A couple of days ago the Lord highlighted the words “restoration” and “restitution” to me, and I’ve really been thinking on those words since.
Restoration:
1. the action of returning something to a former owner, place, or condition.
Restitution:
1. the restoration of something lost or stolen to its proper owner.
2. recompense for injury or loss.
(“Recompense” means make amends to (someone) for loss or harm suffered; compensate.)
Then I thought back on what happened to us when all of our photography gear was stolen out of our hotel room in Charleston, SC a couple of years ago. I was reminded of how the Lord did more than just “restore” what was taken from us, but He “restored and more”…
“restitution”.
When this happened to us we were in a place of such desperate need, completely helpless. But the Lord picked us up, got us through the crisis that weekend and we were able to find rental gear close by to be able to photograph the wedding that next morning.
But when we were at the point of having to return the rental gear the next day, it hit us again that we had no gear, we discovered that we had not been properly and fully insured, and we didn’t have near enough money to replace all that we had.
In this moment we had the choice of making decisions out of fear and bitterness, or we could take the Lord by the hand, take His way, and trust Him.
The Lord did a miracle and not only “restored” us, He gave us “restitution”… receiving divine payback and then some. This changed our lives forever. If I could go back I wouldn’t change a thing about what happened to us.
This is what He wants to do in all of us! All of the things the enemy has stolen from us, the Lord wants to not only restore us, but He wants to give us divine payback and then some… “restitution”…to far exceed what was stolen with something even better than what we had before! What the enemy intends to harm us with, the Lord says, “not happening, I have other plans, and by the way, you’re going to be sorry you ever messed with My child” and if we trust Him, He can turn it around for good –beyond good. This road will not be easy, but if we take it, the Lord will restore and more.
Lord, I thank you for what You’ve done, for what You are doing, and what You will do!
-Heather