Amid chaos and times of loss, it’s often hard to believe that God will restore everything you lost. The suffering of these present times can make you wonder, will I ever find another job? Can my body be healed? Will I have love again?  Though loss is inevitable, and the uncertainty of recovery is painful, God has a plan of restoration for your life. You may not see it now, but you will get it back again.

 

What is Restoration?

Restoration is defined as the restitution of something lost or taken away. It is the reestablishment into a former position or the replacement to a better position than the former.

 

Though it is a covenant God promises to fulfill, I saw no hope for restoration when I was undergoing my own test with loss. From 2011 to 2018, I lost a lot in my life.  I lost my home, my marriage, thousands of dollars in an acrimonious custody battle, and nearly everything that had any value to me. For seven years, my life was drought-stressed for everything I once had.

The duration of that time-period bears great biblical significance as 7 is the number of spiritual perfection.  God created the world in six days, calling His work good on the seventh day. To most biblical scholars, the number 7 signifies the completion of the works of God. It is also correlated with restoration and the fulfillment of His promises. In Deuteronomy 15:9, 7 or the seventh year is the year of release.

After enduring seven years of deficit in my own life, God began to restore everything that I lost. It reminds me of the Shunammite woman from 2 Kings 8 whose son the prophet Elisha brought back to life. This woman, who’s never named in scripture, had to leave her home at the instruction of Elisha the prophet, as God was sending a 7-year famine to the land.

She had to walk away from what was hers and go reside in an unknown place. When God sends you through a famine, it is almost always to a place of reduction, unfamiliarity, and uncertainty. However, it is in the famine that God does His best work in you to bring forth spiritual maturation and perfection. The good news is, your famine has a date of termination.

After the 7 years of famine were over, the Shunamite woman returned home to petition the king to restore her house and land. At the time she went to make her plea, Elisha’s servant was discussing all the miracles Elisha had done for her with the king.

It was no coincidence that she showed up at the exact time they were talking about her. She was right on time for her date of restoration. Just as God schedules famine, He also has an appointed time for returning everything you lost.

After hearing her case, without hesitation, the king granted her petition and ordered his official to, restore all that was hers, and all the proceeds of the field from the day that she left the land until now (2 Kings 8:6, NKJV).  Not only did the king restore what was hers, he also gave her everything that would’ve been hers if she never lost it in the first place. You see, nothing you lost or had to give up will be forgotten in the King’s eyes. Whatever God takes away, He multiplies and gives it back with interest. That’s a shouting moment right there!

Anytime you have to give up houses, spouses, jobs, income, or whatever it may be, God promises in Matthew 19:29 to give you back a hundredfold for your loss. Sometimes we have to endure the sting of decrease before we can rejoice in the blessing of increase.

Just like the Shunamite woman, God restored me above and beyond where I used to be. Everything I got back was so much better than anything I lost or had to walk away from. He made up to me what was lost with a double portion of all that was forfeited (Isaiah 61:7, AMP). He restored the income I lost fighting custody battles, gave me a brand-new home, and made me better than I ever was.

God will never end a chapter of your life without a positive resolve. If things are not right and well, keep going because the best is yet to come. He always keeps His promises and God, your God, will restore everything you lost (Deuteronomy 30:3, MSG).

The Lord says, I will give you back what you lost to the swarming locusts, the hopping locusts, the stripping locusts, and the cutting locusts (Joel 2:25, NLT).  If He did it for me, He’ll do it for you. Will you trust His word when you can’t see His way?

Look at the story of Job and how he journeyed through loss. He suffered much, but in the end, all was well. Job 42:12 tells us that his latter days were more blessed than his beginning.  I love the way Job 8:7 in the Good News Translation says it, all the wealth you lost will be nothing compared with what God will give you then. 

God knows everything you lost or had to give up for His namesake. He has not forgotten you. God will restore everything you lost and repay you accordingly at the appointed time. All you have to do is survive the famine and trust the King to restore and re-establish you. In the face of chaos, remember, Christ Has Authority Over Satan.

 

“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 (ESV)

 

 

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