IN the beginning, God promised that seed time and harvest shall not cease.

Genesis 8:22. While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.

However, we find in reality that sometimes, the cycle of seed time and harvest gets broken. There may be planting, but the harvest can fail. Sometimes, there is even no seed to plant at all – everywhere simply becomes dry. There are many reasons why this can happen, but in Biblical times, harvest used to fail for God’s people majorly because they sinned against God. In other words, the harvest would fail because the people were under divine judgment. So, to bring back the cycle of seed time and harvest, God’s people would usually repent of their sins, turn to God and look to Him for restoration. That is why scripture says,

2 Chronicles 7:14  If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

After this kind of healing of the land, when God’s people sowed, a bountiful harvest usually followed. This harvest is the harvest of restoration. We see an example of that kind of harvest in the book of Joel. As a mark of repentance, God’s people were asked in Joel 2: 15 – 17 to declare a fast and call a solemn assembly. The elders were called upon to pray intercessory prayers on behalf of the people and the land. When this is done, verse 18 says that God would be moved, and He would pity his people. What would be the first productof divine pity upon a repentant people? We see the answer in verse 19:

Joel 2:19  Yea, the LORD will answer and say unto his people, Behold, I will send you corn, and wine, and oil, and ye shall be satisfied therewith: and I will no more make you a reproach among the heathen:

As God pities His people, He would send them corn, wine and oil. Please note that corn, wine and oil are very symbolic. Corn, wine and oil represent a wide range of the needs of man to be full, happy and at peace. He says that the things that we need to be satisfied, happy and at peace shall not just become available, but they shall be enough. He says that God’s people shall be satisfied therewith – so much so that their reproach shall be rolled away.

When God gives a harvest of restoration to His people, lack gives way to abundance. This is an interesting type of harvest. It is a harvest that always brings super-abundance. The blessings that come when people receive the harvest of restoration always come with arrears. They always come with interest – to ensure that all the years that had been lost are regained.

To be continued.