THE GOD OF RESTORATION

WISDOM FOR LIVING DAILY DEVOTIONAL

NOVEMBER 08, 2022

TOPIC:  THE GOD OF RESTORATION

BY T. O. BANSO

“Return to the stronghold, you prisoners of hope. Even today I declare that I will restore double to you” (Zechariah 9:12 New King James Version).

One of the dictionary meanings of restoration is “the act of returning something to its correct place, condition or owner” (Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary). Restoration could be physical, spiritual, or emotional. Some people need restoration of their health, finances, marriage, etc.

These days, it appears that when some people lose certain things that are precious to them, they hardly think that restoration is possible. The next thing some people do is take their lives – commit suicide. This is condemnable. If such people have a living relationship with God, they would know that God can restore what is lost. It may or may not be that God will restore the exact thing but the person will experience restoration.

In other words, God can cause the exact thing that is lost to be brought back or He can bless the person who lost something with a new thing to replace what has been lost. He can do new things. Isaiah 43:19 says, “Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert” (New King James Version).

The God of restoration can restore the job that is lost or cause the unemployed to experience restoration by giving him a better job. Also, the God of restoration can restore to life a child that is dead or cause someone who has suffered the loss of a child to have a new child and even children. Restoration is possible. Therefore, don’t lose hope or become suicidal. Why should anyone commit suicide because someone jilted him? Why?

What can anyone lose that should warrant him/her to take the extreme action of suicide? Nothing! Restoration is possible with God. Someone who jilted another person may not be restored but he or she is not the only person on earth who can love. If someone has been abandoned by a fiancé/fiancée, God can give the person a more loving fiancé/fiancée. If someone has lost a job, he can get a better one.

Whatever you have lost or whatever reversal of fortunes you have suffered, believe God for restoration. He is the God of restoration. Restoration is what you should believe God for and not terminate your life or go take some drastic actions. God can restore all you have lost.

Job’s loss was devastating. But in the end, God restored to Him what he lost. Job 42:10-11 says, “After Job had prayed for his friends, the Lord made him prosperous again and gave him twice as much as he had before. All his brothers and sisters and everyone who had known him before came and ate with him in his house. They comforted and consoled him over all the trouble the Lord had brought upon him, and each one gave him a piece of silver and a gold ring” (New International Version).

The Bible talks more about the restoration of Job thus: “The Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the first. He had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen and a thousand donkeys. And he also had seven sons and three daughters. The first daughter he named Jemimah, the second Keziah and the third Keren-Happuch.  Nowhere in all the land were there found women as beautiful as Job’s daughters, and their father granted them an inheritance along with their brothers. After this, Job lived a hundred and forty years; he saw his children and their children to the fourth generation. And so he died, old and full of years” (Verses 12-17 New International Version).

Suppose Job had committed suicide because of the enormity of his loss. He wouldn’t have known that God would restore to him all that he had lost let alone give him twice as much as he had before. Zechariah 9:12 says, “Return to the stronghold, you prisoners of hope. Even today I declare that I will restore double to you” (New King James Version). This is what God can do and will do for you. Note in that scripture the phrase “I will restore double to you.”

See how another translation renders the phrase “you prisoners of hope” in this scripture: “Return to your fortress, you captives who have hope. Today I tell you that I will return to you double blessings” (GOD’S WORD Translation). Note the phrase “you captives who have hope.” Don’t be hopeless. Always have hope. There is no justification for taking one’s life because of any loss. God is the God of restoration. If you trust in Him, He will surprise you ultimately.

Believe Him for restoration. God is the God of restoration. Don’t lose hope. God says in Joel 2:25-27, “So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the crawling locust, the consuming locust, and the chewing locust, 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 shall never be put to shame. Then you shall know that I am in the midst of Israel: I am the LORD your God and there is no other. My people shall never be put to shame” (New King James Version).

What have the swarming, crawling, consuming, and chewing locusts eaten in your life? God is able to make you enjoy restoration whether in your family, business, or ministry. It could be your health that the ‘locusts’ have eaten. Believe God to restore your health. “‘For I will restore health to you and heal you of your wounds,’ says the LORD, ‘Because they called you an outcast saying: ‘This is Zion; No one seeks her’” (Jeremiah 30:17 New King James Version).

God is the God of restoration. He can make you experience the restoration that will appear unbelievable to you. The Amplified Bible renders Psalm 126:1 thus: “WHEN THE Lord brought back the captives [who returned] to Zion, we were like those who dream [it seemed so unreal].” Your restoration will seem so unreal! But it will be real. God will do it for you. Have faith in Him. Don’t lose hope. Hope in God.

The writer of Psalm 42 says, “Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him For the help of His countenance” (verse 5 New King James version). He says a similar thing in verse 11 and Psalm 43:5. You, too should hope in God for you shall yet praise Him. You will soon praise Him.

You could have suffered shame but don’t commit suicide. God can clothe you with honour in the same place you have been disgraced. “Instead of your shame you shall have double honor, and instead of confusion they shall rejoice in their portion. Therefore in their land they shall possess double; everlasting joy shall be theirs” (Isaiah 61:7 New King James Version).

Just surrender your life to Him and see what He will shape your life into. He is the Potter; you are the clay (Isaiah 64:8; 29:16). Nahum 2:2  says, “For the LORD will restore the excellence of Jacob Like the excellence of Israel, for the emptiers have emptied them out and ruined their vine branches” (New King James Version). Even if you have been emptied and your business, family, career, or whatever is ruined; don’t lose hope. Put your trust in the God of restoration.

God restored David to the throne after his son, Absalom, had dethroned him (2 Samuel 19). He also restored Nebuchadnezzar to the throne after seven times had passed over him (Daniel 4:34-37). And as you have read, He restored Job and gave him double what he had before. God will restore your fortunes and you will rejoice (Psalm 14:7).   

TAKE ACTION!

If you are not born again, you need to give your life to Jesus now. I urge you to take the following steps: *Admit that you are a sinner and you cannot save yourself and repent of your sins. *Confess Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. *Renounce your past way of life – your relationship with the devil and his works. *Invite Jesus into your life. *As a mark of seriousness to mature in the faith, start attending a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church. There they will teach you how to grow in the Kingdom of God.

Kindly say this prayer now: O Lord God, I come unto You today. I know I am a sinner and I cannot save myself.  I believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to save me and God raised Him on the third day. I repent of my sins and confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. I surrender my life to Jesus now and invite Him into my heart. By this prayer, I know I am saved. Thank You, Jesus, for saving me and making me a child of God.

I believe you have said this prayer from your heart. Congratulations! You will need to join a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church in your area where they will teach you how to live your new life in Christ Jesus. I pray that you flourish like a palm tree and grow like a cedar of Lebanon. May you grow into Christ in all things and become all God wants you to be. I will be glad to hear from you. The Lord be with you.

PRAYER POINTS: Father, I hope in You; restore double to me for my loss. You are the God of restoration; return to me double blessings. Instead of my shame, I shall have double honour, and instead of confusion, I shall rejoice in my portion in Jesus’ name. Father, have mercy on those whom the emptiers have emptied and ruined; cause them to experience double-fold restoration.

(For over 800 in-depth and powerful messages by T. O. Banso, visit www.cedarministry.org).

T. O. Banso is the President of Cedar Ministry International, Abuja, Nigeria.
Phone No: +2348155744752, +2348033113523
WhatsApp No: +2349081295947
Email: cedarministryintl@yahoo.com,
cedarministryng@gmail.com
Website: www.cedarministry.org