Still Waters “… He leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul…” This Spring we have begun a project of restoration to one of the ponds here at Buffalo Ridge. Restoration literally means to bring back into existence or use; re-establish. As work has progressed, the portion from Psalm 23 has been beautifully illustrated. There is something very calming and peaceful about still waters. They can be instrumental in helping us regain our focus. In the Old Testament book of Jeremiah, God promised restoration to the nation of Israel. Unfortunately in order to be restored they had to suffer through the uprooting, tearing down and devastating destruction of their homeland and people to the point of near extinction. Restoration is a painful process. Lauri and David would agree as they cleared underbrush to form a path to access the pond. They had their share of cuts and scrapes, but it has been worth the effort. Not only did God promise to restore their national heritage, He gave hope to those individuals who were in need of restoration. “I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint.” (Jeremiah 31:25). Sometimes in this life, we just get tired. Even Jesus, himself, during His earthly ministry experienced exhaustion. According to Andrew Murray in his book The Prayer Life, “The work of the day and evening had exhausted him. In his healing of the sick and casting out devils, power had gone out of him. While others still slept, he went away to pray and to renew his strength in community with his Father. He had need of this; otherwise he would not have been ready for the new day. The holy work of delivering souls demands constant renewal through fellowship with God.” The main purpose of our ministry here is to provide a place for folks to be able to spend time renewing their connection with their heavenly Father because it is vital to the life of a Christian. We can continue on without being refreshed, but our effectiveness and His power in our lives will be hindered. In Isaiah 40:31 we are reminded that those who “wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength…” The word “wait” in this verse is derived from a root word that carries the idea of being bound together; somewhat like a rope is twisted together of several individual pieces. How much stronger is a rope than several individual strands, how much stronger are we when we have allowed Him to twist himself around us and bind us together! God not only assures us of restoration ourselves, but He gives us opportunities then to assist others in the same process.“Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest though also be tempted.” (Galatians 6:1) God’s desire has always been to restore. There is no better evidence of this than that of the death of His Son for mankind. Our goal when faced with another’s sin, should be to bring them back, not write them off. It often requires forgiveness and persistence in order to bring about restoration. Paul further reminds us in verse 9 of the same chapter to “… not be weary in well doing:” which is given in the context of how we deal with each other as Christians. A carpenter may look at an old, broken piece of furniture and decide that restoration is impossible or too costly. God, by his nature, does not give up. The nation of Israel certainly put Him to the test on this time and time again. In reading through the book of Ezekiel, I have found the underlying theme of restoration. All the devastation that they suffered was so that they would finally realize that He was God. Nothing He allowed was through spite or meanness. His goal was always to draw them back to Himself, restore them. A favorite verse of mine is Lamentations 3:22-23, “It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.” What an amazing God we have! In my opinion one of the best examples from scripture we have of restoration is Simon Peter. He had walked with Jesus, been in the ‘inner circle’ so to speak throughout Jesus’ earthly ministry and yet when faced with the opportunity to stand for Him he failed miserably. He denied knowing the Lord three times. He certainly knew who Jesus was but his flesh got the best of him. I am encouraged to know that no matter how far we stray, we still have the opportunity to be restored if we recognize His look and repent. “If my people which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” Part of the restoration of the pond will include a prayer garden. Our goal is to provide a place where people may “wait” on the Lord, form a closer bond with Him. Whether you come here for a time of renewal or not, I hope you will make time to allow Him to restore your soul. Psalm 51:10-13 Copyright 2009 His Way. All Rights Reserved. |
