Restoration

"Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that he may send the Messiah, who has been appointed for you—even Jesus. Heaven must receive him until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets."
Acts 3:19-21 (NIV)

 Walk through any antique shop and you'll see furniture with potential buried under layers of damage. A Victorian chair with ripped fabric. A mahogany dresser with warped wood and peeling finish. Someone sees past the damage to what it could become. They buy it, strip it down, repair the structure, and refinish it completely. What was destined for the trash pile becomes a treasure.

 That's the picture Acts 3:19 gives us, "Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord." God's in the restoration business. Sin damages you. It warps your relationships, strips away your peace, and damages your purpose. You feel broken beyond repair, destined for the spiritual trash heap.

But then the Restorer comes. When you humble yourself, repent, and surrender to Jesus, God begins His work. He doesn't just patch you up—He completely restores you. He strips away the guilt. He repairs what sin damaged. He replaces your brokenness with His righteousness. 

You're not just forgiven. You're brought back to the treasured condition of His original design.

 The world may write you off, but God sees your potential. He doesn't see you as you are. He sees what you're becoming. Fully restored. Completely new.

Write these words in your journal: "God is restoring me." Look at it each morning. Every time you notice it, pray, “Thank You that I'm not finished, Lord, You're still working." Then watch for one area where God's bringing restoration this week.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You that when I repent and call on You for salvation, You restore me completely. You don't see me as damaged goods, You see me as a treasure worth redeeming. Thank You for taking what sin damaged in me and making it whole again. Give me new life and new purpose. In Jesus' Name, Amen.