Restoration

They could not speak or look at each other.

They took turns doing things to hurt one another. 

Bitterness and the beginnings of hate settled in. 

No one thought they would make it. 

Hurt and even hate separated them, a power that nothing seemed to be able to break through.

With God, restoration, a work-in-process, is always possible. Life as it is from our perspective can seem hopeless in times of devastation and destruction; however, God has something more planned. Read Luke, who described the story of a father giving grace to his son . . . undeserved grace . . . the son took everything . . . spent all of his inheritance . . . came back with nothing to offer but himself.  Even so, the father celebrated his son’s return.  The brother, who had been faithful to his father, became angry with his father’s response.  It was unfair.  But . . . the father loved his son . . . enough to give him complete grace.

 "But he answered and said to his father, 'Look! For so many years I have been serving you and I have never neglected a command of yours; and yet you have never given me a young goat, so that I might celebrate with my friends; but when this son of yours came, who has devoured your wealth with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him.' "And he said to him, 'Son, you have always been with me, and all that is mine is yours. 'But we had to celebrate and rejoice, for this brother of yours was dead and has begun to live, and was lost and has been found (Luke 15:29-32 ).

The story of the Father and Son is our story . . . the story of life with God.

When we experience devastation and destruction, God will breathe life back into us with complete grace. Yes, it is a process . . . but . . . when we seek God . . . there will be a day that life as it is . . . will be exchanged for something more . . . and there will be a great celebration.

Refuse to succumb to life as it is in the midst of devastation and destruction.
Pray.
Seek God.

Receive grace.
Willingly go through the transformation process to become new through the presence of grace.
Rejoice . . . for life as it is . . . through the power and presence of God.
Stop.
Take a breath.
Look again . . . see the grace.

And . . . an interesting thought . . . in the book of Acts, Luke’s sequel, it is revealed that Christ came for all people, not only Israel.  The prodigal son . . . represents all of humanity . . . you and I . . . who have lived separated . . . far away from God.  Each one of us    not only have the promise of being given full-out grace when we come to God but the promise of celebration for who we are!   The thing is . . .  the “good” son stayed close to the Father . . . but he was focused on being the good son by following the rules . . . and failed to  understand that he could have a relationship that was based on who he was not what he did. God longs to restore our relationship with Him through grace and to give more than we can imagine with great celebration.

Learning with you to KICK START the day . . . through the restorative power of God.

                                      Pastor Kerrie

 (written by Kerrie Palmer © 2009 All Rights Reserved)
interactstudies/ ~ kpalmer@hillchurch.com ~Church on the Hill~700 N. Hill Rd.~McMinnv,lle, OR 97128~503.472.8476 ~www.hillchurch.com~Archives & Daily Subscription: go to http://kickstarttoday.blogspot.com/
&  Expectation . . . Advent 2009