RESTORING LOST THINGS…

January is named after Janus, a god in Roman mythology.  He had two faces: one looking back and the other looking ahead. Like Janus we are likely looking both directions right now.  2009 is behind us and have opened the door on 2010.  At times it is good for us to look back; at other times it is a positive hindrance. The memory of past failures can be like an anchor trapped in the debris of past disappointments, stalling us as we try to sail in a new direction. 

As we are crossing the threshold of 2010, we may already be feeling the tug of the past and have given up any expectation of much good in the months ahead. Yet the Bible is full of promises of hope and records of divine restoration.

King David, for example, felt a dullness in his soul and longed to return  to the enjoyment of his relationship with the Lord. With optimism, he wrote: “The Lord is my Shepherd…He restoreth my soul” (Psalm 23:1, 3).  No matter how distant from God we have been in the past, all barriers can be broken down and nearness to the Lord restored.

Following in its wake will be restored joy.  David prayed that god would restore to him the joy of salvation (Psalm 51:12). And there is a power in joy. The Old Testament records that while a young man was chopping wood, the axe head flew off the handle and fell into water.  The prophet Elisha helped him retrieve it and he was empowered to continue the work he was doing before.  Sometimes we lose ability to do what we had previously done. But God is able to restore us to a former strength. 

Furthermore, the Lord is able to restore wasted time.  If we have remorse over wasted days and years, we can lean on the promise the Lord made to the nation of Israel, “I will restore unto you the years that the locusts have eaten” (Joel 2:25).

This year can offer us fresh opportunities to serve God. There is no value in wasting more time grieving over the past. God is the God of restoration and this year could be our best year yet.

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