Provision 2025

Provision in Time Lost

Sunday, September 28, 2025

Time is a precious commodity—it is something we can never get back… or can we?

Discussion Point #1:
How many of us have wished for time back, regretted lost time, or felt like it was stolen from us?

Joel 2:25–26 [AMP] ²⁵And I will compensate you for the years That the swarming locust has eaten, The creeping locust, the stripping locust, and the gnawing locust— My great army which I sent among you. ²⁶You will have plenty to eat and be satisfied And praise the name of the Lord your God Who has dealt wondrously with you; And My people shall never be put to shame.

When we feel regret over wasted years or stolen time, we can have hope in God’s promise of restoration. His restoration doesn’t rewind the clock, but it redeems the fruit, joy, and provision we thought were destroyed. He can take what was barren and fill it with blessing. In Him, nothing is truly wasted—because even lost time is made fruitful when surrendered to His hands.

Joel described different kinds of locusts that devoured the land until nothing was left. In the same way, we may face seasons where it feels like loss after loss, leaving life barren. The question is: in our deserts, where is God?

Discussion Point #2:
What kinds of “locusts” have devoured parts of your life—time, relationships, resources? Where do you see God working even in the places that feel barren?

Isaiah 35:4–7 [AMP] ⁴Say to those with an anxious and panic-stricken heart, “Be strong, fear not! Indeed, your God will come with vengeance [for the ungodly]; The retribution of God will come, But He will save you.” ⁵Then the eyes of the blind will be opened And the ears of the deaf will be unstopped. ⁶Then the lame will leap like a deer, And the tongue of the mute will shout for joy. For waters will break forth in the wilderness And streams in the desert. ⁷And the burning sand (mirage) will become a pool [of water] And the thirsty ground springs of water; In the haunt of jackals, where they lay resting, Grass becomes reeds and rushes.

Even in the midst of loss, barrenness, or seasons that feel unproductive, God is working to restore what was taken. He can bring life, fruit, and blessing into places we thought were destroyed. Nothing is truly lost when surrendered to Him. Our time, relationships, and resources can all be redeemed for His purpose. God’s provision shows that He specializes in turning desert into abundance.

God is a God of restoration. Even when we feel as though we are in a dry, barren place, we should never forget that God can and will restore what was lost. There is provision in lost time, lost relationships, lost money. What are you believing God to restore?

Discussion Point #3:
How have you experienced God’s restoration in your own life after seasons of loss or barrenness? How does seeing God restore individuals give you hope for what He can do in your family, community, or future generations?

Isaiah 61:7–9 [AMP] ⁷Instead of your [former] shame you will have a double portion; And instead of humiliation your people will shout for joy over their portion. Therefore in their land they will possess double [what they had forfeited]; Everlasting joy will be theirs. ⁸For I, the Lord, love justice; I hate robbery with a burnt offering. And I will faithfully reward them, And make an everlasting covenant with them. ⁹Then their offspring will be known among the nations, And their descendants among the peoples. All who see them [in their prosperity] will recognize and acknowledge them That they are the people whom the Lord has blessed.

Not only does God restore us personally, He is a God of restoration for generations.

Ezekiel 18:1–9 [AMP] ¹The word of the Lord came to me again, saying, ²“What do you mean by using this proverb concerning the land of Israel, ‘The fathers eat sour grapes [they sin], But the children’s teeth are set on edge’? ³As I live,” says the Lord God, “you are certainly not going to use this proverb [as an excuse] in Israel anymore. ⁴Behold (pay close attention), all souls are Mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is Mine. The soul who sins will die. ⁵“But if a man is righteous (keeps the law) and practices justice and righteousness, ⁶and does not eat [at the pagan shrines] on the mountains or raise his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, or defile his neighbor’s wife or approach a woman during her [monthly] time of impurity— ⁷if a man does not oppress anyone, but restores to the debtor his pledge, does not commit robbery, but gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with clothing, ⁸if he does not charge interest or take a percentage of increase [on what he lends in compassion], if he keeps his hand from sin and executes true justice between man and man, ⁹if he walks in My statutes and [keeps] My ordinances so as to act with integrity; [then] he is [truly] righteous and shall certainly live,” says the Lord God.

The new bloodline starts with us. What previous generations have struggled with or passed down can now be redeemed through the blood of Jesus in us. God restores not only what was lost in our own lives, but also breaks cycles of sin, injustice, and brokenness in our family lines. No longer will there be: lust, anger, or infidelity in our bloodline. We are called to be a people that love God and fulfill His purpose. We will want to obey quickly, forgive immediately, and bless those who curse us. Let us be a people that God has restored.