RESTORATION: THE GOD WHO RESTORES.

God created us for His glory to display His goodness. We bear the image of God and exhibit His glory. God put His life in us so that we may live eternally for His glory. Therefore, we have a glorious treasure in us that is worth cherishing, fighting for, and celebrating. However, we also have an enemy – the devil. He is interested in what we have and what we are building.

The devil is called the destroyer. His mission is to steal, kill, and destroy, John 10:10. Anything that has life and reflects the goodness of God is a target for the devil. Thus, at some point in your life, you will find yourself face-to-face with evil. It will come in various ways and forms seeking to destroy what you have: your reputation, family, career, business, children, ministry, finances, vision, relationships, and ultimately, your faith in God. The devil will use anything and anyone in your life to try to destroy you. The devil can use you to destroy your life, your marriage, and your career. The devil does not use our enemies only to bring destruction into our lives. He uses traumatic life experiences, tragedies of life, and at times, our evil desires. 

The enemy’s assignment is for us to struggle aimlessly, suffer painfully, and die hopelessly. He wants us to turn against God and thus lose our glorious inheritance in Christ. He wants us to be engrossed in pain, lose perspective, and turn against God.

OUR GOD RESTORES.

God is the source and the giver of life. No matter how devastating, gloomy, and hopeless your life may seem. God can redeem you, restore you, and give you a meaningful future. “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11.

Restoration is God’s grace pulling us back to life in Christ Jesus, so that we may display His glory no matter what happened to us, what we have done, and how far deep we have gone from Him. God restores, revives, and redeems His creation. 

THE GOD WHO RESTORES, PSALM 103:1-22.

• God forgives our sins and restores us to eternal life when we put our faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour.
• God heals our sicknesses and diseases, restoring our bodies to divine health when we put our faith in Him.
• God restores our finances to a state of heavenly abundance when we give generously, even if we start at rock bottom.
• God redeems our minds from depression and fear, restoring us to a state of power, love, and a sound mind, when we put our minds on Him.
• God delivers us from sin and restores us to His original intent for us to walk before Him in holiness, righteousness, and purity when we repent and trust in Him.
  

Jesus Christ came to destroy (undo) the works of the devil in our lives, 1 John 3:8. He came so that we may experience life fully, John 10:10. God’s mission in our lives is superior, and His purpose prevails over the plans of the enemy.

HONESTY WITH WHAT WENT WRONG.

Restoration is difficult because it involves you acknowledging your contribution toward the destruction. Taking accountability is also inviting the grace of God to flow into our flaws.

Thus, for restoration to take place, we first need to acknowledge that there is a state of disrepair and neglect. We need to acknowledge that something has happened (over time) that has led us to our current state. 

God is willing and able to restore us when we come to Him with repentant hearts, acknowledging what happened, and trusting Him to deliver us from it. 

SELF-INTROSPECTION (without judging yourself)

• Identify the root cause of the destruction: seek God’s wisdom to see the root of the matter and be honest about it. If you do not deal with the root cause, it will resurface.
• Which area of your life is affected? (the walls and the gates are destroyed, Nehemiah 2) What has been destroyed in your life? 
• What or who is the destroyer in your life? In what form does it come? Habitual sin, lack, or is it by association?
• To what extent has it affected you? Be honest with the impact it has on you.

What you hide cannot be restored. Restoration requires openness and willingness to be made whole again.

GOD’S GLORY IN RESTORATION.

Whenever God restores, redeems, and revives, it is for His glory: to fill everything with His glory. God’s end goal is always to manifest His glory in all things. 

“Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘Thus says the LORD, “Let my people go, that they may serve me.” EXODUS 8:1.

In Exodus, God redeems His people; not because they were slaves (even though God acknowledged that), but that they may worship, serve, and live their lives for Him. We are not restored just to be free. We are restored to glorify God. It is not just the need to be free, but more so the need to worship God that we are set free. We are not restored for our own sake.

