Made New
When I hear the word "restore" I think of bringing something back to the way that it once was, in all of it's glory. A piece of silver that has been tarnished with time can be cleaned up and restored back to it's original beauty. An old clock that has stopped working can be fixed and restored back to working order. Restoration is all about fixing something so that it's good as new, just as it had always been intended to be.
There has to be a better word than "restoration" for the work that God does in us. I don't know that I have ever heard of a time that God restored someone back to their original state. When God takes on a project, he never leaves it the same again. It is always, 100%, made BETTER than it was before. No one is ever put through the fire of life, banged and molded and shaped by the hands of God, only to be put back to the way they were! God gives us a NEW heart and a NEW spirit. (Ezekiel 36:26) We are never the same again.
"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 21:5
Going through a period where God allows trial and suffering in our lives sucks REALLY bad, and that's because God never does a project halfway. I mean, when he wants to tear you down, he allows you to be torn DOWN, right back to your foundation. Reset, start over, complete demo. It's sort of his style. What did he do when the world was wicked and he saw that no one believed in him anymore? He told Noah to build a boat and completely took out everyone and everything, save a handful of people and a couple of animals from every species. Yes, even all of mankind had a do over at one point! God does not mess around.
When God allowed all of Job's children to be killed, and his livestock to be stolen, and for his health to spiral downward fast...all to test Job's faithfulness...what happened next? What came from all of the trials? Job was healed, he was given ten more children, more livestock than he had ever had, and lived out the rest of his life BETTER and more prosperous than the already amazing life he had before.
When Joseph's brothers sold him into slavery, God used his trials and circumstances to eventually establish him as Vizier, the second most powerful man in Egypt next to Pharaoh!
When God decided to transform the hardened heart of King Nebuchadnezzar, that guy had to spend seven years living like a wild animal in the wilderness! But when he came to his senses, well...I'll let him tell it! "At the same time that I was given back my mind, I was also given back my majesty and splendor, making my kingdom shine. All the leaders and important people came looking for me. I was reestablished as king in my kingdom and became greater than ever." Daniel 4:36 Did you hear that? Greater than ever!
When God decided to call out the christian killer Saul of Tarsus on the road to Damascus, he was transformed into one of the most influential Christian leaders of all time, writing letters to churches that would make up a large part of the New Testament. This happened in a moment! God changed Saul to Paul over night. God is no respecter of persons - when he is ready to change you, he will change you!
Jesus made blind men see, lame men walk, he healed diseases that had plagued people for years or their entire lives...he raised people from the dead. People who were touched by Jesus were never the same, always better, and they NEVER doubted who he was when they were changed by him.
I could go on and on. But you get it! None of these people went back to their old lives as the same people they were before they were touched by God. God does not just restore...he completely recreates.
"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." James 1:2-4
Hallelujah! That is some great stuff. Do you know why you go through trials? One reason is because God sees TREMENDOUS POTENTIAL in you that you are not living up to. He sees that you are lacking something in your life and that is not good enough for you. He wants you to have more. (John 10:10) He wants you to be better. So consider it pure joy when you are tested and tried because that is God saying, "Alright my child, it's YOUR time! Time to grow! I love you so much that I am not leaving you the way you are. Let's make you better!" He takes you down off of the shelf, throws you on the carpenter's table, and gets to work.
This entire life which we live here on earth is nothing but one big test and trial. This is our one-shot, rubber meets the road chance to determine what our eternity will look like when these bodies fail us and our time on earth is done. This is it. The moment is now. The day of salvation is at hand! For those that call on the name of the Lord, we are promised one ENORMOUS makeover when this is all said and done. God will make us better than before, with perfect bodies, not limited in the ways we are limited today. We won't get sick, we won't hurt...heck, we won't even go hungry. We're going to be gorgeous and made perfect...sign me up! All of the trials and tests we face today that make us more and more Christ-like as we are transformed and grown are merely a warm up for what's to come. And it's all for his glory!
I know it's hard to suffer. I know it HURTS. Being re-made freaking hurts. Ask me how I know.
That's good. The bigger the project, the more satisfying the reward. The longer it takes, the more He is doing. Consider it pure joy. You are going to see amazing things! And it doesn't last forever. Times of trial are only for a season. God not only re-makes, he re-pays. (Joel 2:25) He gets vengeance for you. (Romans 12:19) No time of trial is time wasted when God is involved. Praise the Lord!
There has to be a better word than "restoration" for the work that God does in us. I don't know that I have ever heard of a time that God restored someone back to their original state. When God takes on a project, he never leaves it the same again. It is always, 100%, made BETTER than it was before. No one is ever put through the fire of life, banged and molded and shaped by the hands of God, only to be put back to the way they were! God gives us a NEW heart and a NEW spirit. (Ezekiel 36:26) We are never the same again.
"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 21:5
Going through a period where God allows trial and suffering in our lives sucks REALLY bad, and that's because God never does a project halfway. I mean, when he wants to tear you down, he allows you to be torn DOWN, right back to your foundation. Reset, start over, complete demo. It's sort of his style. What did he do when the world was wicked and he saw that no one believed in him anymore? He told Noah to build a boat and completely took out everyone and everything, save a handful of people and a couple of animals from every species. Yes, even all of mankind had a do over at one point! God does not mess around.
When God allowed all of Job's children to be killed, and his livestock to be stolen, and for his health to spiral downward fast...all to test Job's faithfulness...what happened next? What came from all of the trials? Job was healed, he was given ten more children, more livestock than he had ever had, and lived out the rest of his life BETTER and more prosperous than the already amazing life he had before.
When Joseph's brothers sold him into slavery, God used his trials and circumstances to eventually establish him as Vizier, the second most powerful man in Egypt next to Pharaoh!
