When I hear the word restoration, I think of the Winans’ song with the same name. This song speaks of the restoring power of God. It goes on to describe how the prodigal son was restored by the father back to his place in the family. The word restoration elicits feelings of joy because God gave us Jesus to restore us back to our place in Him. One can feel a sense of peace knowing that a mistake isn’t permanent. After a treacherous storm, excitement and dread can be the sentiment as power’s restored to your home. No matter the circumstance, we may need restoration back to our place. Who’s ready for a restoration?
The Story: Amos 9:11-15
In Amos 9:11-15, the Prophet Amos concludes the book by releasing the words spoken to him by God regarding the restoration of the remnant of David’s family. The house would return to its former glory. Israel will possess what was left by other nations. Fruit and grain will grow faster than can be harvested. Vineyards will produce sweet crops. In addition, God will bring the people out of captivity and return them to their land with promise of never uprooting them again.
The Lesson
While these verses come with great joy, they follow on the heels of 8 1/2 chapters of coming punishment. Everyone including Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord. Instead of worshipping God, they chose to erect temples and perform sacrifices to a host of deities. All of this occurred while ignoring that He brought them out of Egypt with many signs and wonders. Therefore, they would go into exile, but this wasn’t their final destination. As a result, the remnant would return back to their place in God.
We have been like the people in the Bible where we placed everything above God. Unfortunately, we focused on our own wants and needs. We attempt to solve our own problems. Our focus strays from the God, who brought us through everything. Instead, we use other things to help us navigate life like shopping, sex, drugs, food, etc. When these crutches fail, we surrender to other maladaptive behaviors. As a result, our actions move us away from the One, who can bring us back to our place in Him.
However, this passage offers us hope. Yes, we’ve been through some challenges. Suffered some hardships and setbacks. We cried and felt abandoned. At times, we felt alone and wondered how we ended up in this place. We even questioned if there was anyone able to walk this path with us. What’s the purpose for all the suffering, abuse, and betrayal? Is it possible that God used our suffering to bring us back to our place with Him? 2 Corinthians 4:17 confirms that our afflictions have a purpose. Therefore, we learn to put God first and surrender to His Will.