In restoration, God does not leave us empty of what was heavy. He fills us with the weight of His glory. Therefore, the purpose of restoration is not to empty you of the pain, suffering, sorrow, and trauma. The end goal is to fill you with His glory!

God’s restoration always points to God. He restores us to Himself, to fill us with Himself. When God restores things (finances, relationships, dignity, gift, health, righteousness, and assets) to us, it is to fill our hearts with Himself. Meaning, these things are not the end in themselves, but the means to our full knowledge of God’s power, love, and grace. This then produces in us a renewed commitment to God and joy everlasting in His glorious presence. God empties us of every darkness to fill us with the light of His glory; that is what glorifies God.

“And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you: and my people shall never be ashamed. And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the Lord your God, and none else: and my people shall never be ashamed.” Joel 2:26-27.

In the above verses, God restores the years eaten by locusts and, as a result, people will have plenty to eat, be satisfied, and praise God for what He has done. God’s people will know that God is actively working in their lives. Therefore, in the end, we must testify about the glorious God who can bring life, joy, and goodness out of our dead situations.

“This is what the Lord says: “When I bring Israel home again from captivity and restore their fortunes, Jerusalem will be rebuilt on its ruins, and the Palace reconstructed as before. There will be joy and songs of thanksgiving, and I will multiply my people, not diminish them; I will honor them, not despise them.” Jeremiah 30:18-19.

God wants to fill us with His glorious presence. He restores us so that there is no reason, other than Himself, to fill our thoughts and imagination. God wants us to be joyful because that comes from Him. 

FORGIVENESS IS AT THE CORE OF RESTORATION.

At the core of restoration is forgiveness. On the one hand, God forgives us and on the other hand, we forgive others. If you have received God’s forgiveness in your life, you have it so that you can give it to someone who does not deserve it. The reason to forgive others is always in the light of God’s forgiveness in your life. We forgive because we have been forgiven.

When we fully appreciate what it means to be forgiven, we will be empowered to forgive others truly. However, if we are unappreciative of what it means to have a perfect, just, and righteous God who chooses to forgive sinners, transgressors, and imperfect people like us, we will find it impossible to forgive.

In most cases, the things you hold against people end up being the very things that hold your life down. Some of us have experienced unimaginable violence and deep betrayal, and we are left with indelible marks of trauma. This can make you feel justified to be angry, bitter, and revengeful. However, Jesus Christ is our example and if we are His followers, we need to forgive as He did, love as He did, and seek to glorify God as He did in all circumstances of life. 

In our modern day, people say ‘Forgive yourself and move on’ as if your freedom comes from yourself. God is the forgiver of sins and the restorer of lives. It is God who promises the blessing of restoration, “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.” Joel 2:25. 

Forgiveness should not be postponed, anger should not be incubated, and pain should be released. Unforgiveness is a stronghold that can be imparted to others. What you do not forgive you transfer to the next generation. Forgiveness is the only way forward in life!

THE GRACE TO REBUILD IS SUFFICIENT. 

Restoration is the act of God, and rebuilding is our responsibility. Rebuild your faith in God, your trust in others, your ability to love, your financial stability, your character, your ministry, and all that concerns your life. Rebuild the fallen walls that you inherited from your past. Refuse to repeat the pattern of past failures. Start new ways of doing things in your life. Do not be lazy to work on what God has restored.

AREAS TO WORK ON:

• Have a living Faith: A healthy relationship with God is the basis of all things; work on your spiritual maturity.
• Forgive: You need to forgive without reservations and pray for God’s goodness to prevail over evil in what hurt you.
• Confidence: Build your self-esteem in your new identity in Christ by believing that you are valuable and your life matters.
• Dream: You need to dream again and work towards materialising that dream. Open yourself up to be used by God for His glory.
• Be Thankful: Be grateful and thankful both to God and to the people around you (your support system). 

Whatever it is that you need to rebuild, I pray that you recognise the grace of God in your life and start working on rebuilding it according to the grace and purpose of God. It will not be easy, therefore, trust in God’s redemptive grace. 

Arise, shine, and display the glory of God. Isaiah 60:1-6.