When God decided to transform the hardened heart of King Nebuchadnezzar, that guy had to spend seven years living like a wild animal in the wilderness! But when he came to his senses, well...I'll let him tell it! "At the same time that I was given back my mind, I was also given back my majesty and splendor, making my kingdom shine. All the leaders and important people came looking for me. I was reestablished as king in my kingdom and became greater than ever." Daniel 4:36 Did you hear that? Greater than ever!
When God decided to call out the christian killer Saul of Tarsus on the road to Damascus, he was transformed into one of the most influential Christian leaders of all time, writing letters to churches that would make up a large part of the New Testament. This happened in a moment! God changed Saul to Paul over night. God is no respecter of persons - when he is ready to change you, he will change you!
Jesus made blind men see, lame men walk, he healed diseases that had plagued people for years or their entire lives...he raised people from the dead. People who were touched by Jesus were never the same, always better, and they NEVER doubted who he was when they were changed by him.
I could go on and on. But you get it! None of these people went back to their old lives as the same people they were before they were touched by God. God does not just restore...he completely recreates.
"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." James 1:2-4
Hallelujah! That is some great stuff. Do you know why you go through trials? One reason is because God sees TREMENDOUS POTENTIAL in you that you are not living up to. He sees that you are lacking something in your life and that is not good enough for you. He wants you to have more. (John 10:10) He wants you to be better. So consider it pure joy when you are tested and tried because that is God saying, "Alright my child, it's YOUR time! Time to grow! I love you so much that I am not leaving you the way you are. Let's make you better!" He takes you down off of the shelf, throws you on the carpenter's table, and gets to work.
This entire life which we live here on earth is nothing but one big test and trial. This is our one-shot, rubber meets the road chance to determine what our eternity will look like when these bodies fail us and our time on earth is done. This is it. The moment is now. The day of salvation is at hand! For those that call on the name of the Lord, we are promised one ENORMOUS makeover when this is all said and done. God will make us better than before, with perfect bodies, not limited in the ways we are limited today. We won't get sick, we won't hurt...heck, we won't even go hungry. We're going to be gorgeous and made perfect...sign me up! All of the trials and tests we face today that make us more and more Christ-like as we are transformed and grown are merely a warm up for what's to come. And it's all for his glory!
I know it's hard to suffer. I know it HURTS. Being re-made freaking hurts. Ask me how I know.
That's good. The bigger the project, the more satisfying the reward. The longer it takes, the more He is doing. Consider it pure joy. You are going to see amazing things! And it doesn't last forever. Times of trial are only for a season. God not only re-makes, he re-pays. (Joel 2:25) He gets vengeance for you. (Romans 12:19) No time of trial is time wasted when God is involved. Praise the Lord!
I love that, prior to his ministry, Jesus was a carpenter by trade. Can you imagine some of the beautiful things he must have created? (Can you imagine how many times Jesus probably wished he had power tools? Haha.) If Jesus were walking the earth today and working in his family's carpentry business, I am certain that far and wide he would be the most sought after carpenter around. If he had business cards anyone that had come to him with a job would be handing those babies out left and right! I'm sure he tinkered with and fixed many things throughout his life. Do you think there was anything he couldn't build or fix?
I'm going to keep sending out this message loud and proud until I am blue in the face: There is nothing too big for our God to fix. No person, no circumstance, no life is beyond repair. I imagine Jesus sitting in his shop, the door opens and a little bell tinkles. In walks someone who is a complete mess. They are as broken as broken can get. They approach the carpenter.
"I tried fixing it with money."
Jesus smiles. "How did that work out for you?"
"It didn't. Seems no amount of money can fix this. So...then I tried fixing it with my career."
"And?" Jesus prods.
"That didn't work either. The more I buried myself in my career the worse it got."
"Why didn't you come in here sooner?"
"Well," the person says, "I thought I would try a few more things first. I tried to fix this mess with relationships and sex, and boy what a disaster that was! I bought a bunch of stuff. That didn't work. I took some vacations, and my problems were just waiting for me when I got home. I read some self-help books, and even though I followed all of the advice I still feel so empty inside. How on earth do I repair this??"
The carpenter stands up, walks over to this poor soul, and looks them right in the eyes. "You can't. But I can."
Jesus can take hardened hearts of stone and make them soft as flesh. He can make things happen that we cannot even imagine. (Ephesians 3:20) Like tarnished silver, he can polish us and make us new again. Like a repaired clock, he can restore lost time. The best news of all is that this carpenter doesn't care how many things you have tried BEFORE coming to him...he's just happy to see you finally walking into his shop. He saw you walking past his window day after day, fruitlessly trying to do things on your own. He never left. He was always there. Waiting. :)
I am so thankful that God made me a new creation the day that I made him Lord of my life. And ever since that day, I have been a work in progress! He loves me SO MUCH that he can't bear to see me left unfinished. So every once in a while, when the time is right, a little more of me is chipped away, and I start to look a little more like him. Someday, the person I was won't look anything like the person I have become. I will be 100% better than I was before. That's what happens when we're made new through the saving power of Jesus Christ.
Better than restored. Remade. Reborn. Redeemed.
Have a blessed day!
Thank you for writing and sharing! What a wonderful message, and perfect title. We all struggle and it is easy to wish we could "go back to the way things were." But, as you have eloquently stated, reminded, and encouraged - God has an even better plan! God brings us through and makes us better - makes us new. As with any type of building, the process won't be easy, won't be quick, and won't be painless - but it is and will be WORTH it! Thank you for the reminder that even when we think He is done, He might start a new project with us - but that too is part of His plan and we will marvel at what He makes of us.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Adrien! ❤️