Destruction Restored

Nahum 2: ² The Lord will restore the splendor of Jacob
    like the splendor of Israel,
though destroyers have laid them waste
    and have ruined their vines.

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“My life is ruined!” I thought to myself. I had a new pair of pants and the pen in my pocket “flooded” and drained all throughout the fabric. I had to deal with the humiliation all day, which was about five hours or so!

“My life is ruined!” I thought to myself when I was in a head on collision. Not making much money, I did not have enough to buy another car. I had to resort to walking a mile and a half to work!

• There were times when I thought “my life is ruined” because I lost something I deemed as special.
• There were times when I believed “this is the end” when something was taken out of my hands.
• There were times when I felt “Everything is falling apart” when something I wanted was not achieved.

From music collections to money, I have had things stolen, lost and destroyed. When I lost five dollars before going into the amusement park I cried like a child, because I was a child. In fact, even when I got older I was childish in response to the stuff that was now gone. What should I do?

• GOD says to me “The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil.”
• GOD says to me “You cannot serve money and ME.”
• GOD says to me “Give everything to ME and all will be well with you.”

By giving everything to GOD I noticed I did not mind “as much” if HE took whatever “it” was away. “It” is all HIS anyway. Job said “The LORD gives and the LORD takes away; blessed be the name of the LORD” and this is true. I cannot say it does not hurt to lose stuff, but I can say that I do not have to stay in mourning over the lost stuff long.

GOD says “I will restore your splendor” which means I have splendor in the first place. HE enjoys picking me up, dusting me off and placing me in a high place that I never would have expected. GOD’s plan is incredibly wonderful for me. I do not have to fret over “stuff” very long.

• Are you crying over something you lost or was stolen from you?
• Do you feel like everything is ruined now that you don’t have the income, house or car?
• Can you stop looking at the stuff for a moment and look at GOD?
• Will you allow HIM to restore you to the splendor HE made you with today?  

Never Disappointed

Isaiah 49: ¹⁹ “Though you were ruined and made desolate
    and your land laid waste,
now you will be too small for your people,
    and those who devoured you will be far away.
²⁰ The children born during your bereavement
    will yet say in your hearing,
‘This place is too small for us;
    give us more space to live in.’
²¹ Then you will say in your heart,
    ‘Who bore me these?
I was bereaved and barren;
    I was exiled and rejected.
    Who brought these up?
I was left all alone,
    but these—where have they come from?’”

²² This is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“See, I will beckon to the nations,
    I will lift up my banner to the peoples;
they will bring your sons in their arms
    and carry your daughters on their hips.
²³ Kings will be your foster fathers,
    and their queens your nursing mothers.
They will bow down before you with their faces to the ground;
    they will lick the dust at your feet.
Then you will know that I am the Lord;
    those who hope in me will not be disappointed.”

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Just a little salt is what the recipe called for. As I tipped the shaker, the top fell off and the entire contents flew into the pot. The dish I made was ruined. Another time, I spent hours drawing a house for a class, with meticulous detail. I made a mistake in my calculations and had to erase the blunder. After erasing too many times, I ripped the paper ever so slightly. The drawing was ruined.

• I do not like things to get ruined.
• I do not like situations where something gets ruined.
• I do not like going through the process of being ruined.

“Ruined” sounds so permanent. I mean once something is ruined, it means it is no good to anyone anymore, right? Wrong!

• GOD ruins me to open up my eyes.
• GOD ruins me to change my path to HIS restoration.
• GOD ruins me to open up my hands in dependence of HIS way.

Every once in a while I have had to go through some situation or circumstance that felt horrible at the time. BUT GOD was with me especially when I felt alone. HE was there when the crowd stepped away and blamed me for my very existence. I place my hope in GOD and have never been disappointed.

Are you being ruined?

• Can you not see the light at the end of the tunnel?
• Will you praise GOD for ruining you for HIS purpose?
• Will you allow HIM to restore you HIS way instead of yours?
• Can you place your hope in GOD today?

GOD wants to bless you

Deuteronomy 28: If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. ² All these blessings will come on you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God:

³ You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country.

⁴ The fruit of your womb will be blessed, and the crops of your land and the young of your livestock—the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks.

⁵ Your basket and your kneading trough will be blessed.

⁶ You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out.

⁷ The Lord will grant that the enemies who rise up against you will be defeated before you. They will come at you from one direction but flee from you in seven.

⁸ The Lord will send a blessing on your barns and on everything you put your hand to. The Lord your God will bless you in the land he is giving you.

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When I looked at this chapter it had wonderful blessings GOD has promised. I was extremely excited until I read the rest of the chapter where is says quite the opposite of the blessings. If I do not follow the LORD’s commands HE will do the opposite of HIS promises.

If I don’t follow GOD:

⁶³ Just as it pleased the Lord to make you prosper and increase in number, so it will please him to ruin and destroy you.

If I don’t follow GOD:

⁶⁶ You will live in constant suspense, filled with dread both night and day, never sure of your life.

If I don’t follow GOD:

⁶⁷ In the morning you will say, “If only it were evening!” and in the evening, “If only it were morning!”

This tells me GOD doesn’t play with HIS commands.  I am forgiven through HIS SON, yet HE somehow wants me to follow HIS commands out of love, not just obedience.

• Do you want a blessing?
• Are you stubbornly holding onto something you need to release?
• Won’t you follow what GOD wants you to do today?