Restoration - January 14, 2009

Good Wednesday morning! We may yet get our first snow of 2009 tonight. Last night I was reminded by the Holy Spirit of God's perfect timing. I know from your e-mails that you have been reminded of this also. However, Jesus also told us to continually bring our requests to God in prayer. Sometimes God may want to see if we are serious about our requests.

I am getting a message of restoration this morning, both in Pastor Rogers' devotional and in my Bible reading. I read the story of David and Bathsheba this morning. The story of David's sin is amazing in that he plotted and stole to get something he wanted, instead of taking the request to the Lord, and then did not repent until confronted by the prophet Nathan. No modern story shows sin as terrible as David's and yet he was called by God, "a man after my own heart." Later in the story we see how David repented, but the child conceived in that union still died. The story does not end as sadly as it began. The Lord restored the love of David and Bathsheba. Later their son, Solomon, would become Israel's greatest king of the Old Testament. Another King will come that will far eclipse Solomon, but that is a story still to come. :-) We can say that Solomon was pretty awesome though. God loves to restore us! Pastor Rogers used the story of Peter's denial of Christ to illustrate restoration in this life. We too can experience that restoration by repenting of our sinful habits and falling before the cross.

David committed adultery and then plotted the murder of the woman's husband. Peter denied Jesus three times; Thomas doubted; Paul had moments of weakness; and even Jesus grieved over what he had to do. All of these men were restored! Jesus rose from the grave to prove our great hope, and later ascended to Heaven. How much easier is it for the Lord to restore us? I don't take this to mean that I will be going back to 'you know where', but that there are great things on the horizon for each of us in Christ. Let God's message of restoration stomp on those old doubts and worries!

Praise the name of our Lord Jesus!

Bucky