Have you ever needed something in your life restored? I have and do. What needs or needed restoration? Was it your marriage, your finances, a relationship, your job, something else or maybe everything? Let me share with you what I learned about how restoration brings hope.
I found that the Bible talks about the need for restoration for three different reasons. Maybe the two of them are not that different because of how I may need restoration because of my own personal choices to sin. I also may need restoration because of general sin. By general sin I mean sins that are being committed by a group of people or just because I live in a fallen world. The third one is different because God allowed me to be tested. I am going to address each of these but in reverse order. The most difficult one for me to understand is the one where God chose to allow me to be tested. The best example of this is Job. You can find the start of the story in Job 1 and 2. There is a key verse that would indicate how God actually seems to initiate the testing of Job. “And the Lord aid to Satan, ‘Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?’” Job 1:8 (ESV) There are also two additional verses that make me conclude that God chose to allow Job to be tested by Satan. Job 1:12, And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand.” So, Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.” (ESV) and Job 2:6, “And the Lord said to Satan, ‘Behold, he is in your hand; only spare his life.”’ (ESV) The one thing about the trial of Job that gives me hope is that God restored Job’s life. Job 42:10 says, “And the Lord restored the fortunes of Job, when he had prayed for his friends. And the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before.” (ESV) The difficulty I have is this, I looked at Job and thought God was in the process of restoring my life after the loss of my wife Laura but instead He was allowing me to be further tested.
I mentioned how restoration is promised to Israel after the people sinned against God. One of the passages that deals with restoration after Israel had sinned and was going to be disciplined for the sin is Jeremiah29:11. Here is that verse in context. Jeremiah 29:10-12 says, “For thus says the Lord: When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place. 11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you.” (ESV) We see the same type of situation in Joel 2:25-26 says, “I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter, my great army, which I sent among you. “You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God, who has dealt wondrously with you. And my people shall never again be put to shame.” (ESV) In both cases Israel has sinned, God disciplined them and then God restored them. He restored them to a position of praise and worship towards Him.
Now comes the very personal one dealing with my own sin. Sin separated me from God but God before time began both knew about my sin and He created a plan to deal with that sin. One of my favorite Old Testament characters is King David. I think I like him because even though he was a man after God’s own heart he was far from perfect. Yet God restored him. But the prerequisite for David’s restoration and mine was how we both needed to seek God’s forgiveness. Psalm 51 is all about David’s confession and Psalm 51:2 is his request for that forgiveness, “Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.” (ESV) Psalm 23:3, expresses David’s restoration “He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.” (ESV)
I like how David’s restoration required repenting like mine did. This is expressed very well in this passage. “Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago.” Acts 3:19-21(ESV) Like David and I repentance is a necessary response to sin if you have not already repented here is some steps you should consider.
I pray you that you will that you will be restored by God it may not be the restoration that Job received. Depend upon them because they are true. God cares so much for you, even in your relationship with God through Jesus, promises to change you. It is that relationship that solves the problem of sin and brings us hope in the present and the future. I would also encourage you to seek Jesus for He is the only opportunity there is to have eternal life. This is to me the greatest source of hope. In doing so, I believe we will have hope and joy in our everyday lives. Understanding how Jesus Christ grants us access to eternal life, allows us to live in hope. “And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” John 17:3 (ESV) At the same time understanding you will live eternally knowing the only true God and Jesus Christ will also bring you the greatest hope. Because of the death of Jesus Christ on the cross satisfied the penalty for sins. His payment satisfies all my sins from the past, the present and in the future. My penalty and yours was satisfied on the cross by the death of Jesus, God’s greatest act of love and wrath, who became sin for me and you. It was also God’s greatest act of faithfulness because “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8 (ESV) Because holiness shows us, we need to believe in Jesus. I hope that you join me in helping others to choose Jesus.
If you have not read my previous blogs, you can find them here. You can watch a book trailer about my book. You can find my book, Hope Amid Hopelessness: Our Abba Father Provides a Way Through Mental Illness here.
eBook or Audiobook versions can be found at Westbow Press or Christianbook.com at Amazon or Google.
