There are many TV shows and social media sites that cover restoration of old houses and builings. "This Old House" "Fixer Upper", and "Backyard Build" are the popular ones. They find old and dilapidated buildings and renovate them to look like new ones. They are old buildings with new looks. As we live through through life, the storms beat against us, the sun beats down on us and the events of life beat us up. We begin to show signs of the stress. Life has broken us down into a state of despair and disrepair. We find ourselves in need of renovation and restoration. We Need our Creator, the Master Carpenter to step in and make us whole. This desire, or need, to be restored is a theme all throughout the Bible. The Psalmists cry out, “How long, O Lord until you restore me?” (Psalm 6:3), “Restore to me the joy of your salvation” (Psalm 51:12), “I have suffered much, O Lord; restore my life again as you promised” (Psalm 119:107). The prophets pleaded with God, “Turn me again to you and restore me, for you alone are the Lord my God” (Jeremiah 31:18), “Restore us, O Lord, and bring us back to you again!” (Lamentations 5:21). The Apostles named it as the goal, “Your restoration is what we pray for” (2 Corinthians 13:9), and “Aim for restoration” (2 Corinthians 13:11).
God can restore time.
Old property can be restored easily. Anything from buildings to broken-down cars can be renovated. Relationships and even reputation can be restored. But one thing that can never be restored is time. Time flies and it does not return. Years pass and we never get them back. But God who is outside of time, promises the impossible: “I will restore the years that the locust has eaten” (Joel 2:25). The immediate meaning of this promise is clear. God’s people had suffered the complete destruction of their entire harvest through swarms of locusts that marched like an insect army through the fields, destroying the crops, multiplying their number as they went. For four consecutive years, the harvest was completely wiped out. God’s people were brought to their knees in more ways than one. God said, “Behold I am sending to you grain, wine and oil, and you will be satisfied." (Joel 2:18-19). In the coming years, God said, their fields would yield an abundance that would make up for what had been lost: “The threshing floor shall be full of grain; the vats shall overflow with wine and oil. . . . You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied” (Joel 2:24, 26). This wonderful promise for those people meant that years of abundant harvests would follow the years of desolation brought about by the locusts.
If we look back and regret about the opportunities that we had lost, we will be unhappy. Nobody can change the past. But by worrying about the past, we can destroy a beautiful present and a future. God's promise is not to be disheartened, but to look to the future that He offers with full of promises. “For I know the plans I have for you,’ says the Lord. ‘They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope." (Jeremiah 29:11). Job is an example of how God restores. God restored his fortunes, his family and his health. In fact, the "God gave him twice as much as before!” (Job 42:10b NLT). In one day, Job lost his 10 children along with all his possessions and wealth. Shortly after, he was afflicted with a horrible skin disease. (Read chapters 1-2 in the book of Job to get the full story.) Job didn’t understand why he had to suffer so much. So, throughout the book of Job, we see him expressing heartache and anger at the pain and suffering. We also see evidence of his impatience regarding how long it was taking God to bring about restoration.Yet through it all — and despite his human emotions — Job never doubted God. In Job 1:21b he even says, “The Lord gave me what I had, and the Lord has taken it away. Praise the name of the Lord!” Despite his suffering, he trusted God’s will for his life and continued to praise Him. As a result, not only did Job’s faith restored, but his life was restored as well. Eventually in Job 42, we read how God blessed Job and his faithfulness in every way. Job 42:10b, says, “… the Lord restored his fortunes. In fact, the Lord gave him twice as much as before!” God gave Job a double portion of all he had lost, restored his children and many relationships, and allowed him to live happily to a ripe old age.
God can restore our soul.
God can restore everything you have lost including the soul. He’ll take all the ugly messes that we have made and turn our lives back into something beautiful and useful. He always keeps His promises. "The Lord your God will restore your fortunes and have compassion on you and gather you again from all the nations where he scattered you." (Deuteronomy 30:3). He restores our souls by the power of His Word. "The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul." (Psalm 19:7). The living word will re-direct us from our foolish wanderings and then gently guides us back into the paths of righteousness. Our great Shepherd of the sheep will not lose one of us, even when we stray from Him. "I will never leave you nor forsake you", is His ever-present promise to each one of His little flock. In Psalm 119:105 he says: “Thy word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path,” and Psalm 119:9 “How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to thy word.”
