Verse 12, ..."Come with fasting, weeping and mourning. Don't tear your clothing in your grief, but tear your hearts instead. Return to the Lord your God, for He is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He is eager to relent and not punish. Who knows? Perhaps he will give you a reprieve, sending you a blessing instead of this curse......(pick up at verse 19)The Lord will reply, 'Look! I am sending you grain and new wine and olive oil, enough to satisfy your needs. You will no longer be an object of mockery among the surrounding nations.........(verse26) Once again you will have all the food you want, and you will praise the Lord your God, who does these miracles for you. Never again will my people be disgraced...(28) Then after doing all those things I will pour out my Spirit upon all people." It keeps going but let's stop. I already skipped tons..
It's an If-Then promise. Basically, IF you eat your pride, sit yourself down and return to God with fasting and mourning, gather your people and pray and repent of your sins and turn from your wicked ways, God will THEN turn your curse into a blessing, He will show his unfailing love rather than His wrath, He will tell your enemies to get lost, and He will restore not only what you lost, but give you more than what you had. Notice in verse 26 it doesn't say "all the good you need"...no, all the food you WANT. (as a side note, do we as humans ever want something we don't need? case rested.)
I don't feel like God is always a Joel-Osteen-guy, because the truth is that we are His children, and like all children we disobey and get in trouble. He will not let us just sit in our disobedience and continue to give us all these good things, because it wouldn't be good for us. Eventually, by the grace of God, He will bring punishment on us so that we turn from our ways and do good. He doesn't want to do this, just like parents don't want to give their children spankings and ground them. But He has to because He is also a holy, just God. And His word will not come back void.
This portion of the Bible I hold close to my heart, because I'm going through a bit of a rough time. I haven't been obeying well in an area of my life, and I'm turning from that. Thank You Lord that I'm not promised what I deserve, but restoration and blessings.
It's an If-Then promise. Basically, IF you eat your pride, sit yourself down and return to God with fasting and mourning, gather your people and pray and repent of your sins and turn from your wicked ways, God will THEN turn your curse into a blessing, He will show his unfailing love rather than His wrath, He will tell your enemies to get lost, and He will restore not only what you lost, but give you more than what you had. Notice in verse 26 it doesn't say "all the good you need"...no, all the food you WANT. (as a side note, do we as humans ever want something we don't need? case rested.)
I don't feel like God is always a Joel-Osteen-guy, because the truth is that we are His children, and like all children we disobey and get in trouble. He will not let us just sit in our disobedience and continue to give us all these good things, because it wouldn't be good for us. Eventually, by the grace of God, He will bring punishment on us so that we turn from our ways and do good. He doesn't want to do this, just like parents don't want to give their children spankings and ground them. But He has to because He is also a holy, just God. And His word will not come back void.
This portion of the Bible I hold close to my heart, because I'm going through a bit of a rough time. I haven't been obeying well in an area of my life, and I'm turning from that. Thank You Lord that I'm not promised what I deserve, but restoration and blessings.
