Lent Devotional: RestoreSample

Restore: Restoration

Despite the fall, God keeps reaching out to us, to restore the relationship between himself and the whole of creation. Through Christ’s death and resurrection all creation is redeemed from the powers of sin and restored to God.

In Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, he encourages his readers to strive for full restoration. He writes about reconciliation with God, the importance of telling the world that this restoration is possible, and about the importance of being reconciled with other people rather than competing with them.

Here, the full restoration that Paul describes for the Corinthians includes both relationships. Within the church – both locally and globally – there are often broken relationships, and this makes it harder for the world to see and understand the restoration that God offers in Christ.

Take a moment to think about where you see broken relationships in your church or between your church and others. How do you think they might be a factor or result of poverty and injustice? Spend time praying about these things, and ask God to show you how you might be a part of bringing restoration.

Hannah Swithinbank, Tearfund