Greetings, brothers and sisters in Christ and children of God,

A man came across an old piece of furniture. It had been weathered through time, as if time itself was a storm and beating the furniture until it could barely stand on its own. Its outer shell had a dryness to it and looked as though it was older than it really was. Its beauty so long ago had gone from it and had been left and forgotten. It had been beaten to a point of almost non-existence, and to most it was no longer of use and therefore was tossed out.

The man saw life in the piece of furniture and took the furniture home, and little by little began to restore the furniture by trimming off the old layer and exposing a new layer of life underneath. With a little stain and oil, the furniture was being strengthened and looking as though it were coming back to life. With a little care, the renewed piece of wood, made originally from the earth, was now able to stand on its own, and the beauty that was inside had been exposed to the outside and strengthened. This piece of furniture was ready to be used again.

The term “restored” is an act of returning something to its original state or condition after it has been lost, damaged, or altered. The word comes from the present tense word “restore,” which means to give back or bring back into existence or use. If something is restored, it is returned to appear as it once did.

There comes a time, and often many times, in a person’s life when we are like that furniture that has been beaten by the storms in our lives. We are barely able to stand on our own, and our exterior has become dry and withered. We have become broken physically, mentally, emotionally, or even spiritually, and we need to be restored just like the furniture the man found.

Referring to Israel, God says in Jeremiah 30:17, “But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds.”  This also means you. He will restore you, and it is a promise God made. When you have accepted Christ as your Savior, you have also accepted the covenant in which this promise is extended to you. If your desire is to seek salvation or spiritual renewal, then hear the words of David in Psalm 51:12, “Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit to sustain me.” If you have suffered from the storms that have weathered you, then be reminded by the words of Peter about the God of all grace in 1 Peter 5:10, “…after you have suffered a little while, will Himself restore you and make you strong, firm, and steadfast.” 

You, my brothers and sisters, are the furniture, and our Lord is the man who has found you in your state and is calling you to Him so He can restore you. In Him, there is hope and restoration for the physically, the mentally, the emotionally, and the spiritually broken. I leave you with the words to this poem called, Come Oh Weary One. 

Come, oh weary one, come. Come and rest in me. Come and set your burdens down so that I may take them up and give you rest. Come and pour out your broken tears on my feet. Come so that I may restore you, my child. Come, oh weary one, come.

Come one, come all, so that you may be restored and used again for God.

Last week, the little lambs learned about Shadrach, Mishach, and Abednego and their bravery to stand up against those who chose not to follow God’s ways. They were faced with the trial of the fiery furnace, but they were not alone. The Spirit of God was with them, and they were kept safe. This week, we will return to the New Testament as we look once again to Jesus and the Sermon on the Mount.

I look forward to worshipping the Lord our God with you tomorrow with songs of praise and joy, and dancing before the Maker who restores us from the brokenness. If, for whatever reason, I do not see you tomorrow, then may the Lord bless you and keep you. May He shine His light upon you and grant you peace, comfort, healing, and guidance when you need it.

God bless you,

Your brother in Christ,

Michael (aka Mr. Michael)