Do You Need to Be Restored?

When I went to college, you couldn’t have a car on campus your first year. My second year couldn’t come soon enough. I bought a 1966 VW Bug. Can you believe the total cost was $1,275 for a brand new one? This car didn’t even have a radio. I loaded it down and went to college. I even added a rack on top to hold all the “stuff” I took to college.

As the years went on, my Bug began to show wear-and-tear. I thought about restoring it but decided it would cost too much money. Ironically, this past week I saw that a restored 1966 VW Bug sold for $12,000!

Thank goodness God doesn’t give up on battered and broken people. Psalm 85 tells us about people who were perfect for restoration and reminds us that God is able to restore. This passage refers to when the Israelites were returning to Israel after 70 years of exile. In verses 4 through 7, the Israelites were motivated to ask God for help.

Psalm 85 begins with a reference to Jacob (v. 1). It’s important to understand why the Psalmist uses the name Jacob, and not Israel. It was common knowledge that Jacob was destined to be remembered as an incurable liar and a schemer until God changed his heart and renamed him Israel.

We all at times feel battered, bruised and broken. Sometimes we feel this way because of something we have done to ourselves. We need to be reminded that God is the God of restoration and forgiveness. If we humbly come to God, we are never without hope. He welcomes all of us who turn to Him to find safety in His arms.

Prayer – Lord, help me to understand that I need restoration in my life. Amen.

Psalm 85:6 – “Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you?”

By the Rev. Tommy Herndon

Images: iStock Photos, S. Widua, Eugene Tkachenko & Markus Spiske, courtesy of Unsplash