2026-05-01
Good morning, Dear Ones,
We all benefit from the joy of restoration of our relationships with God and others. Today, I’m directed to focus on restoration with God. It’s one of the most beautiful threads of Scripture we can enjoy. He doesn’t just restore but repairs--renews, heals, and brings people back into the future. God knew that King David had coveted the beautiful Bathsheba, the beginning of a series of sins on his part. She was married to a soldier, Uriah, but David convinced her to sleep with him. In the meanwhile, the king arranged for Uriah to be sent to the front lines where he was killed. Later, he married Bathsheba and impregnated her. God was angry and disappointed in David’s behavior, so He allowed the baby to die as a punishment. Afterward, the courageous and wise prophet, Nathan, was given a way to bring his king to the point where the latter confessed his sins without losing face. [2 SAM 11-12]
Our forgiving and loving God led King David, to write some of the most beautiful verses in the Scripture, acknowledging his sinfulness and asking for restoration. PS 51: 1-2, “Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your unfailing love; according to Your great compassion. Blot out my transgressions; wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.” PS 51: 10-12, “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from Your presence or take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and grant me a willing spirit to sustain me.” PS 51: 15, “Open my lips, Lord, and my mouth will declare Your praise.” The humility and contrition seen in these words touched God’s heart. Once David and Bathsheba were punished with the loss of their first baby, God restored them to good standing with Him. They married and went on to have other children. David’s life wasn’t easy, but he lived to be respected and to old age.
There are different kinds of restoration: God restores joy, strength, and relationships. He restores people after hardship. He gives joy after repentance and return. There is restoration through the Lord Jesus. God has a heart to rebuild and renew. Let’s look at some of these individually. Had David not repented and confessed his sin it would have nagged at his spirit the rest of his life. He would have known he was a hypocrite with every decision he made. Despite his great need for tactical decisions, his need for God’s advice, his need for God’s reconnaissance while in danger as when Saul was chasing him, his relationship with God would have never been as it was. [1 SAM 23-24]. Even when his own son, Absolom, rebelled against him, he would have never been ready to deal with Absolom’s machinations without the Holy Spirit. [2 SAM 15-19]., we must consider what that would have done to God, Who loved David as if he were “a man after My own heart” [1 SAM 13: 14; AC 13: 22].
We must consider the effects on God when mankind rebels. He feels deep sorrow, as seen in GN 3: 5-6; human wickedness grieves God and wounds the relationship. In PS 78: 40, Israel’s rebellion grieves God and causes Him pain in the wilderness. In EPH 4: 30, one can see God’s investment in His people when the Holy Spirit is grieved. God gets angry righteously at such a time. This is seen in DT 9: 7-8, PS 7: 3, and RO 2: 18. God also withdraws protection for a time, as seen in IS 59:3, HO 4: 17, and JG 2: 11-15. Our God longs for His people to return, as seen in IS 65: 2, JER 3: 12-14, and LK 19: 41-42. Ultimately, God acts to restore the relationship but that isn’t always possible. EZK 36: 22-26 is powerful, telling us about God’s desire to restore us for the sake of His name. He gives us “a heart of flesh to replace our heart of stone.”
PRAYER: O Lord, there is such a need for us to come to a relationship with You, to allow You to guide us in every aspect of our lives, and to consider how important it is to nourish and maintain our relationship with You. Just as we accept the many blessings and wise advice from You, we must also consider how You are affected by our thoughts, decisions, attitudes, and actions. For our relationship to be successful, we know that You alone will decide our eventual fate and that it matters tremendously to You what that eternal fate is. You want to connect with us by prayer. We thank and praise You for always caring and being available to us. 1 PET 5: 7 is no accident. “Cast all Your anxieties on Him because He cares for you.” You are to be praised, thanked, and honored for eternity, in Christ’s holy/mighty name, Amen.
NEXT WEEK: I find that the Holy Spirit has a lot to say about restoration. So, with your indulgence and patience, I will do my best to share it all with you. While there are quite a few citations in today’s message, do take the time to look them up. Next week, we will begin looking at various areas of our earthly lives when God expresses His views, through Scripture, about these areas of our lives. Restoration is a matter of us having a two-way relationship with God, active and dynamic, where we recognize God is the Leader Who loves us beyond measure. Keep God’s words in JER 31: 3 in mind, “I have loved you with an everlasting love, I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.” God’s love never wavers. Praise and thanksgiving be to Him.
Grace Be with You Always,
Lynn JS 24: 15
© Lynn Johnson 2026. All Rights Reserved.
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