I Will Restore You

“Come, let us return to the Lord. He has torn us to pieces; now He will heal us. He has injured us; now He will bandage our wounds. In just a short time He will restore us, so that we may live in His presence” (Hosea 6:1-2). A Special Letter from Jesus My Precious Child,  I say once more that I am a God of Restoration! You will recover all, and I will bring you back to life. Return to Me—repent and humble yourself under My mighty hand, and I will raise you up again. Consider this: A master builder walks through a deserted, dilapidated building, its walls bowed after years of neglect. Daylight filters in through holes in its rickety roof. The floors are soft and broken, creaking underfoot, weathered by years of cold and heat. Has this building suffered too cruel a fate to survive? A passerby shouts, “All is lost—knock it down!’ yet the Master builder does not see the deterioration, rather He sees a vision of the stunning finished masterpiece. Consider this, too: A master craftsman runs his hands over an old table, clearly deteriorated after years outdoors. The stain has long faded away, the nails rusted, the wood warped and worn.  A passerby shouts, “All is lost—take it to the dump!” yet the Master hears not a word as He envisions the beautiful piece refinished and restored.  Finally, remember My prophet Nehemiah and the condition of My city, Jerusalem. Its gates had been burned; its walls were heaps of rubble. The once-prosperous city lay in shambles. Nehemiah was heartbroken and went into mourning when he heard the awful news. But it was not My desire that Jerusalem lay in ruins, so I gave him a vision to rebuild! Nehemiah 6:15 tells us that the repairs were completed in a record fifty-two days! Verse 16 says that all the surrounding nations cowered in fear as they watched it happen. In time, all of Jerusalem was restored! My Precious One, I am that Master Builder, and I will restore you! You may feel weak and broken because of neglect of your spirit man. Perhaps you feel that your character has leaks and holes and your cherished name has been tarnished. I will restore you in the same way that the rickety, old table was restored to better than new. Others may say, “All is lost—take it to the dump,” but I say that I will heal you and bandage your wounds. I will rebuild you as I did Jerusalem, and others will see that I am your GOD! You are not worthless! All is not lost! Return to Me with all your heart. Humble yourself in My presence, and I will make all things new!  Look into My eyes and recognize the reality of My endless river of mercy and compassion for all mankind. That truth should be crystal clear, as I gave My very life for you. I was bruised for you. My arms opened wide in love as they nailed Me to that terrible cross; I was crowned with thorns and mocked, stripped naked and humiliated so that all My children could have eternal life. Nothing can affect or diminish My perfect love for you! “Who pardons all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases; Who redeems your life from the pit, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion; Who satisfies your years with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle” (Psalms 103:3-5, NASB). It is I, the Lord your God, and my face is always turned toward you.  I Love you, Jesus  Will God Restore Me? “I restore the crushed spirit of the humble and revive the courage of those with repentant hearts” (Isaiah 57:15).  Rise up! Rise Up! Shake off that slumbering spirit—there is a mighty warrior within you that needs to awaken! Submit to God; make the choice today to become that person of God, to honor God, and pursue virtue, purity, and holiness.  You say you’ve blown it big time and you’re drowning in the mire of your poor choices? Is it too late? Can God restore my heart? Can I once again walk in purity and holiness before the Lord? YES, you can! YES, you will! YES, He is able! He is the God of the second chance! We all desperately need this revelation, so grab hold of it with all that’s in you. Begin today by letting go of your obsession with the past, where captives stay bound in the prison of their own making. Stop looking back with regret, and instead press on! Yes, PRESS ON! Press forward past the blunders of the past, press on through the guilt and the shame, and press on through the confusion and doubt. He is already standing there bidding you come to the secret place; He is ready to blot out your sins with His holy blood. He is ready to make all things new in your life. He is ready to restore your honor and give you a fresh, new start.  Your past may cause you to feel “crushed and overwhelmed” beyond your ability to endure, thinking you’ll never get past it, yet humble yourself before your God! Stretch out on the floor, desperate before Him, and share your deepest desire for Him alone. Unload your heartache and brokenness at the foot of His cross and leave it there so He can raise you up brand new.  The Lord responds to a broken, humble heart, to a soul that knows how to repent and admit where it missed the mark. As we rid ourselves of layers of self-love, control and pride, we are clothed anew with the beauty of the Lord.  He desires to restore you and revive your spirit. He desires for you to begin again. Let me say it once more: only humble yourself before the mighty hand of God and: “Then the Lord your God will restore your fortunes. He will have mercy on you and gather you back from all the nations where He has scattered you” (Deuteronomy 30:3).  I say again, you no longer need to hang your head with guilt and shame; once you have confessed and forsaken your sin, you are a brand new creation in Christ Jesus, and through His shed blood He has made you righteous. And when the devil comes to accuse you of things you’ve done in the past, use your authority to tell him he’s talking to the wrong person, because you are a blood-washed child of God. When you stand up to him and testify to what Jesus did, Satan will have to flee, because the only power he has against you is when he can convince you his lies are true. Refuse to believe a negative word, because Jesus took everything to the cross, and wants to restore to us everything that was lost when Adam sinned. Live as if it is so, because it is! Because of your longing and love for Him, you will walk in the Spirit again as you pursue faithfulness to Him alone, giving Him first place in your life. Picture this: He gently calls your name, and you approach the Lord. Rays of splendor pour from His hands and heart, and His face shines with a love so pure it drives you to tears; His voice is like the sound of many waters running through your soul when He sings a song of rejoicing over the very day you were born, and His presence captivates you with incredible joy and peace.  He says over you even now:“I am your Father… You are my child… I have never stopped loving you, even while you were turned away. Because you have humbled yourself and repented, I will restore all that locusts have eaten, and through my blood you are made whole!” Pray with Me Dear God. RESCUE me! I am in need of your healing touch. I am amazed by You, Jesus! You are always a faithful friend. You took stones away from the hands of the angry mob. You touched lepers and healed them. You threw homecoming parties for prodigals. You granted thieves paradise and you will RESCUE, RESTORE and REVIVE my soul. You are my REFUGE and my strength. I am not alone, nor am I forgotten. In fact, You hold me ever so close. This amazing love wants to fill me with all I need, giving me an inner strength that will plant my feet on solid ground again. Thank you, sweet Master! Do you Know Jesus as your Savior?You will have many choices to make throughout your life, but none is as important as the one you will make today. You will either accept God’s love or you will reject it. To put it off is a choice also—a choice to reject God’s offer of salvation. The Bible says, “Whoever hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life” (John 5:24, NIV). I pray that you will choose the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and Lord of your life today. Will you make the right choice right now by asking Jesus to rescue and restore you? If you do, your life will never be the same! Call out to Him and share the burden of your heart—it might sound something like this: “Lord Jesus, thank You for dying on the Cross for me. I don’t deserve Your love, but I believe right now that Your blood was shed for my sins. I believe Your Word that promises me Your resurrection life. I ask You to forgive me, and to help me live for You from this day forward. Thank You for reaching out to me, and for making Your love real to me. Amen.”  — Steve Porter