There's a verse in the Bible which says, I will restore to you the years which the locust has eaten. It's in the book of Joel, the Old Testament book of Joel, there's only two or three pages, chapter two, verse 25, where God says, I will restore to you the years which the locust has eaten. Now, isn't there a principle in maths or economics which says that you can never make up for what is lost or wasted? If it's truly lost, if it's truly wasted, then you cannot make up for it. Well, God can. God is an eternal being and God has created time. The things that are impossible with men are possible with God and God can restore what's lost and what's wasted. What a tremendously encouraging text that is to older people who have spent their lives in sin. If you have wasted the years, all the years of your life, if you're an old person and you've wasted 60, 70, 80 years, God can restore them and I can tell you Christ can restore them in a moment. do that. Christ is God and he is the appointed Saviour and many, many an old person he has saved in their last hours. On the same theme there's a verse in Isaiah chapter 65 verse 24 which says, before they call I will answer. That's a tremendous promise. That's a fantastic statement. Before they call, I will answer. Maybe there's something you ought to have prayed about, but you think it's too late now. It's past. Well, you remember Isaiah 65, 24. Isaiah prophesied and predicted what would happen in gospel times. We are now living in gospel times and he says there, before the call I will answer. So the answer might be there. You call upon God, you remind him of what he has promised, you remind him of his truthfulness and you call on God and ask him to do what you do not think he can do. Well, to go back to Joel 2.25, when God says, I will restore to you the years which the locust has eaten, that original word restored has two elements in it which are tremendously exciting, tremendously encouraging. You see, the Bible It's verbally inspired. And it means not only that God will return you to a perfect condition, not only will he return you to the condition which Adam was in, but the first idea in the word restored is that it will also give a reward. In other words, it will grow. Once you are in Christ rather than in Adam, from that moment you prosper. From that moment things increase, things get better. And you know, the moment all believers who trust in Christ for salvation, the moment they enter heaven, they'll be amazed how wonderful it is, but from that moment onwards, it's nothing but prosperity, nothing but increase. The position will do nothing but improve. Very, very hard to believe, but very true. I will restore to you, I will return you to the perfect condition in which Adam was in, plus the reward, plus increase, plus prosperity from that moment onwards. There's a promise from God. But there's a second element in this original word restore. Not only will prosper you and increase you but that new situation which all we believers are in in Christ is a permanent fixture. Do you want security? Only God can give you that. Only Christ can work it out. you will be in that new position in Christ. That new position in Christ is permanent. Permanent safety. Permanent security. That's the sort of salvation you need. It's the only salvation I need. So do you want security for time and for eternity? you that. Only God, in the last analysis you see, you and I can guarantee nothing. We don't know the end from the beginning. We don't know what the future holds. We don't know what tomorrow holds. But God does. God has planned it. Only God can guarantee something for the future. And all Christ's work, which he accomplished at the place called Calvary, there's an eternal guarantee with it. And that is why Christ comes to you today in the gospel and says, come to me for rest, for safety, for security, for forgiveness. store to you the years which the locust has eaten. So hear Christ, obey Christ, commit yourself to Him, trust only in Him and you will never perish. May God bless these few thoughts.