The Restoring God

God’s Spirit is leading us to meditate on and speak from certain portions of the Word. To speak to you, let us first read from the Gospel of Mark chapter 7 verse 37: “They were extremely astonished and said, ‘He has done everything well. He even makes deaf people hear and people unable to speak.’” Heavenly Father, as we spend a little time in Your presence, may the Spirit of God speak to us from the Word of God. -The Restoring God – We commit our children into Your presence. May the great grace of God rest upon everyone. Especially we pray for Your servant and commit him into Your hands. As we stand with Your Word, give us the great power of Your Holy Spirit and the strength of the Spirit of God. Bless Your children. Let Your name be glorified. In the name of Jesus Christ. In the verse we read here, it says, “He has done everything well.” The things were not good at all. They were broken things. Things that could not hear. Things that could not speak. Things that looked like there was no possibility of becoming right again. But our God is able to make even those things completely well. The Restoring God Now let us read Job chapter 42 verses 1 and 2: “You can do anything, and no plan of Yours can be thwarted.” God asked Job many questions, but Job was unable to answer even one of them. Finally, he gave one answer for all the questions together: “I know one thing, O God — that You can do all things, and none of Your purposes are impossible.” Job went through great suffering, many troubles, and many losses. Yet in the middle of losing health, wealth, and everything else, there was one thing he did not lose — his devotion to God. His wife told him, “Why are you still holding on to your devotion? Curse God and die.” But Job said, “Even if He kills me, I will wait for Him.” Leaving God was never an option for him. Everything else can be regained, but he held tightly to his devotion because devotion has power. The Bible speaks of people who have a form of godliness but deny its power. There are people who go to church with only an appearance of devotion, but true devotion carries strength. A godly person has power. One of the questions God asked Job was, “Who provides food for the raven’s young when they cry out in hunger?” If God cares for the hunger of ravens — creatures that are not born again, not baptized, not anointed — how much more does He know your need? How many believe that? But the power of devotion is necessary. The Restoring God There is a need to stand for God, to serve Him, and to remain faithful. People may hear terrible reports from doctors saying, “There are only a few months left,” but the question remains: can God still do it? Up to what level can He still work? In the Gospel of Luke we see a funeral procession where a young man had died and was being carried for burial. Jesus saw the mother weeping and said, “Do not cry.” When Jesus says, “Do not cry,” no matter how impossible the situation looks, it means God is about to handle it beautifully. If the voice of the Lord sounds over your problem, if God’s presence is revealed, if His counsel comes into your life, then the matter is not going to end in destruction. God is about to perform miracles. Jesus touched the coffin, spoke, and the son who was being carried dead returned home alive with his mother. He does everything well. We are serving a living God, not a dead or defeated God. He is able to rewrite laws, remove laws, and establish laws. Some people think everything is finished once the coffin is closed and the grave is covered, but we serve a God who can send home alive the one who was considered finished. There are many people today who appear happy outwardly, but inside they have no joy, no peace, and no life. Yet the Spirit of God says He is about to send strength, revival, and the touch of the Holy Spirit into families. He is about to make things well again. Spiritual life is necessary. A personal relationship with God is necessary. Confidence in the Lord is necessary.

In Mark chapter 5 there was a demon-possessed man living among tombs. He was deeply bound, tormented, injuring himself with stones, filled with thousands of demons, and completely rejected by society. Nobody wanted him, nobody cared for him, and nobody even wanted to see him. Yet Jesus came searching for him. When the demons were cast out, they entered two thousand pigs which ran into the sea and drowned. Then the question arises: with so many demons inside him, why had the man himself not died? Why had he not destroyed himself? It was not because of his own strength or wisdom. It was because God’s mercy preserved him. If you and I are alive today, it is because of God’s mercy. The keys of death and hell are in Jesus’ hands. We are living with the life God gave us, breathing with the breath He gave us, and standing in His house because of His grace. God had a purpose even for that broken man. I can testify from my own life. I struggled greatly in my studies and worked in a bakery during a very broken season of life. I suddenly developed terrible headaches and became overwhelmed with fear after someone angrily told me I had a brain tumor and would die. Fear consumed me. I lost peace, sleep, appetite, and strength to work. I even heard voices pushing me toward suicide. Then one day I heard about a prayer meeting at a Catholic center called Jeevajyothi in Muvattupuzha. I somehow gathered money and went there. One night while praying, it felt as if someone spoke to me: “Are you trying to destroy your life? Give it to Me.” Crying out, I surrendered my life to God, and that night I realized Someone was there for me. Nearly forty years have passed since that experience. I have preached the Gospel in many nations and states because God’s grace was revealed to a broken man. God can restore even the most destroyed life. How long does God need to turn a future into a miracle? If God decides to restore something, no matter how broken or failed it may be, He can make it right. We also know the story of the Samaritan woman. She had gone through repeated brokenness and failed relationships, yet Jesus waited for her at the well. He spoke to her personally, knowing all her failures. Society may reject broken people and refuse even to remember them, but God dealt with her in love and mercy. That woman ran into the town calling everyone to come and see Jesus. The hand of Jesus is powerful enough to save even the most broken person. Even if you think you are no longer useful, God can still make you useful. If sin has broken you, His hand can save you. If sickness has broken you, His hand can heal you. Let everyone pray and seek the Lord, because He is about to make everything well. Your family can become well. Your work can become well. Your home can become well. His hand is not too short to save. He can forgive, restore, heal, and change your brokenness. Hallelujah. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.