June 24th 2025

POWER OF RESTORATION

And the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will Himself restore you & make you strong, firm & steadfast. I Peter 5:10

Restoration in human hands returns something to a former, original, unimpaired condition. God’s restoration is a journey of transformation, renewal, & healing that exceeds & perfects the original. His continual restoration in us leads into His abundance, the fullness of life with purpose, love, joy, fruitfulness, & spiritual blessings. Our contentment, satisfaction, freedom, & security are readily found in Him. Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life, & have it to the full” (John 10:10). As we trust Him, He restores us, making us strong, faithful, & unshaken. Restoration’s power is illustrated in the people’s response at the dedication of the completed wall: On that day they offered great sacrifices, rejoicing because God had given them great joy . . . The sound of rejoicing in Jerusalem could be heard far away (Nehemiah 12:43).

June 17th 2025

PROMISES IN RESTORATION

The LORD Himself goes before you & will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.
Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Deuteronomy 31:8

As Nehemiah led the people of Israel in rebuilding Jerusalem’s wall, they encountered discouragement, delay, insults & threats from enemies, fears, & sacrifices of personal comforts. The obstacles intensified in the middle of the project as the wall reached half its height (Nehemiah 4:6). Nehemiah reminded the people: “Don’t be afraid . . . Remember the Lord, who is great & awesome, & fights for (you).” It’s in the middle of things that we are most vulnerable to frustration, fatigue, & the temptation to quit. Restoration’s opposites are neglect & abandonment. Our human nature cries for comfort & convenience; the enemy of our soul taunts us with ideas of retreat & giving up. It’s at these points in the process that we strengthen our faith by the presence & promises of God. Remembering the Lord & His promises is an activity of our intellect & our faith, not our emotions. As we remember the Lord, stand upon His promises, & remain faithful, He fights our battles for us; He always wins!

June 10th 2025

THE PROCESS IN RESTORATION

Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, & its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, & we will no longer be in disgrace” . . .
They replied, “Let us start rebuilding.” So they began this good work.
Nehemiah 2:17-18
Most of the people of Israel had been taken into exile lasting 70 years. Jerusalem, the beautiful city of God, had been plundered, ravaged, reduced to rubble, and burned. From all aspects, restoration appeared hopeless. But God gave Nehemiah a desire to rebuild, followed by a plan & His promises. Restoration, whether physical, emotional, spiritual, material, or financial, is a process requiring time. This is challenging for us as we are accustomed to our culture’s instant gratification. Like Nehemiah, we must continue to focus on the reality of our vision & God’s promises to us. Living one day at a time, may we be strengthened & encouraged: Being confident of this,
that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
 Philippians 1:4

June 3rd 2025

RESTORATION
Though You have made me see troubles, many & bitter, You will restore my life again;
from the depths of the earth You will again bring me up.
You will increase my honor & comfort me once again.

Psalm 71:20-21

We are hearing much about restoration as time has brought us through this year since the devastating tornadoes of May, 2024. Some restoration is almost complete; some remains almost unchanged since the event. Our hearts long for restoration from the bitter, traumatic, destructive chaos that haunts our vision, dreams, & memories. Our God is working, although we may honestly feel He’s being a little slow for our comfort! Yes, His ways don’t match our expected time tables, but He gives comfort, strength, & grace to endure & persevere.
As we trust Him & His love for us, we will find that His restoration doesn’t just return our circumstances to the original; God’s restores more than was lost.
His end results are greater than our original conditions!

A Special THANK YOU to Suzanne Dickey
for providing us with the weekly devotions and words of inspiration.