Repairing and Restoring

What we perceive as failure, God sees as opportunity.

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Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins; 

you will restore the age-old foundations; 

you will be called Repairer of the Breach, 

Restorer of the Streets of Dwelling. (Isaiah 58:12) 

This passage from Isaiah explains the kind of fast that pleases the Lord, that which results in practical acts of mercy, justice, generosity, hospitality and family loyalty. That kind of humble  attitude gets God's attention.

Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; 

you will cry out, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’ (Isaiah 58:9)

Isaiah could see that disaster was coming (Isaiah Ch. 22), but that the city would be delivered (Ch. 37), and eventually prosper again (Ch. 60). He could foresee a time of rebuilding, partly fulfilled a couple of centuries later under the leadership of Nehemiah.  Repairing the breaches in the city walls took humility but also gained honour. Their names are recorded in the Bible. (Nehemiah. 3).

Life can be tough and stressful. Like those walls people get hurt and damaged by the circumstances of life. God calls us to be builders and repairers, restoring one another to wholeness in the Name of Jesus. Our tools are the Word and the Spirit of God, applied through faith, hope and love, in prayerful encouragement of one another.

To me the concept of being a 'repairer of the breach' is the ministry of mending what has been broken in the life of an individual, bringing them back to wholeness and purpose in Christ. This naturally leads to being a 'restorer of streets', bringing whole communities back from chaos and despair to peace and prosperity. Sustained revival leads to social restoration. It is said that Paul's three years in Ephesus affected the religious and social fabric of the city for the next century. A brief study of revivals reveals subsequent positive changes beyond those who respond for salvation, touching whole communities.

Some time ago at a prayer day we received the following prophetic word:

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“I want you to know that I see beyond what you call broken, damaged or beyond repair. When I formed the world, I called it forth from nothing. When I made mankind, I created him from a handful of soil taken from the land.

What you call damaged, broken or beyond repair are simply the component parts of something new that I am planning and preparing to create.

So, bring those things, those people, those situations to my re-creation workshop and let me teach you how to see things in the light of my creative ability and power.”

When we see things falling apart, with no apparent remedy, God is putting it all together in His 're-creation workshop'. He is using the rubble of broken dreams and projects and using it to build a highway of holiness (Isaiah 35). He is clearing a way in the wilderness so that the glory of the Lord will be revealed (Isaiah 40) What we perceive as failure, God sees as opportunity. The God who repairs and restores invites us to join Him in this glorious work of renovation.

Author: John Plumb

May God bless and enrich your life

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