November 24
Restored
"For I will restore you to health and I will heal you of your wounds,’ declares the LORD, ‘because they have called you an outcast, saying: ‘It is Zion; no one cares for her."'
God had wounded. He had stripped away all the blessings because, His beloved children had sinned against Him, refusing to repent. They had strayed far from the Holy life that they had once lived and fellowship with God was now a distant memory. Others saw their fall and mocked them, even rejoicing in their sufferings. It was as though no one cared for them any longer; had God forgotten His children? Would He ever forgive and heal them? Would He allow their enemies to triumph over them in pride, labeling them as outcasts, unloved, forsaken by the living God? How long would God allow their mockers to revel in their misery? It’s difficult enough to have God’s hand removed from you, but to add to the pain they were subject to the afflictions of their peers who took great joy in their sufferings. How devastating it is to hear the words "outcast". If you listen to something long enough, your heart will begin to embrace it as truth. This is what happened to Israel. They believed the words of their enemy and forgot God’s Words. In essence, they exchanged the truth of God’s Word for a lie.
When we are low, the enemy will take every advantage to strike while we are down. He wants to keep us in this lowly state, this place where we feel even God has abandoned us. If he can rob us of our faith, then he can deprive us of hope; with faith comes hope. God’s people had blown it and they felt as though they would and could never be restored to God again. They did not think God could love them anymore. This is one of the greatest tactics of the enemy today, just as it was thousands of years ago; he wants you to be without hope, without God. Too often, when we sin against God, when we just outright blow it, we abandon ourselves to the idea that all is lost; that life can never be right again. We succumb to our failures and the afflictions that others have administered to us and before long we believe our wounds are too deep for healing.
Whether our wounds are self inflicted or from the hands of others, this could not be further from the truth. Listen to God’s word written to a hopeless a broken people: "I will restore you to health, and I will heal you of your wounds". God’s love for us is never based on performance; it’s never about us and what we do or do not do and it is absolutely never based on others opinions of us! Praise God! God can heal and restore any life no matter how low it has sunk. No matter the darkness, He will bring you out into the light for He is mighty to save and mighty to restore! Do you need healing, restoration, forgiveness, hope? Are you battling the words of those around you, the words of the enemy telling you that you are an outcast, that there is no hope for you in God? Then face him down in faith, precious one, you are God’s child and you will never be an outcast! He never forsakes His children, even when they forsake Him. If you are downtrodden, if you’ve just absolutely blown it, made a mess with your life, then run to Him; run home to your Heavenly Father. Cast yourself there, failures, pain and all and He will pick you up, wipe away your tears and start over again; making your life into something more beautiful than you and I could ever imagine. Rejection is for a moment but His favor, precious one, is for a lifetime.
I Am Beautiful In Your Hands
Pearls of Grace is a book of devotions for the entire year, including a read through the Bible in a year calendar, broken down for every day. Beautifully written with encouraging words of hope and empowering words of joy and strength for every woman. Pam draws from the truth and richness of God's Word and gives real life examples in her down to earth style. A must have in your library, click here for more information.
For more from Pam Jenkins and Jabbok Ministries, please visit www.jabbokministries.com!
Listen to Pam Jenkins's daily broadcast on OnePlace.com.
