Restoration

“I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.” (Jeremiah 29:14, ESV)

I have seen many people squander away their lives through wanton living. Some have lost their families, friends and fortunes due to their choices. The question that remains is this. Is there any hope for these people? The short answer is that there is always hope. However, Scripture also gives us a truth that one reaps from that which they have sown. There are repercussions from one’s sins.

Israel had departed from seeking the Lord with a whole heart of devotion. It was God’s desire to bring them back. Yet, to do so, something drastic needed to happen. If they were to continue in their apostasy, living by idolatry and continue on prosperity and peace, they would likely never return to the Lord their God. After all they had repeatedly rejected the truth of God’s word. They rejected the true prophets’ messages from the Lord. Something drastic had to happen.

The great purpose of the hardship the nation endured through the Babylonian conquest was to bring the nation back to the Lord. It was to turn their hearts. It would take 70 years in Babylonian captivity. In this sense, the Babylonian conquest and captivity was essential for the nation. Very often hardships are permitted by the Lord to accomplish a purpose that will bring about a future blessing.

Here we see something very interesting. In Jeremiah’s letter to the exiles, we see a future promise of restoration for the nation of Israel. The Lord promises to restore their fortunes when they are returned to Judah and Jerusalem. The 70 years in exile were permitted to bring the nation back to whole hearted devotion to the Lord their God. It was a matter of their heart. With this accomplished, the Lord would restore to the nation their fortunes. He would prosper them once again.

This process of hardship, loss, return, and restoration, is a universal principle that can be applied to nations, institutions, churches, and individuals. As I mentioned, many who, through their own foolish choices, have ended up in the gutter of life. One of the best New Testament illustrations is that of the Prodigal Son. Many must hit the bottom before they will look up and wholeheartedly seek the Lord.

When these who hit bottom see the light, their material situation might not change immediately. However, when they turn back to the Lord with full devotion their trajectory on this side of heaven is undeniably altered. It moves upward. How long it takes for the restoration of their fortunes is unknown. It could take a lifetime.

However, rest assured, those who seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness are on the upward trajectory to eternal blessing. And moreover, as those who have fallen continue to seek the Lord, He in His own perfect timing and ways, restores the years the locusts of sin have taken.