I saw a meme on Facebook the other day that said something like, “Has anyone realized that 2022 is pronounced ‘2020, too’?”

Yikes.

I don’t know about you, but I’d really rather not repeat the year 2020 (or it’s evil step-sister, 2021.) Global pandemic, economic crises, racial strife, political upheaval, food and material shortages… Sometimes I felt like I was living the worst of my history book at all once.

Though to give 2020 some credit, that was the year we welcomed our son into the world, and I have never felt the Lord’s strength and comfort so much as I did in some of those darkest days.

But the thought of repeating 2020? No, thanks!

As I was considering this meme, though, I remembered a verse of the Bible from Joel. The prophet had just forseen a great plague of locusts that would turn lands barren (Joel 2:3) and fly in swarms so vast that they would block out the sun (Joel 2:10.)

In these days, families depended on crops to survive – they couldn’t drive to the local Walmart to pick up their food. If locusts destroyed their crops, the family was in trouble. And this is what Joel saw was going to happen. The Israelites had continued to disobey God, so this was going to be both His punishment, and His way to bring His people back to him.

This is the verse that the meme made me think of, this is God’s promise to His people: “I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten…” (Joel 2:25.)

2020, too.

This coming year doesn’t have to be a repeat of every horrible thing that has happened. If you are stuck in a negative life cycle, it doesn’t have to continue. If you are in a hard place, it doesn’t have to stay unbearable. If you don’t see a way out, God can show you a way.

This can be the year that we allow God to redeem the past. This can be the year that we allow Him to do all the good He wants to do for us. Maybe His time isn’t yet, but we need to be ready.

God will redeem this time. Happy New Year!
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(And stay tuned, because next week “The Mirror” continues!)