Restoration

-
From Shiloh with Love
January 22
Sometimes I sense the Spirit giving me a word that just seems to hang on and on in my mind.  Yesterday, the word was restoration. It popped up in the Gideon study I'm presently participating in, in regards to the Cycle of Redemption which the Israelites repeated and repeated.
1) Rejection of God's way
2) Decline of God's people
3) Consequences allowed by God's hand
4) Restored relationship to God's presence

When this reoccurrence of a word happens I do two things.  I investigate the dictionary definition and I plugged the word into Biblegateway.com to inquire if the Lord wants to teach me something scripturally about that word.  Sometimes there is another word from the definition that gets tossed into the Biblical Word search as well.  This process thrills my heart every time!

The Bible study group I'm in shared prayer requests and many of those requests related to the desire for restoration of relationships, faith, joy, health, etc.

Check out the definition from Merriam Webster:
:the act or process of returning something to its original condition by repairing it, cleaning it, etc.
:the act of bringing back something that existed before
:the act of returning something that was stolen or taken

Now let's personalize those and see where restoration needs to occur in our own lives.
Take the investigation a step further as these scriptures penetrate your heart.  Be restored!  It's God's best for your life.

Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.  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.  To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen   1 Peter 5:9-11

Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other's burdens, and in tis way you will fulfill the law of Christ. If anyone thinks they are something they are not, they deceive themselves.   Galatians 6:1-3

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.  Then I will teach transgressors your ways so that sinners will turn back to you.  Psalm 51:11-13

The word return jumped out to me in the definitions and I thought….Return to your First Love!

The Lord God Almighty, the Lord is his name!  But you must return to your God; maintain love and justice, and wait for your God always.   Hosea 12:5-7

What great nuggets to carry into today!

Popular posts from this blog

She Fought the Good Fight

-
Image
February 27 Bible Gateway's verse yesterday was: This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him . 1 John 4:9 A fitting verse for the day my everyday friend, soul sister, monster of the faith and mischievous partner in crime, Kaye, left this world behind and headed to her heavenly home. My husband was able to be by her bedside and said he knew she heard the words of our faith that he shared. Her sweet daughter held the phone up to her ear so I could say good-bye and the brightest single star you have ever seen shown through my bedroom window as she exited this earth! Yesterday, my heart literally ached so badly that I told the Lord, "Take me too!" Wouldn't she have been surprised if I had snuck up on her in heaven and said, "Thought you were going somewhere without me, did ya." When we received the call she was ready to go, I called out to the Lord for comfort and He led me to the Bible Gat...
Read more

Toe Sucking

-
Image
June 13 If I keep my eyes on God, I won't trip over my own feet. Psalm 25:12 …or allow them to be sucked off by carp!  For as long as I've been on this lake (49 years) we've gone to feed the carp at various marinas.   I have a bag of old bread waiting to be tossed to the carp tomorrow by our grandchildren!   There's a new adventure at a couple of the marinas.  Toe sucking!   For 25 cents you can buy a small scoop of peanut butter to go on your toes. Then the carp suck it off!   I just got a pedicure, so I have an excuse not to participate! What we do need to participate in is keeping our feet on the paths the Lord sets before us. Give careful though to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways. Proverbs 4:26 
Read more

Remember Your Story

-
Image
Our oldest granddaughter made this bouquet and hand painted card for me.💖 Nothing touches our lives that God doesn't allow.  He has a plan and a purpose, sometimes far into the future, that can be used for His glory. (Jeremiah 29:11) Flash back 40 years and I approached life's downs with an "I can't believe this is happening." and truth be told "How can I fix it?" attitude.   Now that I am older and wiser I see that God truly works all things together for good for those who are called according to His purpose.  (Romans 8:28) I thank God for the stroke 8 years ago and how it mellowed me out (okay some of you are laughing, but it really did). And honestly,  I like getting old. Sure, there are regrets, but there is also value in being able to pass along the wisdom learned from those regrets. God CAN use everything for His good. Mentoring moments are what I feel called to at this stage of life.  Working on a talk for a women's retreat weekend, I came ac...
Read more