The Day of the Locust: Turn and Live

May 17, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: Locusts at the Door

Joel described locusts devouring every green shoot, rolling over fields like fire. Farmers watched helplessly as generations of insects—chewing, swarming, crawling—left nothing but dust. This wasn’t just a plague; it was a living metaphor for sin’s relentless hunger. Joel shouted, “Tell your children!” because unchecked rebellion invites devastation. [42:53]

Sin consumes like locusts. It starts small—a compromise, a hidden desire—then multiplies until it dominates. Jesus warned that sin left unchecked becomes a master, demanding everything. The locusts in Joel’s day mirrored invading armies, but the deeper enemy is the decay sin brings to the soul.

What “locusts” are eating at your life? A habit you dismiss? A relationship you’ve neglected to protect? Name one area where compromise has taken root. How will you confront it today?

“What the chewing locust left, the swarming locust has eaten; what the swarming locust left, the crawling locust has eaten; and what the crawling locust left, the consuming locust has eaten.”
(Joel 1:4, ESV)

Prayer: Ask Jesus to expose any hidden compromise. Confess what He reveals.
Challenge: Write down one specific sin the Spirit highlights. Destroy the paper as an act of surrender.

Day 2: Trumpet in Zion

Joel heard God command: “Blow the trumpet! Sound the alarm!” Priests tore their robes, fasting and weeping. This wasn’t ritual—it was desperation. Judah’s idolatry had hardened into apathy, but Joel insisted even now, torn hearts could turn tides. [51:21]

God’s judgment is certain, but His mercy outruns it. He waits for hearts to break, not just traditions. Jesus echoed Joel: “Repent and believe.” The trumpet isn’t for condemnation but rescue—a chance to flee destruction before locusts swarm.

When did you last weep over sin—yours or others’? Complacency numbs; repentance revives. What habit, attitude, or lie have you tolerated that demands urgent surrender?

“Now, therefore,” says the Lord, “turn to Me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning. Rend your heart, and not your garments.”
(Joel 2:12–13a, ESV)

Prayer: Pray for tears over what grieves God. Beg for a heart soft to His conviction.
Challenge: Fast one meal this week. Use the time to pray for someone trapped in sin.

Day 3: The Father’s Sprint

The prodigal limped home, rehearsing apologies. But his father sprinted, embracing him before a single word. Dirt-stained and reeking, the son found robes, rings, and reconciliation. Jesus told this story to shame the self-righteous and welcome the wrecked. [14:00]

God’s kindness stuns. He doesn’t negotiate repentance; He runs to forgive. Joel’s locusts devoured, but the Father restores “years the locusts have eaten.” Your worst failure cannot outpace His grace—He meets you in the road, not the courtroom.

Are you trudging toward God with excuses? Or have you forgotten He’s already running? What shame keeps you from lifting your head to His embrace?

“But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.”
(Luke 15:20b, ESV)

Prayer: Thank Jesus for His sprint to the cross. Ask Him to dismantle one lie about His love.
Challenge: Call or text someone you’ve wronged. Seek forgiveness or offer it.

Day 4: Flamethrowers and Idols

Paul warned the Colossians: “Put to death what is earthly.” Sexual sin, greed, rage—these aren’t quirks but idols. Like locusts, they promise satisfaction but leave desolation. The Colossians once walked these paths; Paul begged them to remember their burial in baptism. [01:08:47]

Sin’s roots go deep. Half-measures fail—you can’t negotiate with locusts. Jesus said to gouge out eyes, cut off hands. Radical repentance protects the soul. What habits, apps, or relationships demand “flamethrower” action to protect your heart?

What have you been feeding that starves your spirit? Name one compromise requiring immediate removal, not moderation.

“Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.”
(Colossians 3:5, ESV)

Prayer: Ask for courage to destroy one idol. Name it aloud before God.
Challenge: Delete one app or block one website that fuels temptation. Do it today.

Day 5: Feast After Famine

God promised to restore “the years the locusts have eaten.” Barren fields would overflow; empty barns burst with grain. This wasn’t mere recovery—it was resurrection. Joel’s warning led to hope: judgment bows to mercy for those who turn. [01:11:54]

Jesus transforms wastelands. The prodigal’s famine became a feast, the thief on the cross paradise. Your past doesn’t veto His future. What locusts stole—time, relationships, innocence—He redeems, not erases.

Where do you need to trust restoration over regret? What broken place can you invite Jesus to replant?

“So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten… My great army which I sent among you.”
(Joel 2:25, ESV)

Prayer: Thank Jesus for His power to restore. Surrender one loss to His redemption.
Challenge: Plant something literal (a seed, flower) as a symbol of trust in His renewal.

