If God is going to save, how far does his saving love extend?

God's people live under God’s promises and love. He continues to dwell with them. They will not be ashamed. God never lets them down. His promises to them do come true. Joel speaks of a new way of knowing (see also Joel 3:17), a new confidence, knowledge that works certainty in their heart.

God’s restoration extends also to the fields, the animals, and all of nature. All of God’s creation will enjoy God’s recurring goodness. God did not just create people. He knows how creation groans under the (consequences of) sin (Romans 8:18–30). Everything comes back to life—flourishes and grows. To their joy, people see that it rains again in time. How Israel depended on that! Without the early rain, no seed would germinate. Without the late rain, the land would produce no crop. Under any circumstance, rain is good for people in the (sometimes) hot and dry climate of Israel. This, too, God knows and gives. Abundance reigns where once God’s punishment led to famine and hopeless misery. God, in his plan of restoration, does not just come with loving words. He knows what people need for life and well-being and he gives it abundantly. Life becomes a celebration.