As the new year hits, I wonder how many of us take time to reflect on the previous year and what we expect from this new year. I am not talking about new year resolutions so much as I am what do we expect from the Lord in the coming year. If you have listened to our podcasts or read previous posts, I have stated the Lord has worked on specific things for me over the past few years.

Last year was all about surrendering. He graciously showed me what true surrender looked like throughout the year. Some of it was realizing I wasn’t in control in situations where it seemed I was. Some of the surrendering looked like learning true worship wasn’t about me or how I felt, but laying all things aside just for a glimpse of his presence. Some of it was acknowledging that he is good, good Father who has plans I may never fully understand but at the end of the day, they are good plans.

As I started to reflect on all that has happened, I asked myself what am I expecting God for in this year? Restoration kept coming to mind. What do you think of when you hear restoration? For me, I immediately thought of restoring relationships. I continued to lean into this with the Lord and he has laid on my heart so much more than just restoring relationships. You see, our God is the ultimate restorer. He makes all things new. He isn’t going to just restore things to what they were but renew us in heart, mind, body, and spirit.

When we become saved and put our faith in Jesus the Bible tells us this through many scriptures. In 2 Corinthians 5:17 it says “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”

The Hebrew word for renew is chadash, meaning to repair, to make new, or restore.

 In Hebrew the word restoration in translated from arukah meaning healing, restoration, or health. Another Hebrew word, shub, is translated to return, turn back, restore, or repent.

You see the Lord doesn’t want to just give us back what we had before. His restoration is so much more than that. It’s a renewal and in being renewed we are also being healed.

Jeremiah 30:17 says, “I will restore your health and heal your wounds, declares the LORD.”

So, if renewing means restoration & healing through repair, than restoration isn’t so much about going back but doing a new thing and continuing to make us new in Christ.

I have dabbled in restoring old furniture and sometimes I have restored it back to it’s originally intended state, like this trunk I use as a coffee table in our living room. We sanded it to get the gunk off, We took the hardware off and polished it. We oiled the wood to bring back moisture. I doubt this trunk’s intended use when it was made was to hold diapers and wipes but alas, we are doing a new things with it.

Do you struggle with change? Like if someone has to move, do you feel abandoned? Or what if you go to a new church and no one talks to your family? What if with your diagnosed kiddo, you can’t find a school that will allow their attendance? What about if a therapist you’ve had working with your kiddo leaves abruptly?

Do these things make you start to question yourself or your kiddo? Do you start asking God “Why would you take this?” or “Why would you do this”?

I encourage you to think back to a time where you were disappointed for whatever reason. What self-talk did you go through? What did you ask the Lord when it happened? You got it? Ok, now I want you think to the days, weeks, months etc after. What did the Lord do in that time following?

Now whatever the disappointment was, though you were still sad/mad, what came after? Did God use that time to bring in something new and good? You see the Bible tells us he uses all things for good. So what if when we go through a disappointing time, we stop the negative self- talk and we start thanking God for the new thing he is doing. Thank you Lord that you are preparing me for a new season. Thank you for the people you will use that I do not yet know. Thank you for the blessings you are bestowing upon me and upon those who the source of disappointment came from. Thank you that your divine plans are orchestrated for my good and the good of my family and loved ones. Thank you for leading me into this season. Thank you for restoration and renewal Lord.

1 Peter 5:10 – “And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.”