Restoration

Restoration is a beautiful concept. Anyone who has experienced estrangement in a relationship knows how wonderful it (restoration) really is. While estranged there is much anguish, turmoil and anxiety, but when restoration occurs there is a new sense of peace and joy.

Israel knew estrangement. In Psalm 85:4-7 we sense their anguish of soul. "Restore us again, O God of our salvation, and put away your indignation toward us! Will you be angry with us forever? Will you prolong your anger to all generations? Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you? Show us your steadfast love, O Lord, and grant us your salvation." In reading this you catch almost a sense of desperation - they very much want to regain their relationship with the Lord!

Of course, they only had themselves to blame. They brought the estrangement upon themselves by their waywardness. They ran after their own desires heaping idols to themselves. When chastized they sought the help of man instead of God. Isaiah warned them of the folly of this when he says in Isaiah 31:1, "Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help and rely on horses, who trust in chariots because they are many and in horsemen because they are very strong, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel or consult the Lord!" They were prone to chase after the wind and as a result reaped only vanity. During the days of Moses their folly resulted in 40 years of wandering in the wilderness leaving a trail of graves from the generation that was faithless. It could have been so different!

But praise be to our God who is not just interested in punishing wayward children. He actually has a plan for their good, and will work that plan even if it means He has to bring difficulty into His children's lives. After the wilderness wandering the Lord redirected His people. Moses gathered them in the Plains of Moab, recounting the works of their God, and called them to renew the covenant with their God. That's what Deuteronomy is all about. It is about restoration - a second chance. You can imagine the excitement as the people were moving out again toward the Promisde Land. Every victory was even sweeter now as they were reminded of the restoring mercies of their God.

What about you, do you know of the restoring mercies of God? None of us is exempt from estrangement. We are not all that different from Israel. We chase after idols, we look to other things instead of God for help, we go our own way like sheep. As a result we have been estranged from our Creator, but praise be to God who in Christ reconciles us to the Father. We do not have to live with the anguish and lostness of estrangement. We can enjoy a renewed relationship with the Lord. Have you come to Christ to receive His restoring mercies? If not, today is the day of salvation - don't spend another day outside the fold of the Good Shepherd.

If you have received Christ's restoring mercies, have you been extending them to others? The fact is in this world relationships can go bad. We sin against others and they sin against us. But those who have known the restoration that only Christ can bring, ought to be first to extend those merices to others. In fact, Christ lives in you to do just that.

Think about your relationships. If there is one where you are experiencing estrangement, ask the Lord how you might reflect His restorative mercy in that relationship. You'll know great peace and joy as you do!