Joel 2:12-13 – “Therefore, NOW, says the LORD, return to Me with all your heart, and with fasting and with weeping and with mourning; AND rend your hearts and not your garments, AND turn to the LORD your God; FOR He is gracious and merciful, patient and of great kindness, AND He averts disaster.”

As 2025 began to unfold months ago, I heard in my spirit, “This is the Year of Unveiling.”   I have not said a lot about that because I did not feel a release in my spirit to do so.   Now, I do!   I kept hearing in my spirit that 2025 would be a year of unveiling (good and bad).    That 2025 would be a portal into the next dimension of God’s purposes.   That 2025 would be a day of harvest and a day of famine.   What we have depends on us.    It depends on our focus!

As I read, prayed, and meditated on the Word of God today, I saw those things.   Joel spoke of the darkness of God’s judgment and, in the midst of the sweeping destruction, hope!

Joel 2:12-13 is powerfully revelatory and pertinent!  What was happening was in the midst of the events of Joel 1:4 – “What the palmerworm has left, the locust has eaten; AND what the swarming locust has left, the crawling locust has eaten; AND what crawling locust has left, the cankerworm has eaten.”   They were facing total destruction with wave after wave of disasters.  It was going from bad to worse.

Joel 2:28 is the promise of God’s purposes as the judgment turns hearts to or away from God. It is the promise for those who return.  Amos also shows a progression of judgment as God seeks to bring His people back.

• Amos 4:6 – shortage of food.
• Amos 4:7 – drought.
• Amos 4:9 – Blight, mildew, hail.
• Amos 4:10 – pestilence.
• Amos 4:14 – Overthrown.
• Amos 5:4-6 – God’s call to national and personal repentance.
• Amos 5:14-15 gives God’s desire with the promise of deliverance.

Restoration is like a rose in the desert.   We are facing dire times, but have the promise of hope if we turn to Him with our whole hearts.  I did announce that 2025 was the year of Thrive or Strive to survive. Which year are you experiencing now?   You still have time left to get on the track!

LORD, unveil to us that which You desire and enable us to Thrive, not just Survive!