​The sad truth about spiritual decline or apathy is that it rarely happens all at once. Instead, it is usually a progressive, systematic draining of spiritual life and vitality. The cutting locust represents the small compromises that cut away at our prayer lives, our reading of God’s Word, and our fellowship with other believers; it is the systematic killing of our desire to be with God or His people. The swarming locust, on the other hand, pictures the anxieties that overwhelm us once we have lost our footing in God. When life, financial strain, or chaotic clouds emerge, the swarm darkens our perspective and saps our energy. As a result, we find ourselves too overwhelmed to serve, losing sight of our ultimate calling in Christ.