Sunday, March 12, 2017

The Restoration


UV 2223/10000 The Restoration
Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will bring again the captivity of Jacob's tents, and have mercy on his dwelling places; and the city shall be builded upon her own heap, and the palace shall remain after the manner thereof.
Jeremiah 30 v 18

The Lord is the God who restores His people. When Adam and Eve were tempted and fell into a state of separation from Him, He sent Jesus, the second prototype of all humanity, the visible image of the invisible Father to restore all mankind to a state of union and intimate fellowship with Him. We can relate to the Father even more intimately than Adam and Eve before the fall just as the father in the parable of the prodigal son, received him even more warmly and with greater honour than when he had not yet broken off from his house. The Lord will turn every setback we suffer into a source of learning, love, strength and victory. Such setbacks are the milestones of our spiritual journey and progress. We should not allow these to become millstones around our neck, dragging us into sadness, gloom, hopelessness, anger, depression, desperation, panic and despondency.

The enemy of our soul no longer tempts us with just a forbidden apple but with an arsenal of different types of weapons, some of which originate in our very nature from deep within. We are, therefore, subject to a variety of captivities. The Lord promises in this uni-verse to restore us from the sadness, pain, misery and weakness of each of these captivities. Each of us being unique and different are tempted and tend to be taken captive differently. The Lord has mercy and a plan for deliverance for each member of our families.

When we suffer any kind of setback, we should not give up or be frustrated. But filled with hope and faith, we need to approach the throne of mercy of the Father and of the Son. The Holy Spirit will convey our burdens to the Father and the Son in groans and sounds that words cannot express. The manger leader or manager can talk to the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. He can seek their wise counsel. He can share his burdens and losses. The Lord will then have mercy upon him and restore him from his captivity to sin, sorrow, failure, losses, confusion, turmoil to a state of oneness with the Lord. The Lord becomes our dwelling place, our shelter, our refuge, our rock or source of strength and comfort. He will comfort us in our loss, guide us in the steps we need to take and eventually, restore the ruins of our lives to its glory, even better than before.

Prateep V Philip

1 comment: