RESTORATION

The God of Restoration

"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. Joel 2:25-27

Jesus said that if we  had  faith the size of a mustard seed and we would say to a mountain  'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for us. Well the book of Ezekiel has a wonderful record of what happened to a valley of dry dead bones when the word of the Lord was spoken in faith as commanded by God.

The hand of the LORD came upon me and brought me out in the Spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley; and it was full of bones.  Then He caused me to pass by them all around, and behold, there were very many in the open valley; and indeed they were very dry.

And He said to me, "Son of man, can these bones live?" So I answered, "O Lord GOD, You know."  Again He said to me, "Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, 'O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD!  'Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones: "Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live. "I will put sinews on you and bring flesh upon you, cover you with skin and put breath in you; and you shall live. Then you shall know that I am the LORD." ' "

So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and suddenly a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to bone.  Indeed, as I looked, the sinews and the flesh came upon them, and the skin covered them over; but there was no breath in them.

Also He said to me, "Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live." ' "So I prophesied as He commanded me, and breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great army.

 Then He said to me, "Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They indeed say, 'Our bones are dry, our hope is lost, and we ourselves are cut off!'  "Therefore prophesy and say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "Behold, O My people, I will open your graves and cause you to come up from your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. 

"Then you shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O My people, and brought you up from your graves. "I will put My Spirit in you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I, the LORD, have spoken it and performed it," says the LORD.' " Ezekiel 37:1-14

Now these bones represented the children of Israel who were totally dead and not alive. Well when the prophet prophesied the word of the Lord the bones took flesh and sinew and the lived.  But they were still in despair saying 'Our bones are dry, our hope is lost, and we ourselves are cut off!'

So the Lord told prophet Ezekiel to prophesy again that He would open their graves and cause them to come out from their graves and bring them back to their promised land. God would  put His Spirit in them  and they would live. He would place them in their own land and then they would know that He, the LORD, has spoken it and performed it.

For reasons that only God knows negative things do happen in the lives of God’s people even with the best and faithful ones. Be they blameless and faithful men like Joseph or Jesus.  About whom God’s word states:

"And the patriarchs, becoming envious, sold Joseph into Egypt. But God was with him"and delivered him out of all his troubles, and gave him favor and wisdom in the presence of Pharaoh, king of Egypt; and he made him governor over Egypt and all his house. Acts 7:9-10

"Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know-"Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death;  "whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it. Acts 2:22-24

God is still the miracle worker and the deliverer who has not and does not change. He delivered  blameless and innocent Joseph and Jesus out of all their troubles. He gave Joseph gave him favor and wisdom in the presence of Pharaoh, king of Egypt and he made him governor over Egypt and all his house.

God  exalted Jesus and gave Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth,  and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. He also seated Jesus  at His right hand in the heavenly places,  far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him also to be head over all things to the church,

Now Job and Daniel also were blameless and innocent and due to no fault of their own ended up facing great trials. Job losing all his wealth and his sons and daughters. Daniel in the Lions den.  For God’s word says of Job:

And the LORD restored Job's losses when he prayed for his friends. Indeed the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before. Then all his brothers, all his sisters, and all those who had been his acquaintances before, came to him and ate food with him in his house; and they consoled him and comforted him for all the adversity that the LORD had brought upon him. Each one gave him a piece of silver and each a ring of gold.

Now the LORD blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning; for he had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, one thousand yoke of oxen, and one thousand female donkeys.  He also had seven sons and three daughters. And he called the name of the first Jemimah, the name of the second Keziah, and the name of the third Keren-Happuch. In all the land were found no women so beautiful as the daughters of Job; and their father gave them an inheritance among their brothers.

After this Job lived one hundred and forty years, and saw his children and grandchildren for four generations.  So Job died, old and full of days. Job 42:10-17

LORD not only gave Job twice as much as he had before but he blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning. Just like He did for Daniel about whom God’s word states:

Now the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; and no musicians were brought before him. Also his sleep went from him.  Then the king arose very early in the morning and went in haste to the den of lions.  And when he came to the den, he cried out with a lamenting voice to Daniel. The king spoke, saying to Daniel, "Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?"

