Restored & Redirected
The process of restoration begins with being honest and humbling yourself before God. As you do, God will redirect your focus and help you find your place in the kingdom.
“Now the Philistines fought against Israel; the Israelites fled before them, and many fell dead on Mount Gilboa. The Philistines were in hot pursuit of Saul and his sons, and they killed his sons Jonathan, Abinadab and Malki-Shua. The fighting grew fierce around Saul, and when the archers overtook him, they wounded him. When all the Israelites in the valley saw that the army had fled and that Saul and his sons had died, they abandoned their towns and fled. And the Philistines came and occupied them. Saul died because he was unfaithful to the Lord; he did not keep the word of the Lord and even consulted a medium for guidance, and did not inquire of the Lord.” 1 Chronicles 10:1-14
Saul was the first king of Israel. He had built a large kingdom and a reputation for success. But all of it collapsed when God stopped fighting his battles. His enemies overtook him, and he was killed. The people fled when their king was killed, and they forfeited the land that God had given them.
The text says that this all happened because they were unfaithful. Saul stopped talking to God and started listening to outside influences. Did losing everything mean that God no longer loved them? How do you think they interpreted suffering such great loss? How do we interpret loss? Does loss mean God no longer loves us?
“Great is the Lord, and most worthy of praise, in the city of our God…When the kings joined forces, when they advanced together…they fled in terror. Within your temple, O God, we meditate on your unfailing love. Like your name, O God, your praise reaches to the ends of the earth; your right hand is filled with righteousness. Walk about Zion, go around her, count her towers, consider well her ramparts, view her citadels, that you may tell of them to the next generation. For this God is our God for ever and ever; he will be our guide even to the end.”
Psalms 48:1-14
We tend to praise God when things go our way, but will we still declare that God is good when hard times come? David sang of God’s unfailing love. Consider for a moment what that means. To say that God’s love never fails is to declare that He is always working for our good despite how hard things might be for us.
This is a radical concept. Do you believe this to be true? Is God still good in the hills and the valleys? When the world around us crumbles, is God’s love still unfailing and accomplishing His will? David said that He is God forever and our guide to the end.
Ask yourself where you have limited God. Ask yourself where you have limited your belief in His power or His love. Is there anywhere in your life where you have allowed doubt to creep in or fear to affect your trust in the faithfulness of God?
“Ship your grain across the sea; after many days you may receive a return. Invest in seven ventures, yes, in eight; you do not know what disaster may come upon the land. Whoever watches the wind will not plant; whoever looks at the clouds will not reap. As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things. Sow your seed in the morning, and at evening let your hands not be idle, for you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or whether both will do equally well. However many years anyone may live, let them enjoy them all. But let them remember the days of darkness, for there will be many. So then, banish anxiety from your heart and cast off the troubles of your body” Ecclesiastes 11:1-10
Paul wrote in the book of Hebrews that it is by faith that we please God. By faith, we ship our grain upon water and invest in ventures without knowing what will succeed. Solomon said you do not understand the work of God, and your perspective is limited, so you must learn to trust even when you do not see. He calls us to live by faith.
Consider your life for a moment. Where do you need God to show up in order for what you do to be successful? Where in your life is your faith in God demonstrated? What are you doing that will utterly fail without divine assistance or intervention?
Our world does not like to live by faith. We like calculated returns and controlled outcomes. We want to have the whole journey mapped out and know that our comfort will not be disrupted at any point. There is nothing wrong with good preparation, but how pure is your heart? Are you able to sow seeds in the morning not knowing what will succeed? Are you willing to serve or give without knowing how everything will work out? Where is God calling you to take a step of faith today?
