Excerpt from “Lose it for Life,” by Stephen Arterburn, M.ED
“The threshing floors will be filled with grain; the vats will overflow with new wine and oil…Then you will know that I am in Israel, that I am the Lord your God, and that there is no other; never again will my people be shamed.”
Joel 2:24, 27
In this scripture the prophet Joel is painting a picture of Israel’s prosperous future in order to instill hope to the devastated land. When we are at the end of our own resources and feeling empty and damaged, then we know our faith in God’s presence is faltering.
Joel pictures the essence of prosperity, abundance, and happiness – threshing floors filled with grain as a symbol of life restored; new wine overflowing as a symbol of good times and celebration; oil as a sign of richness and the presence of the Spirit. The sorrow and pain of destructive emotional eating and weight problems are behind us. As we become healthier by eating nutritious foods and increasing exercise, even our internal knowledge of God’s presence is restored. We no longer have to search for any other type of comfort.
As our faith is restored, our souls are filled with purpose, celebration, and the Spirit. Shame need never again be responsible for bringing darkness to our lives.
