Mormon crickets and adversity ∙

Mormon crickets and adversity ∙

I will restore to you the years that the locusts have eaten. – Joel 2:25

Joel 2:18-26

18 Then the LORD will pity his people and jealously guard the honor of his land.
19 The LORD will reply, Look! I am sending you grain and, new wine, and olive oil, enough to satisfy your needs. You will no longer be an object of mockery among the surrounding nations.

21 Don’t be afraid, my people. Be glad now and rejoice, for the LORD has done great things.
23 Rejoice, you people of Jerusalem! Rejoice in the LORD your God! For the rain he sends demonstrates his faithfulness. Once more, autumn rains will come, as will spring rains.
24 The threshing floors will again be piled high with grain, and the presses will overflow with new wine and olive oil.

25 The LORD says, “I will give you back what you lost to the swarming locusts, the hopping locusts, the stripping locusts, and the cutting locusts. It was I who sent this great destroying army against you.
26 Once again you will have all the food you want, and you will praise the LORD your God, who does these miracles for you. Never again will my people be disgraced.

Mormon crickets are known for the incredible destruction they bring when they swarm. Despite their name, they aren’t true crickets but large, wingless katydids. These insects range in color from black and brown to red, purple, or green, and they grow about 2 to 3 inches long. Although they cannot fly, they crawl and jump, covering over a mile in a single day. When they invade, the devastation is catastrophic. They eat everything in their path—even their own dead.

The name “Mormon cricket” comes from a famous event in May 1848 when they invaded the crops of Mormon pioneers in Utah. By June, their destruction seemed unstoppable—until huge flocks of seagulls appeared on June 9. Over two weeks, the seagulls devoured the crickets, sparing the communities from complete loss.

Even today, Mormon crickets present challenges. Swarms can number into the millions, covering up to 100 insects per square yard and destroying miles of farmland. During a plague, no plant life is safe, and infestations can persist for years. Then they move on. For example, in 2021, Mormon crickets—and grasshoppers—ravaged 10 million acres of rangeland in Oregon. In May 2024, they swarmed Nevada. Their presence even creates hazards beyond farming; in June 2003, crushed insects turned roads “blood red” with slick carcasses, making some paths impassable.

A swarm of insects like this is a vivid image of total devastation—and it’s the kind of picture the prophet Joel painted to warn the people of Judah. Because of their disobedience, God sent an “army” of locusts as judgment, leaving their land stripped bare. Joel described an invasion that caused devastation, unlike anything they had ever experienced. The people of Judah faced terrible famine and poverty.

Joel’s warning is clear. However, he doesn’t stop at judgment—he offers hope. When the people of Judah would repent, seeking God’s forgiveness, the Father promised restoration. What was destroyed would be replaced. What was lost would be returned. Joel 2:25 records the Lord’s powerful declaration of His mercy: “I will restore to you the years that the locusts have eaten.”

This moment points to the very heart of God’s character. But with judgment would come mercy and restoration from the same source. When the people turn from their sinful ways and seek forgiveness and redemption from the Father, it will be given to them.

Habakkuk echoes this truth in Habakkuk 3:2, praying, “I have heard all about you, LORD. I am filled with awe at your amazing works. In this time of our deep need, help us again as you did in years gone by. And in your wrath, remember your mercy.”

There are times in our lives when we feel stripped bare, much like the aftermath of a plague of locusts. Perhaps sin has left us spiritually empty. Possibly, loss or hardship has eaten away at our hope. But God does not abandon us there. When we turn back to Him, He restores what we’ve lost. He redeems our brokenness, pouring out new life where devastation once ruled.

Are there areas of your life where the “locusts” have left their mark? Take heart in the promise of Joel 2:25. When we seek the Father with repentant hearts, He will restore what’s been taken. His grace is sufficient, and His mercy always prevails.

REFLECT & PRAY

What a paradox, if not an oxymoron: the Father is a God of all grace and lovingkindness, yet He is also a God of justice and retribution.

Father, help me to see and recognize my sin and rebellion. Encourage me to repent and seek restoration.

INSIGHT

Even when human life feels marked by losses that can never be regained—“the years that the swarming locust has eaten”—God, who allows hardship, is also the Lord of mercy and grace. He declares, “I will restore to you” (Joel 2:25). What an incredible promise (ESV notes).

Psalm 90:15 echoes this hope, asking, “Give us gladness in proportion to our former misery! Replace the evil years with good.”

The pain we carry—whether emotional, physical, or spiritual—can feel almost unbearable. But in God’s kingdom, brokenness often leads to strength, blessing, and growth. Without faith in our gracious and merciful Father, it’s hard to see how being crushed could result in anything good. Yet, God’s work through suffering transforms everything.

Hebrews 12:11 reminds us, “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.”

The apostle Paul knew this truth firsthand. His life was filled with discouragement, hardships, and trials. He proclaimed, “I die daily” (1 Corinthians 15:31), facing constant challenges that required him to lean on God. Yet, Paul understood how trials develop character, faith, and perseverance in him. For Paul, it was worth it.

2 Corinthians 4:8-10 reveals his perspective:

8 “We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed but not driven to despair.
9 We are hunted down but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed.
10 Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.”

Paul saw trials as tools in the hands of God. They weren’t punishments but opportunities for God to refine, reshape, and refocus his life. And that truth applies to us too.

When we cling tightly to our own desires, insisting on what we think is best for our lives, we often prolong the pain of brokenness. But when we trust God with our suffering, even when we don’t understand, we open ourselves to His more excellent plan—a plan to position us for freedom and blessing. He disciplines and guides, not to confine us but to prepare us for what is ahead (Stanley).

As Jim Elliott once declared, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.” Surrendering our plans to God may feel costly, but the life and restoration we gain in return are far greater than anything we give up.

Take heart in His promise of restoration. The Father sees your pain, and He will use it to accomplish something beautiful in your life. Trust Him to restore what you thought was lost.

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© Dr. H 2025