Restoration

I was having an early morning discussion with my husband about this verse: “I have seen his ways, but I will heal him; I will guide him and restore comfort to him. “ (Is. 57:18)

My husband asked, “What were his ways? What sin had he committed?

What if it wasn’t necessarily a sin but that God would guide him and heal him of his wounds? On second thought, what if it was striving or unbelief? That was the sin that kept Israel from entering their promised land. What if he had seen God move for others but didn’t believe He could move for him? Hebrews 4 says that physical rest in Canaan demanded faith in God’s promise. Heb. 4:10 challenges us to make every effort to enter God’s rest and not fall away. (in unbelief?)

A friend told me of a conference online this last week. Chuck Pierce was the speaker. Several things grabbed my attention that seemed to parallel this discussion: “Look back over the last 3-5 years of your life and even the last 70 years of your bloodline. Have you been striving? This is the year old cycles will be broken, things restored that the enemy has stolen. He will have to flee as you stand in a new confidence and peace. God has developed you through hard times. People will demonstrate their faith this year! You are at a divine intersection; the windows of heaven are opening up and you will be revived and awakened. You will enter His rest which will be like a settling, a stability. You will enter the fullness of what God is doing in your life and operate in the gifts He has made you to operate in. You will testify how God has overcome on your behalf!

Do you receive that?!!

Let me pray for you:

Lord,

Heal our wounds, guide us, restore us in 2016. Change our ways if they are not Your ways. Help us to stand on your promises and testify of your faithfulness. Thank you for training us in hardship so that we have strength to rise up and overcome the enemy, who has kept us from all you have for us. We now see why we have not had an ordinary life. It was in order to use us in extra-ordinary ways! Help us to enter into Your rest. You have promised to give us every place we set our foot and nothing can stand up against us. Thank you for the victory and a fruitful life in You.

In Jesus name, Amen