.9em” text_orientation=”center” animation=”off” header_font_size_tablet=”18px” header_font_size_phone=”17px” header_font_size_last_edited=”on|desktop” body_font_size_tablet=”15px” body_font_size_phone=”17px” body_font_size_last_edited=”on|desktop” custom_css_main_element=”font-weight: 400;” border_radii_image=”on|200px|200px|200px|200px” box_shadow_style_image=”preset1″ box_shadow_vertical_image=”10px” box_shadow_blur_image=”20px” box_shadow_color_image=”rgba(0,0,0,0.1)”]@ET-DC@eyJkeW5hbWljIjp0cnVlLCJjb250ZW50IjoicG9zdF9hdXRob3JfYmlvIiwic2V0dGluZ3MiOnsiYmVmb3JlIjoiIiwiYWZ0ZXIiOiIifX0=@[/et_pb_blurb][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]