The Power of the Restored Person

Never underestimate the power of the restored person. Though their former state may have been in ruins, God is greater than the destruction. And though He has displeasure over their sins, yet His compassion and love rules His heart.


When our lives seem to be barren, void of the fruit of God, it seems as if we are rejected. Not only do we think that about our own lives, but our brethren begin to think that as well. We are estranged from God, and helpless to do anything about it. We don’t know why He doesn’t intervene, if the chastisements are from Him (such as, discipline mentioned in Hebrews 12:10), or if they are warfare from our enemy.

We see the concept of estrangement illustrated in Isaiah 54. Though Israel sinned and caused the Lord to be angry, He only hid His face “for a moment” (Is 54:8). He is our Creator and knows that His prolonged anger would cause the “spirit of man (to) grow faint before Me” (Is 57:16). Instead of remaining angry, as many people do, or keeping a long list of our failings, as our enemy does, God has compassion and great love. His intention is to restore us. The restoration of the Lord is a wonderful thing to look forward to, for in it holds the answers to many of our “why’s”, and “who’s.

The first thing the Lord restores is our sense of who we are: our “self”. He establishes us in righteousness. When a person gets a sense of who he is in the Lord, then it is easier to have faith to bear fruit, and to identify the Lord’s hand, and the hand of the enemy. In the world of the unseen, a Christian most desperately needs to know who his “self” is.

After the Lord establishes us, he teaches our children. We begin to have a legacy that will travel through time . . . a witness to others of Who the Lord is. And God puts Himself personally in charge of teaching our children His way. He also adds to us spiritual children so that our restored life can be an example to others. This turns our gaze from “self” to Him.

The restored person’s heart will not entertain fear, for perfect love drives out fear (1 Jn 4:18). And the Lord will no longer let enemies tyrannically rule over he whom the Lord restores, for the Lord is teaching him to rule alongside Himself. Once the storm-tossed life of the Christian in trial clears itself of sorrow and fear, he will see clearly that the battle is common to all Christians and that the intention of the Lord is that he should overcome, and rule with Him (Rev 2:26-27). This turns the restored man towards the purposes of his life, which are hidden in Christ, in God.

The restored person knows that his life has value in the hands of God, and that his God will not leave him to the will of his enemies. No matter how impossible the odds, a man who is restored will gain victory. He has reconciled himself to the fact that God is teaching him to walk beside Him through his battles instead of holding his hand while He takes care of the enemy. God chooses this walk for us in order that we might become His sons and daughters, and not mere servants. This turns the heart of the restored man to God’s motives for him, and for others like him. If God intends us to win our battles (and He does), then He will equip us to do so.

The restored person is wiser, having experienced the chastening of the Lord. He knows that trials and discipline come from His Father’s hand, as well as suffering and oppression from his enemy. Therefore, the restored person grows in discernment, and learns when to war against satan, and when to apologize to God. It is the restored person, whom brethren esteemed lowly in their own eyes, that will see the “distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not” (Mal 3:18) because they have learned to honor and fear the Lord (Mal 3:16). Having honor and fear of the Lord turns the restored person’s heart towards his relationship with God, and he maintains a protective shield over his heart to not accuse the Lord, neither to forget His goodness. And because he values his relationship with God, God entrusts him with spiritual discernment. This makes for true strategy, and battles do not seem foreboding anymore.

One of the last items mentioned in Isaiah 54 given to the restored person is the ability to refute their enemies. Because he no longer is tossed around by his poor self-image and confusion over his circumstances, the restored person has a clear picture of who is accusing him. He verbally proves his enemy wrong and comes in defense of God’s nature through praise, scripture, and words about his past victory. Large words of our victory are called the Word of our Testimony (Rev 12:11) and defeat satan. Why do we need to refute our enemy? Because God’s creative and declarative power comes through words, therefore, our victories cannot be silent. To verbally prove satan wrong is our heritage. When the restored person is able to refute his enemy, he has come to the realization that God’s intention was that we become as Christ was (1 Jn 4:17), and just as Jesus’ work was to destroy the devil’s work (1 Jn 3:8), so is ours. This man’s heart truly is united with God’s overall work for him. He will refute his enemies and take no thought of how it affects his own life (see again Rev 12:11).

Does your life seem tossed by storms? Is it enshrouded in silence, as if you were left alone? Then let me comfort you with these words . . . you have a lot of good things to look forward to. God’s character has not changed, and He intends good towards you who will learn to honor and fear Him. He is worthy of our praises, and our affirmations, even when things are at their darkest. Remember His good nature, for He remembers you and has restoration on His mind. Amen