A Field Left Behind

Sometimes, for reasons beyond our understanding, what appears to be a loss is actually a divine intervention. The Book of Joel paints this truth vividly. God allowed a devastating wave of locusts to strip the land, inning after inning, until nothing was left. “What the cutting locust left, the swarming locust has eaten. What the swarming locust left, the hopping locust has eaten, and what the hopping locust left, the destroying locust has eaten.” Joel 1:4 ESV. This was more than a natural disaster. It was a moment of discipline meant to draw His people back to Him, a hard reset designed not for punishment but for purification. Even in the damage, God’s presence was near, guiding His people toward reflection, repentance, and ultimately, renewal. When everything had been stripped away, God made a promise that still echoes into the lives of those who have experienced loss. “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 ESV. In baseball terms, God is the One who gives back the innings you thought were wasted. He is the One who steps onto the field with you when you think the game is over, rewriting the scoreboard with grace. This promise speaks to anyone who feels they have lost precious time through heartbreak, wrong decisions, or seasons where life drifted far from God. He reminds us that even when the field looks barren, He can restore what was lost if we abide in Him. You may have lost years, but you have not lost Him. He can rebuild anything. ​Restoration, however, begins at home plate, with repentance. God calls His people to return to Him not with empty gestures, but with genuine surrender. “Yet even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments.” Joel 2:12–13 ESV. This is not about performance but about posture. No amount of church attendance or religious routine can change what only a surrendered heart can. We return to Him through humility, prayer in the quiet watches of the night, fasting, and gratitude that aligns our heart with His. ​Every disappointment, every setback, and every season of loss is God’s way of refining you for a greater purpose. One day, these trials will become your testimony, and your story will serve as someone else’s encouragement. The dugout that once felt abandoned will become a place of wisdom. The silent field will speak of endurance. The cracked scoreboard will mark not defeat, but redemption. ​So how do you respond to loss? You respond with trust. You respond with surrender. You respond with faith in a God who wastes nothing. Because when the refining is complete, the reward is His Spirit, His blessing, and a renewed life overflowing with abundance. What looks like a loss is often an invitation, a sacred chance to be reshaped by the hands of a restoring God. The game is not over. He is rebuilding the field and preparing you for the innings ahead.