Restoration

 Joel 2:25 reads, "I will restore back to you the years the locusts have taken.

Just as in the book of Job, God does allow calamity. However, in the book of Joel he also promises restoration. He will do anything to get our attention so that we recognize our sin and come to repentance. That's why Psalm 118:24 says, "This is the day that the Lord has made; rejoice and be glad in it!" No matter where God has you, He is in it with you. He waits for us to release our grip on sin so that he can save us and give us good things.

Are you in a desert land? God wants to speak to you there. Give him your attention and he will draw near to you (James 4:8) He has plans for you, plans to prosper you; not harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on him and come and pray to him, and he will listen to you. He will be found by you and bring you back from captivity." (Jeremiah 29:11-14).

Where do you find yourself today? Battling a promiscuous past and struggling with feelings of worthlessness, shame and guilt? Have you landed yourself in jail or prison? Is your marriage in shambles? Do you have a loved one or child that is out of control or on drugs? Are you weary from abuse? Are you battling an addiction? Has your bank account run dry? Are you living on the desolate side of life? Does depression come over you like a dark cloud. Do you fret and worry and now you are physically sick from it? Has anger consumed you to the point that it now controls you? Has unforgiveness become like vomit in your belly and you have no freedom in your mind or life because of it?

God wants to deliver you from it all. He wants to wash you clean. (See Ezekiel 16:1-14), vs 9-10, "Then I bathed you and washed you, I rubbed fragrant oils into your skin and clothed you beautifully..." God loves you and wants you to be his child. (read Romans 8:14-17) He will restore back to you the years the locust have taken. (Joel 2:25) He will give you a new heart and a new mind. (Ezekiel 36:26).

Blessed Redeemer, Transform me, make my sharp edges smooth. Turn my confusion into soundness and my sadness into joy. Wash me, dress me and crown me as your own. Fill me with your Spirit and never let me look upon false gods. Keep me from temptation and deliver me from evil. Renew my mind to see my worth in you. Set me on the rock which is you, who raises me above falsehoods. Let my heart rejoice in what you have done and be in wonderment for what you are going to do. Above all, send me to the lost, the hurting, the needy so they can see you through me. Thank you for restoration! Amen

Read Psalm 51

Crown of Hope

Psalm 8:4, “What are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them? Yet, you made them only a little lower than God and crowned them with glory and honor.”

We are the crown of his creation, even the angels live in wonder of why God loves us so much. Yet, each day we leave our crown behind because balancing it on our head just makes our errands, chores, duties... more cumbersome. We can get much more done without having to balance that signal of our position, that sign of who we represent, on our frantic head. 

When we run on our own steam there is a posture of self sufficiency that emanates from us. Our speech projects a spirit of self accomplishment and self strength. God however, wants others to see Him in us. His poise, grace, humility, love, trust, patience, mercy... When others see us serving him by taking time to notice them - it’s then that he receives all the glory. That is what it is all about, His plan not our list. 

Taking the time each morning to place that royal crown upon our head is an act of surrender and worship. We are saying to God that we want his plan and purpose for the day. We want people to see him in us. We want him to receive the glory for his kindness through us not empty accolades for how much we can wear ourselves out or how well we handle pressure. Wearing the crown each day ensures we are focused on Him. Balancing it, straightening it, protecting it as we go through our day with the posture of being the Kings child. 

We serve a King who serves his people. He is majestic yet humble, wise yet understanding, kind yet protecting, loving yet sovereign. That crown that we find too weighty and inconvenient to place on our heads each day is actually the thing that keeps us upright, prioritized, walking with a posture that glorifies the King. It keeps our body balanced, strengthens us and is a constant reminder that we may be royal but we have been saved. Saved by grace and the purpose of that crown is to walk in grace each day glorifying the grace giver- Jesus Christ. 

Our crown says to everyone that sees us that we are in a position to bring to them any resource that may be needed. Our Father provides all and through our prayers with them they will have been placed in the presence of the Great-giver. Our crown brings comfort, reassurance and peace where there is none. It is a beacon of hope where all Hope seems to have been lost. Our crown is a symbol of provision that the King sees their need and HE WILL ensure provisions. Our crown is a statuesque beacon that love is there. It has not been defeated, crushed or destroyed but it is erect and shining with a blinding light into the hearts of his people who are feeling fearful and the hearts of the lost. Our crown says to the world that God has not left you or forsaken you because LOOK, here are his sons and daughters and you can be assured that he would never leave them behind. They are a Royal Army that has been given orders to help, relieve, heal, feed, comfort... It tells the wounded and needy that they are not alone. 

This world is going to get crazier in hyper-speed but just as worldly things do fall apart, our Father does not. He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. He is a rock on which you can stand as the storm rages around you. Give your heart to him today. Ask him to come and reside within you and become Lord of your life. Confess and repent of your sins and watch him make you white as snow. The world needs hope, faith and charity right now more than ever, so take up your crown and go be a soldier in his Royal Army.