Then Daniel said to the king, "O king, live forever! "My God sent His angel and shut the lions' mouths, so that they have not hurt me, because I was found innocent before Him; and also, O king, I have done no wrong before you."

Then the king was exceedingly glad for him, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no injury whatever was found on him, because he believed in his God.

And the king gave the command, and they brought those men who had accused Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions-them, their children, and their wives; and the lions overpowered them, and broke all their bones in pieces before they ever came to the bottom of the den.

Then King Darius wrote: To all peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth: Peace be multiplied to you.  I make a decree that in every dominion of my kingdom men must tremble and fear before the God of Daniel.  For He is the living God,  And steadfast forever;  His kingdom is the one which shall not be destroyed,  And His dominion shall endure to the end.  He delivers and rescues,  And He works signs and wonders  In heaven and on earth,  Who has delivered Daniel from the power of the lions. 

So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian. Daniel 6:18-28

God is the living God  and steadfast forever. His kingdom shall never be destroyed and His dominion endures for ever. He still delivers and rescues, works signs and wonders  In heaven and on earth,  So He delivered Daniel from the power of the lions and as a result  Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius and in the reign of Cyrus.

Well God is no respecter of persons and show partiality to no one. As a result His true ones can be at peace for God will avenge them and right quickly. He will replenish their  wine and oil. He will heal their land as He has promised them.  So His true children can walk in peace and assurance of God’s Presence and Power for them  and not against them. For  nothing shall be able to separate them  from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus and He will make them more than conquerors.

For the ways of life are never sure but they are steadfast in God. He holds the future in His  hand and when they  yield to Him, it becomes filled with promise and wholeness and peace. They are to look to Him who is the Alpha and Omega, and the starter and finisher of their faith. They are to  hold on to the hem of His garments  and do what is required of them and they  will get through not just somehow but gloriously and wonderfully.  As God’s word is true:

He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him will I trust." Surely He shall deliver ME from the snare of the fowler And from the perilous pestilence.  He shall cover ME with His feathers, And under His wings I shall take refuge; His truth shall be MY shield and buckler.

 I shall not be afraid of the terror by night, Nor of the arrow that flies by day,: Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday. A thousand may fall at MY side, And ten thousand at MY right hand; But it shall not come near ME. Only with MY eyes shall I look, And see the reward of the wicked. 

Because I have made the LORD, who is my refuge, Even the Most High, MY dwelling place,  No evil shall befall ME, Nor shall any plague come near MINE dwelling; For He shall give His angels charge over ME, To keep ME in all MY ways. In their hands they shall bear ME up, Lest I dash MY foot against a stone. I shall tread upon the lion and the cobra, The young lion and the serpent I shall trample underfoot.

"Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name. He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him, And show  him My salvation." Psalm 91:1-15

So God’s true ones must continue to bare up and relax in  God. He will come through form them as they keep on trusting Him. He will not let them down. He will come through though the sky might  gray and cloudy. For God plus one is a majority and He is their God and Friend!   His word is true to His true ones:

"Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses.  "From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the River Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your territory.

"No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you. "Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. Joshua 1:3-6

God’s children are not to receive nothing less from God than  His  absolute total provision --financial, spiritual, social, emotional for all their needs! For God is not poor and He  will not let them  down, as they shall not be ashamed who wait for Him .for His word is true:

"Behold, I will lift My hand in an oath to the nations,  And set up My standard for the peoples;  They shall bring your sons in their arms,  And your daughters shall be carried on their shoulders;  Kings shall be your foster fathers,  And their queens your nursing mothers;  They shall bow down to you with their faces to the earth,  And lick up the dust of your feet.  Then you will know that I am the LORD,  For they shall not be ashamed who wait for Me."  Isaiah 49:22-23