restore: 1) to bring back into existence, use, or the like; reestablish; to restore order. 2) to bring back to a former original or normal condition, as a building, statue, or painting. 3) to bring back to a state of health, soundness, or vigor. 4) to put back to a former place, or to a former position, rank, etc. 5) to give back, make return or restitution of (anything taken away or lost). 6) to reproduce or reconstruct in the original state.
And I went to my Bible...
Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from Your presence or take Your Holy Spirit from me. RESTORE to me the joy of Your salvation and grant me a willing spirit to sustain me. Psalm 51:10-12
And the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will Himself RESTORE you and make you strong, firm, and steadfast. 1 Peter 5:10
The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He RESTORES my soul. Psalm 23:1-3
God is the God of restoration. He restores hearts and spirits and relationships. He restores health and hope and peace. If you don't believe me, read the book of Job in the Bible. Job lost everything...family, possessions, health, friends...but God restored it all and more. God's number one goal is restoration of the relationship between us and Him. That's why He sent Jesus to the earth as a human...to be the sacrifice for our sins, to bridge the gap between us and God, to make relationship restoration possible! All we have to do is ask Him to forgive us and receive restoration...what an amazing gift!
2017 has been a year of loss and hard situations, but God showed me that He has been preparing me for restoration. I imagine myself as a beautiful, antique dresser with layer upon layer of paint covering the wood from my own attempts at restoration. The last year has been a process of stripping away those layers and letting go of things that I held too tightly. Once the paint is gone, the dresser can be sanded and stained, RESTORED to its intended condition with the beautiful grain of the wood showing through. There might be scratches and scars visible, but they only add to the character. The dresser becomes a thing of beauty and functionality, with no question about its purpose.
My prayer for 2018 is for restoration. God, restore my spirit and my soul completely to You. Use me to bring restoration of relationship between You and the people around me. Restore to me the joy of my salvation and grant me a willing spirit to sustain me.
Let the restoration begin!
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