7 Devotions to Help You Discover God’s Restorative PowerSample

Restored

"After you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you." I PETER 5:10 ESV

This is a little story of how this devotional came to be. When I was at a church retreat and singing worship music, God gave me a beautiful vision. He kept telling me to go up and share this vision with the others there. I sat there nervously for a while, then decided to obey His calling. So, I raised my hand to share, stood up, and walked to the front of the room. I asked the women in the audience to close their eyes and imagine this scene with me.

“Picture yourself as a wooden dresser being made by the Lord—so beautiful, created of new wood, maybe with some artistic carvings,” I said. “But over the years, you end up getting some dings, you’re painted over a few times, and because of life’s wear and tear, you end up looking like something that’s been put along the side of the road for free.

“Now picture this: Jesus is carrying you to His workshop. As you see the light coming in from the dusty windows, He gently strips off all that paint, fills in the dings, and restores you to reveal what was hidden underneath all along . . . so you can see yourself how you are seen by the Lord, restored to your former glory.”

Friend, we all are broken, and we can all be restored, just as that dresser was, in Christ. The holes will never be perfect, but they can be filled. We all go through a lot in life, but we can be made new by our Creator. We can make a choice to continue down a road that doesn’t serve us, or we can take a new path of healing and restoration.

Today is the day when you enter the workshop. Take a look around, get used to the surroundings, and know that God is with you, always. In time, He will begin to strip off all the paint, allowing you to get real with yourself and embrace a new you—one that has been hidden inside. The journey isn’t an easy one, but let me tell you, friend, it will be worth it.