2026-04-24
Good morning, Dear Ones,
Today’s subject is restoration, and that is at the heart of getting a fresh start with our God. Of course, it begins with the suffering and physical death of Jesus Christ on the cross [JN 3: 16]. That is the solution God gives us to the problem of human sinfulness. However, we must respond to this sacrificial propitiation with our own commitment to “put on our new creation” and allow for the new one to come [2 COR 5: 17]. Except for the one sin that isn’t forgiven, i.e. blaspheming the Holy Spirit [LK 12: 10], our loving God is eager to have us come to Him, confess our sins with openness and honesty, and ask Him for forgiveness. Needless to say, we must stop whatever the attitudes, decisions, or actions that are sinful. God welcomes us into His presence in this process. A great example of that came when King David met with the prophet, Nathan, who helped him realize the magnitude of his sins of arranging for the murder of Uriah, a solder for Israel’s battlefield and committing adultery with Uriah’s wife, Bathsheba [2 SAM 11: 1-12: 23]. Some of the most beautiful and poignant verses in Scripture are found in PS 51: 1-19, David’s prayer for forgiveness.
The extent with which God will go to bring us restoration can be seen in JOEL (JL) 2: 25-26, “I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter, My great army which I sent among you. “You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God, Who has dealt wondrously with you. And My people will never again be put to shame.” The prophet Joel is describing the Day of the Lord to come. This is the time when God will pour His Spirit on the community of believers who stand steadfast in their faith through all of the evil that goes on around them—the time that He is separating the sheep from the goats [MT 25: 32]. Remember, King David had said, in PS 51: 12, “Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.” God definitely delivers.
So, you might ask, “Why does God allow us to struggle with so much evil during our lives on earth?” This time is our time to become overcomers, to study His word and learn to live by it. Each of us must decide if we are to put sin out of our lives, or if we will be serial rejecters of God and His teaching. There are dire and most permanently serious fates that await the latter. It brings on the exact opposite of restoration—a direct path to hell (Gehenna), permanent destruction and separation from God. RO 6: 23, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Isaiah asks this question, in IS 10: 3, “What will you do on the day of punishment, in the ruin that will come from afar?” This question is a reminder that each of us will have to give account of our earthly lives in the final Judgment and that our Godatis omniscient [2 COR 5: 10; HE 4: 13]. For those who have genuinely attempt to live in a way which pleases God, they have no concerns and know the restoration that awaits them. For those who serially reject God’s teaching, they will experience total destruction in the Lake of Fire along with the evil one, the Antichrist, and the false prophet (the unholy trinity) [REV 19 & 20]. This is a place where “the fire is not quenched” [MK 9: 43-48]. MT 10: 28 advises the serially sinful to fear God, Who can destroy both body and soul in hell. “Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.” Believe this is not what our God wants for us!
PRAYER: O Lord, Your desire for us to confess our sin, repent of it, and enjoy a close, dynamic and joyful relationship with You is strong and constant. You tell us how to do this by the examples You give to us in the Scriptures and Your answers to us in prayer. The challenges to our faith that we must endure on earth are nothing in comparison to the rich, eternal fellowship and joy we will have in heaven with You for overcoming temptations to sin. You tell us to “run the race marked out for us with perseverance, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Pioneer and Perfector of our faith. For the joy set before Him He endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” [HE 12: 1-2]. We are so thankful that You love us enough to hear our prayers and give us this hope. We offer You our utmost praise and adoration for loving us the way You do, in the holy/mighty name of Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.
NEXT WEEK: The Holy Spirit has more for me to write about restoration, so that will continue to be next week’s topic. In the meanwhile, we should focus on ways we can deepen and make more active our relationship with God. We must consider Him a Resident of our homes, hearts, and the Best Friend we will ever have. Together we can help each other stand firm in our faith and be overcomers. Remember, we can have hope of doing this because our Lord tells us, in 1 JN 4: 4, “You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the One Who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” Thanksgiving and praise be to God!
Grace be with You Always,
Lynn, JS 24: 15
© Lynn Johnson 2026. All Rights Reserved.
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