Restoration

Last night as I drifted off to sleep, I was thinking about “what would have been” if not for COV19. I would have been all excited about my upcoming trip to New Orleans to vacate, Baton Rouge to see family and Memphis to celebrate James’ dad’s birthday and then at the end of the month to Canada to see my daughter debut a new song. I mourned my lost plans.

But the Holy Spirit quickly reminded me how blessed we have been through this. Yet I still mourn with my friends who have lost jobs, closed businesses, lost security. I mourn with those who have had to say goodbye to loved ones, those feeling isolated and alone. My heart aches for cancelled plans and deferred dreams.

Please remember, sadness and mourning is not a lack of faith. The Bible tells us to mourn with those who mourn. Jesus wept (mourned) when Lazarus died and He mourned with widow of Nain. But at the same time, the Bible also tells us, as Christians, we do not mourn as those without a hope (I Thessalonians 4:13). Jesus mourned. But then He resurrected.

So this morning, I mourn but as one who has hope. I mourn as I believe God will restore all that has been lost. I mourn as one who believes everything the enemy has stolen from me, my friends, my children, my family will be restored 100 fold. I mourn the temporary lost but I celebrate the restoration that is coming!

The word restoration in the Hebrew is “shalam”, a derivative of the word Shalom. It means to be in a covenant of peace. It means to complete, be made whole, to pay back, to recompense. I also know experientially that when God restores, it is always better than it was before.

My friends, I encourage you to mourn with hope with me this morning and declare:

Thank you, God, for the restoration that is coming. Families are being restored. Better jobs are coming, more clients than before are bombarding businesses, stock market is rising higher than before, bodies are healed, dreams are coming to pass, promises are being fulfilled, better and more memorable vacations are in store, an appreciation for life is occurring, grateful hearts are returning. Our nation is restored to a greatness it has never seen in its history. God will be praised. We will be stronger than before. I declare by this time next year, people will be doing better than they were one month ago. Restoration will occur in every area of my life. Amen! Amen! Amen!

Meditate on these scriptures.

“For the Lord will restore the majesty of Jacob, yes, the majesty of Israel, though ravagers have ravaged them and ruined their vine branches.”
‭‭Nahum‬ ‭2:2‬ ‭CSB‬‬

““So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, The crawling locust, The consuming locust, And the chewing locust, My great army which I sent among you. You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, And praise the name of the LORD your God, Who has dealt wondrously with you; And My people shall never be put to shame.”
‭‭Joel‬ ‭2:25-26‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“And then, after your brief suffering, the God of all loving grace, who has called you to share in his eternal glory in Christ, will personally and powerfully restore you and make you stronger than ever. Yes, he will set you firmly in place and build you up. And he has all the power needed to do this—forever! Amen.”
‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭5:10-11‬ ‭TPT‬‬