"He restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for his name’s sake."
Psalm 23:3 NRSV
He restores? Now, I’m no grammar expert, but the interwebs would designate the word "restores" as a present tense verb. So that would imply that our Heavenly Father is still restoring us. Like the restoration is a process rather than a one time fix. As a Nazarene, this is the process of sanctification. It begins when we realize that we can never be "good" on our own and we make a decision to surrender our lives, our thoughts, motives, actions, and all that we could ever be and hand it all over to Jesus. When we make that decision, God through Jesus Christ can begin His work in and through us. So, it is both an event that happens, but also a process that continues to happen as long as we remain surrendered to our Father, and as long as He gives us breath.
There are a LOT of restoration shows/channels out there on the interweb. I am a fan of the shows that restore cars and also the ones that restore/refurbish furniture. There is just something comforting to me knowing that one person may think of something as trash while others can see beyond the current condition to what the item could be. Restoration can be a messy business though. Oftentimes there is rust or damage that has to be removed and repaired as part of the process to return the item to a beautiful creation again. The life of a follower of Jesus is NOT always easy, but the outcome is beautiful. So, if the world is telling you that you are damaged, broken, useless, or worthless, let me reassure you that our Heavenly Father sees you as His beautiful creation. He doesn’t make mistakes and He made you.
If you ever need prayer, you can reply to this email or join the Prayer Requests – Prodigals private group on Facebook. You are loved and prayed for, my friends.
Photo Credit: CottonBro Studio
~PRODIGAL MIKE
Prodigal Thinker 