Restoration
“He (God) restores my soul!”
Psalm 23:3(NKJV)
God is in the restoration business. Restoration is the goal of redemption. The Psalmist says, “He (God) restores my soul!” Psalm 23:3 (NKJV) What sin has broken, grace restores. The process begins when we humbly admit our need for God and others. While we may be apt to admit our need for God, sometimes we are reluctant to admit our need for others in the process. Fear of embarrassment or shame often creates barriers to finding the help and support we need. Help is available. That’s why God created us to live in a community of faith called the church, the family of God. Jesus sent out His disciples in pairs. He promised to be in our midst when two or three are gathered in His name. In Ephesians, the Bible spells out the significance of doing life in community with other Christ followers and the value of the local church when it says, “Now you are no longer strangers to God and foreigners to heaven, but you are members of God's very own family, citizens of God's country, and you belong in God's household with every other Christian. What a foundation you stand on now: the apostles and the prophets; and the cornerstone of the building is Jesus Christ Himself! We who believe are carefully joined together with Christ as parts of a beautiful, constantly growing temple for God. And you also are joined with Him and with each other by the Spirit and are part of this dwelling place of God.” Ephesians 2:19-22 (LB)
Did you get that? “… you are joined with Him and with each other by the Spirit….” That kind of connection offers you encouragement, strength, hope, and restoration. How does it work? We can get some idea from the miracle Jesus did in Bethany when He raised Lazarus from the dead. Notice something that is often overlooked about that miracle. Dr. Luke writes the story in Luke 11 and says in verse 44, “And the dead man came out, his hands and feet bound in graveclothes, his face wrapped in a headcloth.” Imagine the sight and the smell? He had been dead and wrapped in those graveclothes for four days! I’m not quite sure how he even managed to get out of the tomb! He was alive, yet he was wrapped in a dead man’s graveclothes. Those graveclothes were strips of fabric wound around his limbs and filled with burial spices. One commentator said, “Jewish burials likewise tied the jaw closed and covered the face with a linen cloth.” Can you imagine?
The interesting part to me is what happened next. After Lazarus came out of the tomb, it was to those standing beside him that Jesus said, “Take off the graveclothes and let him go” John 11:44c (NIV). Wrapped from head to foot, Lazarus couldn’t take them off without some help. Imagine being alive but still bound by old graveclothes. Imagine how thankful he must have been to be free of them. When we come alive in Christ from being spiritually dead, there are graveclothes that need to be removed. Those graveclothes may be old hurts, habits, and hang-ups, and God uses those around us in our community of faith to help us get rid of them. Then, we are able to help others in the same way. It’s why I love the local church and the personal connections a Life Group fosters where we can experience restoration!
Are you a member of God’s very own family called the church, a local church where you belong? Have you moved beyond the pew to experience the transformational power of doing life with a small group of other Christ followers on the same journey? We are better together. The Bible says, “Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble.” Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 (NLT) Don’t try to live the Christian life solo! Connect with a Life Group. Check out how at wc.org/lifegroups. We’re launching hundreds of new Life Groups with a new 6-week series called Staying with God – Thinking Like a Chrisitan in a Weird World. Maybe there are some old graveclothes you need help removing as well.
Another important part of your daily devotional is spending time with God in prayer. The Woodlands Church Prayer Board lists prayer requests submitted by our members and provides a way to send them some encouragement by using a button on the page to let them know that you prayed for them. Whether you use the Prayer Board, or pray from your heart, the goal is to build the habit of incorporating prayer into your quiet time.
Need prayer yourself? Let us know by submitting a prayer request on the Woodlands Church Prayer Board.