Restoration

This morning I got up and was thinking about when I could spend time with God because I knew I was going to have a busy day filled with homework and with studying for my test tonight as well as the fact that I have a basketball game tonight. I figured I could do it before bed but that just would not have been good enough for me because I need to spend time with him before the evening. I prayed before I got in the shower and just asked him to guide me through the day and let him know that I would be seeking him and I would find time for him. Surely enough, he has given me a good day and I have had plenty of time to do everything and when I finish this, I will have even more time to study for my test. His promise that he will take care of us never fails and even though it seems as if things never look good, sometimes we are just being tested to see just how far our faith takes us. Sometimes God has to make sure we are in for the long haul and not just when times are good. It is the same way in relationships but I will not go into detail about that. All that needs to be said is that when things get bad, it is helpful to remember that things are not always easy but if you stick it out and work to make it better, good things can happen and it will be worth it. This seems like a recurring theme in my posts but I think it is something that a lot of people struggle with (myself included) and we need to remind ourselves of it daily. God will not leave us in pieces because we do not do well when we are in pieces, he will hold us together and help us stand strong when everything appears to have shattered.  If it seems like there is no hope and you have not been living your life for him, there is probably a correlation as he is calling you back. It will take you showing that you have faith and that he can trust you in order for that to be restored and for him to be able to pour his blessing on you.

We see an example of people who turned from God because they lost hope and wondered if he was even there for them at all. God decided to show them that he was still there and that he was going to watch over them as long as they stayed true to him. This is seen when the Israelites were in the desert in Numbers 21:5-9 and it states, "They spoke against God and against Moses, and said, 'Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the desert? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!' Then the Lord sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died. The people came to Moses and said, 'We have sinned when we spoke against the Lord and against you. Pray that the Lord will take the snakes away from us.' So Moses prayed for the people. The Lord said to Moses, ' Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live' So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, he lived." God is a loving God who cares for us but he cannot stand sin and he pours his wrath on those who deny him. Some people believe respect is earned, not given and most people want to know why God demands respect; however, it is not so much that he demands our respect, he has already earned it through creating us, providing for us, and sending his only son to die for us. God shows us here that even when he pours his wrath out, there are times when we have a chance to return to him. A good portion of the time I am willing to bet that we are not going to be so lucky but when God has a plan for you, he tries to make you see it, even if it means having to pound it through our thick skulls. God restores our faith and our souls in ways that we would never think of because we think they are too harsh or they are unjust but just as the thief on the cross, we only deserve eternal death but because of the atonement, we have new life if we choose to accept it so any other punishments we receive are rather mild in my opinion. God takes care of us and he watches over us, leading us so that we can prosper and not fall.

I hope you all had an amazing day and are continuing to seek the Lord. It is hard to believe that it is already March, it seems as if time is going by very fast. Life is short so do not waste it. Keeping giving your all and pursuing what God has for you. I am still praying for all of you and I hope you are praying for me.

God Bless,

Joseph Robinson