The winter was short, but hard on our yard.
The fall brought more than it’s share of leaves.
The summer’s heat and lack of rain dried up the gardens we planted.
But now the fresh winds blow.
The sun shines brighter and longer.
The life that was seemingly stripped from the ground is now springing up all around.
And I am reminded of a wonderful spiritual truth, as I mend a rope that the squirrels have eaten.
Our God is a God of restoration.
We see testimony to this in the seasons.
He restores life to what seems dead.
He makes things new.
He mends; He repairs.
He is at work even when we don’t see it. Underneath all that we see He is producing a rich soul, just right for bearing fruit.
No matter what the situation has been… the same God who is at work restoring life in the springtime is the same God with the power to restore life to your soul.
He will restore what has been taken away… the years that the (spiritual) locust have eaten…. the time lost to and damaged by depression, trouble in your marriage, despair, anxiety… He is a God of restoration! He can and will mend your broken soul!
Praise the name of the LORD our God!
See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
and streams in the wasteland. – Isaiah 43:19
So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten,
The crawling locust,
The consuming locust,
And the chewing locust,
My great army which I sent among you.
You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied,
And praise the name of the LORD your God,
Who has dealt wondrously with you;
And My people shall never be put to shame.
Then you shall know that I am in the midst of Israel:
I am the LORD your God
And there is no other.
My people shall never be put to shame. – Joel 2:25-27
Something to think about.
Btw, I’m celebrating SomeGirl’s Website getting to 700 “likes” on FB with a book giveaway (your choice of One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp or Mission of Motherhood by Sally Clarkson). Click here to enter!
{ 38 comments… read them below or add one }
So thankful that God is a God of restoration! Restoration for this earth and for His children! Thank you for a beautiful post. I linked up one of our Simply Sundays posts from At The Picket Fence, I’m not sure if it formatted correctly when it linked up. I apologize if it didn’t. Thank you for hosting such beautiful link exchange.
Heather @At The Picket Fence
Amen! So thankful! Thanks for linking up and commenting! (You did it just fine, btw.) ♥ Michelle
I love the photos! Thanks for hosting this.
Thanks, Ruth! And thanks for taking part in it! :)
Lovely post and photos, Michelle! I’ve been reading and re-reading Ann Voskamp’s book One Thousand Gifts lately. The whole message of that book fits so well with the thought of God as a God of restoration.
That is so true… from what I’ve read so far I can see that. Loved your review and word art, btw (I’ll go back to comment soon). I almost emailed you earlier in the week to ask how you make your word art or if you’d be interested in making one for me. Do you ever make them for others? :)
Thanks Michelle for sharing this. I especially love the part about God restoring our lost and damaged time. It seems as though we do spend a lot of time struggling through the valleys in our lives. How wonderful to look forward to the time when He will make all things new!
Won’t that be a wonderful time??! Praise be to God! Thanks for commenting and linking up!
“He is at work even when we don’t see it. Underneath all that we see He is producing a rich soul, just right for bearing fruit.” What a blessed truth! I love the reminder of winter… we must go through death in order to be alive and bear fruit!
P.S. BEAUTIFUL photos!!
Funny, a few weeks ago I was trying to find the beauty in the brown all around me… It’s easy to find the beauty in the white, green and multi colors, but the brown was difficult… Finally I realized that it’s beauty was it’s amplification of the beauty of the green when it starts to show… I had no real idea what that meant until you I read your comment, “I love the reminder of winter [in my case, the brown]… We must go through death in order to be alive and bear fruit.” Thank you, Ashley!
Wonderful post, Michelle! I smiled as I read it because I see so many others, like myself, being restored. God is so merciful and kind! I’m so thankful for His healing, restoring power. :)
Praise be to God!! What a joy to read your words… Thank you for sharing them so we can rejoice together! xoxo
So beautiful, God is good and on his throne.
Amen! Thanks, Lizzie.
What a great post, the blessing of Scriptural truth: Our God brings life to what IS dead, namely us, dead corpses washed up on the beach, so to speak, for we are dead in trespasses and sins, completely and utterly without hope – but for Jesus’ work on the Cross.
Great analogy and lovely photos! You have spring shoots coming up, lucky you.
So true, Judy! I had only been thinking about the truth in light of the believer’s life and what seems lost and destroyed that God is redeeming for His glory… But you are exactly right… He brings life to what IS dead! Praise be to God for that!! Thank you for your words!! Love, Michelle
Thank You, Lord, today for using Michelle’s precious words to remind me of your truth. Life is scary, Father. But you are a great big God. I know that I can rest in the shadow of your wings and be still knowing that You are God. Thank You for that reminder…again. Thank You, Father. Thank You.
And thank you, Michelle, for sharing today. Thank you for speaking words of life. They are a balm to the soul. (((Hugs))) my friend.
Amen and amen! Praise be to God!
What a joy to know the word God lays on my heart is a word needed to be heard by a dear friend!
((((Hugs))))
What a beautiful post. Really lovely. I must say here it is snow almost daily w/a storm forecast for tonight. But spring will come;it has to.
It’s sure to come… Not much longer, right? :)
Great post, Michelle. Just beautiful. And something I needed to hear.
I love hearing that. Thanks, my sweet Jellybean! ;)
I love this post! You have wound the ribbon of heart-felt, life giving words around your glorious pictures. It is a true gift to be able to express such a profound and joy-filled truth with such beauty!
Talk about beauty and ribbons… Your comment is like a sweet little present wrapped up with love! Thanks, Patti! {hugs}
Michelle,
What a beautiful post! I loved the pictures as well as the words! It was like opening a gift as I read along. So precious! Thanks!
Oh, Patricia, What a sweet comment! It warmed my heart when I first read it and is warming my heart again now… Thank you! Love, Michelle
Wonderful post!
Thanks, my wonderful friend! :)
Great post! I love the idea of “restoration”.You’re so lucky spring is almost there! But I must say that we’ve had a wonderful winter.
I can honestly say I’ve never been so glad to see green start sprouting up in my life! It’s been a nice, but long winter around here. :) Glad you’ve had a wonderful winter, and glad to read your starting to see signs of spring! :)
Beautiful!
Thanks, Kinzie!
Beautiful post and great pics!!!!!!!!! I cannot wait to see spring poking about in my yard. This I say as we are having a blizzard, lol.
A blizzard??!!! Isn’t it crazy how different our weather is inside our country?! btw, I’ll be praying for you as you make your adjustments. You have such a GREAT attitude!
What a beautiful reminder of God’s faithfulness!
It’s my first time here via Alicia Stunkel’s Face Book status (my dear friend for about 11 years & writer at Confessions of a Snowflake), and I’m so glad to know about Thought-provoking Thursday!
I also believe we were together at Relevant last year?
Many blessings and jots to you as you make your home!
HUGS from South Carolina!
~me
P.S. We saw our first daffodil’s yellow face yesterday!
P.P.S. I am putting this linky party on my [Block Parties] page!
Hi Leslie!
I’m so glad you stopped by from Alicia’s FB page! Don’t you just love her?! Yes, I was at Relevant last year. Wish we had gotten to really meet there. Are you going this year? :)
Thanks for putting the linky party on your page! I LOVE your about page, btw!
Love, Michelle
Blessings and jots as you make your home?
Hmmmm….perhaps.
But I really meant blessings and joys! :)
Haha… Auto correct gets me all the time!