“I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness. I will build you up again, Again you will plant vineyards on the hills of Samaria; the farmers will plant them and enjoy their fruit. For the Lord will deliver Jacob and redeem them from the hand of those stronger than they. I will turn their mourning into gladness; I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow. “I have surely heard Ephraim’s moaning…Is not Ephraim my dear son, the child in whom I delight?…my heart yearns for him; I have great compassion for him,” declares the Lord…How long will you wander, unfaithful Daughter Israel? The Lord will create a new thing on earth…Just as I watched over them to uproot and tear down…so I will watch over them to build and to plant…the days are coming…when I will make a new covenant with the people…I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people…from the least of them to the greatest,” declares the Lord. “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” Jeremiah 31:3-34
When you quiet the noise of the world around you and listen to the voice of truth, you can hear the heart of God. The voice of truth says God’s love is everlasting and His kindness unfailing. He is a God of compassion and commitment. He delights in His sons and daughters and desires that each would turn back to Him so their relationship could be restored.
The hard part is our perspective. This is our first time going through life. When things are going our way, we are happy, and when they are not, we struggle. God wants to teach us to lift our eyes and see that He makes all things new. He has a plan, and it is always for our good. Do you believe this? Will you trust God and live by faith even when you do not see things go the way you want?
Often He allows us to experience the full pain of the consequences of our choices so we will turn back to Him. God does not enjoy watching us suffer. He continually loves us when we are faithful and when we fail. He pursues us and patiently waits to embrace us when we turn.
Not only is He right there for us when we recognize we have traveled the wrong road, but He remembers our sin no more. God is so different from us. We tend to hold on to grudges and remember every offense. God freely forgives and makes us white as snow because of the blood of Christ.
He sets us free so that we might grab hold of the new life He offers. We could learn a lot about how to love others by the way He loves us. Is there anyone in your life that you need to forgive? Is there any sin from your past or that another person has committed that you need to forget?
“I’m going out to fish,” Simon Peter told them, and they said, “We’ll go with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. He called out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?” “No,” they answered. He said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish…It is the Lord!” Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.” Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.” The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my sheep…Then he said to him, “Follow me!” When Peter saw him, he asked, “Lord, what about him?” Jesus answered, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.” John 21:2-25
Just like the Israelites who fled after Saul had died, Simon Peter had given up hope. He was going back to his old life of fishing, only to have one more failure by catching nothing all night. Without knowing the rest of the story, can you imagine how he felt in that moment? He had betrayed Jesus, the person he thought was the Messiah had been killed, and he couldn’t catch a lousy fish.
We would do well to slow down when we read Scripture because within it are the keys to the kingdom of God. New life, new hope, and new power are available to us in the midst of the times when we are at the end of our rope, feeling like we have lost all hope. It is in the middle of those moments that the light of Christ shines brightest.
When we talk about God’s unfailing love, it is most surprising when we do not expect it. Peter thought the book was closed on the idea of being part of something special. It was back to smelly fish and salty language. But God was not done with him then, and He is not done with us now. The song Amazing Grace has had such a lasting impact because it is the love of Jesus that transforms our hearts and ushers us into the new covenant. It is the unconditional, everlasting, unfailing love and grace of God that still delights in sons and daughters when they have fallen short that inspires awe and feeds the deepest longings of our souls.
Jesus does the miraculous and fills their nets with 153 fish. Jesus feeds their bodies and knows how to satisfy their hunger. We are all happier after a good meal. Then Jesus takes things further. Jesus always takes us deeper and guides us to the end, like David said in the psalm today. After restoring Peter, He gives him new purpose. He redirects his focus. He challenges him to let go of comparison and calls him to believe again. The process of helping Peter find healing is found in teaching him that, by faith, he can find meaning by loving and serving others.
This is what restoration looks like. Jesus does not simply forgive Peter and send him on his way. Jesus does not look at Peter and see someone broken. He sees a rock on which to build the church. He does not remember his sin or hold an offense against him until He sees that he is sorry enough, like we often do. Instead, Jesus restores the relationship, redirects his focus, and renews his hope that the best is yet to come.
You may be having a Saul moment where you see something you built fall apart. You may feel like the people who fled and are reeling from loss. Maybe you are like Peter, ready to quit life and sitting in a boat wondering what comes next. No matter where you are, God is not done with you. He is the God who turns mourning to dancing and turns nets that are empty to overflowing.
So take a step of faith, cast your bread on the waters, invest in a new venture, serve someone in need, sow your seed in the morning, and see who you could feed today. Do this after you have taken the time to hear God’s voice remind you that no matter what you have done, He delights in you as His child.