Sermon Summary

We gather around the book of Joel and see a single, urgent truth: God warns, calls for repentance, and promises restoration. We read how Joel frames a historical locust plague as both a literal disaster and a picture of divine judgment that tracks the steady destruction of sin. We trace the world Joel addresses: a divided Israel that embraced idol worship, moral collapse, and political violence, and we watch how unchecked sin draws in catastrophe like a locust swarm that leaves nothing green behind. We recognize the imagery as a pattern that moves from natural scourge to invading armies and finally points forward to even greater confrontations that demand a response.

We name repentance clearly. We understand repent as a decisive turn, a one hundred eighty degree change of life and mind that abandons former masters and follows God. We feel the urgency of the watchman call: sound the alarm, call the assembly, consecrate a fast, and tear the heart not the garment. We see how the Holy Spirit works to expose sin, to bring guilt that leads to confession and to life, not to shame without remedy. We refuse to trivialize sin. We acknowledge its capacity to grow, to monopolize desire, and to carry people into ruin unless restrained by deliberate obedience.

We hold fast to the promise embedded in Joel. For those who truly turn, God pledges restoration. God will restore the years that the locusts have eaten, heal broken places, and reconcile the wandering to the Father. We insist that the invitation is immediate: today counts. We accept that Jesus bore the penalty for sin, that forgiveness stands ready, and that return to God brings renewed identity, peace, and relationship. We therefore leave with a sober call to repent now, to embrace the new life, and to trust God to restore what sin consumed.

Key Takeaways

1. Locusts as a divine warning Joel uses the locust plague as a literal sign and as a symbol of escalating judgment that follows persistent disobedience. The image shows how sin invites forces that consume every green thing, leaving desolation in their wake. We must read the devastation as a wake up call to change course before destruction completes its work. [42:35]
2. Repentance means a full turn Repentance demands a one hundred eighty degree reorientation of life and thought, not superficial ritual. Turning requires concrete change in allegiance, habits, and associations so a new walk with Christ becomes visible. We accept that genuine repentance brings life and removes the path toward judgment. [48:38]
3. Sin grows into deadly bondage Sin begins with desire, matures into habit, and finally enslaves and kills when left unchecked, as James and the examples in Joel show. We resist minimizing private sins because small compromises feed larger chains of destruction. We choose daily disciplines that put to death those members of the body that lead to death. [59:51]
4. God restores those who return God promises restoration for those who repent sincerely, to recover what the locusts consumed and to heal broken years. Restoration does not erase consequences, but it renews identity, joy, and purpose through mercy. We trust God to reconcile, forgive, and reestablish peace for returning children. [71:28]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[17:41] - Building updates and canopy
[19:20] - Front entrance plans and giving
[20:19] - Prayer over tithes and offering
[29:18] - Children ministry appointment
[34:54] - Introducing Joel
[37:26] - Historical context of Judah
[41:59] - Joel’s three days overview
[42:35] - The day of the locust explained
[50:28] - Call to fasting and assembly
[53:26] - Turn and live: repentance call
[71:28] - Promise of restoration
[77:51] - Altar call and response
[86:47] - Closing prayer and announcements

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
Joel 1:1-3 (ESV)
The word of the Lord that came to Joel, the son of Pethuel: Hear this, you elders; give ear, all inhabitants of the land! Has such a thing happened in your days, or in the days of your fathers? Tell your children of it, and let your children tell their children, and their children to another generation.

Observation Questions

Joel describes the locust plague as a unique disaster that demands urgent attention across generations (Joel 1:2-3). What specific imagery does he use to emphasize the total destruction caused by the locusts? [42:35]
How does the sermon define repentance, and what actions does Joel call for in response to God’s warning (e.g., fasting, weeping)? [48:38]
According to James 1:14-15 (referenced in the sermon), what progression does sin follow when left unchecked? [59:51]

Interpretation Questions

Why might Joel use a literal locust plague to symbolize both immediate judgment and a future "day of the Lord"? How does this dual meaning deepen the urgency of his message? [42:53]
Joel instructs the people to "rend your heart, and not your garments" (Joel 2:13). What does this contrast reveal about the difference between superficial rituals and genuine repentance? [16:56]
The sermon warns that sin "grows into deadly bondage." How does James 1:14-15 illustrate this process, and why is it dangerous to minimize "private sins"? [59:51]