Jesus taught us the parable o f the good shepherd, when 1 out of a hundred sheep was lost, he went in search of the lost one; even the 1% is still important to the shepherd. The joy of heaven is not complete if one is missing. That is each one of us. If restoration and protection depended on me, I would be neither be restored nor be protected. If I were to plan my own path I would fail and fall - but my restoration and protection depends on Him, for "He restores my soul and He guides me in the path of righteousness."
Peter was Restored by Jesus. In fact, all the disciples were restrored after they all left him at his crucifixion. Still He came back to them and restored them. God will restore our souls into newness of life through the power of His death and resurrection. He continues to revive our fainting soul and reinvigorate our sagging spirit, when we find ourselves wearied by the world's pressures or discover we are exhausted, hurt, anxious, or simply worn down in this troublesome life. God can take the shattered pieces of our life and mend that which is broken, making it into a vessel strong enough to hold all the blessings. God promises not only to restore what was lost, but to restore it abundantly. Peter writes after he was restored, "And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.” (1 Peter 5:10 ESV)
God can restore the church.
God spoke through the prophets about restoring the temple. “My house lies in ruins, while all of you hurry off to your own houses.” (Haggai 1:9 NRSV). Churches split for a variety of reasons ranging from doctrinal disagreements to personality differences. In today’s reading Haggai challenged the governor and the high priest about their priorities. The temple that had been demolished by the Babylonians when Judah went into exile had lain in ruins ever since. Then Haggai intervened. Amidst the rubble of hurt, questions, and doubt there is also a sense of growth and rebuilding. God works through us in the rebuilding of our churches. We can offer a positive outlook when negativity emerges.When we are willing to participate in rebuilding rather than simply attending to our own desires, we can rebuild our church — renewing our faith in the process.
God restores us to the paths of righteousness. Restoring also means, guiding on to the right direction, when the sheep get lost. We all use GPSs now. They are most of the time very good with directions and estimated time of arrivals. Once in a while we go out of the GPS route, and then we can heear or read it says "Re-routing." It is re-routing to make sure you get to your destination. Out destination is righteosness. Righteousness here means right living in front of God and in front of the world. Paul says in Romans 12:2: “Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind that you may know and approve what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” God is the beginning and God is the end of all righteousness. The path of righteousness has his grace as its starting point (for he leads me into it) and it has his glory as its destination (because his leading is for his name’s sake).
God will restore the whole creation.
The whole creation needs restoration since it had fallen from the grace of the Creator. God, in His mercy sent His Son to this world to restore that is broken. He gave His life to restore our souls and will come again to restore the whole creation.
Paul describes, "For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies." (Romans 8:20-23).
John describes in his revelation, "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” ...(Revelation 21).
The well known hymn, "It is well with my soul" was written by Horatio G. Spafford in 1873 after two major traumas in his life. The first was the great Chicago Fire of October 1871, which ruined him financially (he had been a wealthy businessman). Shortly after, while crossing the Atlantic, all four of Spafford’s daughters died in a collision with another ship. Spafford’s wife Anna survived and sent him the now famous telegram, “Saved alone.” Several weeks later, as Spafford was travelling to join his wife, his own ship passed near the spot where his daughters died, the Holy Spirit inspired these words. They speak to the eternal hope that all believers have, no matter what pain and grief befall them on earth. He wrote: "When peace like a river attendeth my way, When sorrows like sea billows roll; Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say, It is well, it is well, with my soul. Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come, Let this blest assurance control, That Christ has regarded my helpless estate, And hath shed His own blood for my soul. For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live: If Jordan above me shall roll, No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul. Even so, it is well with my soul."
Whether it’s our hearts, finances, relationships, lives or church that need restoration, God always has a plan to heal and restore. Although we may not know God’s exact plans for my future, we do know that He is good, and we can be rest assured that our lives are part of His plans for a better future.
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