And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.
– 1 Peter 5:10
As far back as I can remember, I have always enjoyed tinkering around with broken things. Things that have been discarded, mistreated or deemed beyond the time and effort to repair. Things that have been neglected or just forgotten about. It’s a challenge to repair, redo and refinish such things. Not only do I enjoy the challenge, the satisfaction of saving something from the trash pile is immense. I take pride in the finished product and what was once mere junk in others eyes is now a treasure to enjoy.
Really, it can be anything and in almost everything if one looks hard enough, potential abounds. An old clock, a beat up boat, a broken antique table, old lumber, even electronics that for whatever reason no longer perform like they used to.
Not only do I enjoy the challenge, I also relish the opportunity to learn something new, to do something I’ve never done before.
Along the way, there are ups and downs. Victories and all out frustration seem to alternate during the process. Opportunities thrive to quit or to see it through.
Isn’t this what God is in the business of doing also? He takes those the world has discarded, what people have thrown away and He literally breathes new life into them. God forever sees the potential and is always up for the challenge. He is willing to put in the time and effort it takes to bring restoration to the broken.
And I’m so grateful He does.
But it gets even better. You see, God never finishes. He continually seeks to make improvements, getting rid of the dirt and grime, polishing up the unique parts and in the end, we are better than we have ever been.
God doesn’t do all this to simply have something to set on a shelf and display, rather He intends every restoration to be put to use. Put to His use.
So if you are feeling worn out, dirty or thrown away by this world or just need a little fixing up, I would say you are the perfect candidate for God’s next big restoration project. All you have to do is ask.
Jason Metz, lead Pastor