Application Questions

The locust imagery shows how sin consumes everything in its path. What areas of your life might resemble "nothing green left" due to unchecked habits or compromises? How can you begin restoring those areas today? [42:35]
Repentance requires a "180-degree turn." What specific thought, relationship, or habit do you need to turn away from to walk visibly with Christ? What practical step will you take this week? [48:38]
Joel’s call to "consecrate a fast" involves communal humility. How could fasting or intentional prayer with others help you or your community confront shared struggles? [50:28]
God promises to "restore the years the locusts have eaten." What brokenness or loss do you struggle to trust Him with? How might surrendering it deepen your reliance on His faithfulness? [11:28]
The sermon warns against delaying repentance: "Today counts." Where have you been saying, "I’ll deal with this later," and what would it look like to act now instead? [15:53]
Sin’s progression starts with desire. What "small compromises" do you need to address before they grow into chains? Who can hold you accountable in this? [59:51]
The prodigal son’s father ran to meet him. How can you extend that same grace to someone in your life who is returning to God? [14:46]

Sermon Clips

41s

#SinTakesYouFurther

“Sin will always take you farther than you want to go, and it will cost you more than you're willing to pay. And today, young people, when it comes to sex, young people think it's all a game. It's all a game, and there is no restraint in their activity. Well, according to Joel, judgment is coming upon such. The locusts will come. And Joel says, what the chewing locust leaves, the swarming locusts will eat. What the swarming locust leaves, the crawling locusts will eat. And what the crawling locust leaves, the consuming locust will eat.”

36s

#RepentAndBeRestored

“This is how serious Jesus is with sin. You must rule over it and find forgiveness of it. Amen. So Joel says, repent and turn to the Lord. And God says, for those who repent, for those who turn to me by faith. Joel two verse 25, God says, so I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten and the crawling locust and the consuming locust and the chewing locust, my great army which I sent among you. Praise God.”

39s

#FleeSinChooseChrist

“So Paul is saying, Christian, why are you going back to this filth? Don't you know that these are the very things, these are the very reasons why the wrath of God is about to be poured upon the earth? Get out of that world. Get out of that sin. Do whatever it takes. Stop associating with certain people if it leads you to sin. You'd be better off dying alone and with Christ than to die with a whole bunch of people that have led you on what is called the broad path that leads you to destruction. Don't play with sin.”

36s

#DontAssumeGodApproves

“Israel did not repent. And the question is, why? As God would say, why will you not repent? Did they think? Well, nothing's happened yet. I mean, I've been I'm feeling fine. I don't feel any consequences for what I've done, so maybe we can just keep on going. I think there are a lot of Christians today who live in sin. And because they haven't felt corrected by god yet or they haven't seen their lives fall apart yet, it's almost as though maybe God's okay with me doing this.”

31s

#TodayNotTomorrow

“This isn't something we put off for another time. How many of you know where you will be tomorrow? Who guarantees you anything about tomorrow? The bible says you have today. And this is such an urgent matter. Something must be done. As Jesus says, repent and believe. Turn and put your trust in Jesus Christ, and you will receive forgiveness from a merciful God before it's too late.”

34s

#SinBringsDevastation

“When people continue in sin and they don't want to repent, they don't want to submit to God, the locusts will come. As sure as I'm standing here, the locusts will come. Sin leads to devastation. Amen? How many of you know that? You know what life you used to live before Jesus found you. How much longer could you live in that state? Maybe months, maybe years, but eventually, Jesus says you would be led to destruction.”

41s

#PeaceThroughChrist

“Do you know right now, anybody who doesn't know Jesus does not have peace with god. Romans chapter five says you are at enmity with God. You're an enemy of God, disobedient, obedient, rebellious, and helpless. But it's Jesus who came to give his life for us. And he takes you by one hand, and he takes his father by the other hand, and he reconciles you to his father. That's having peace with God. That's being able to say I am a son or a daughter of God. That's peace that Jesus came to bring us.”

31s

#ConvictionLeadsToMercy

“Convicting means he helps you to feel that guilt inside for what you've done. And maybe there are things in your life that you used to do and, yes, it's wrong, but I didn't feel guilty about that. But when you became a Christian, now the guilt has come. And the guilt isn't to embarrass you. It's to lead you to Jesus once again and say, Lord, here's an area of my life where I fall short. Have mercy and forgive me. That's the ministry of the Holy Spirit. He's gentle, but he's powerful when he speaks.”

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The Day of the Locust: Turn and Live

Devotional

Day 1: Locusts at the Door

Day 2: Trumpet in Zion

Day 3: The Father’s Sprint

Day 4: Flamethrowers and Idols

Day 5: Feast After Famine

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

The Day of the Locust: Turn and Live

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