Forgiving Challenge: The 11-Day Life-Changing Journey to FreedomSample

Day 9: How Does God Restore Us?

As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him. Psalm 103:13

I remember when each of my two sons began to walk. They took two steps, fell, and we freaked out as if they had just won the Olympics! We took videos, sent them to our close friends and family, and then posted them on social media with #NextUsainBolt. No one who watched the video, including myself, saw my kids take a few steps and thought they were clumsy clowns for falling. Instead, we celebrated the fact that they were walking, however unsteadily.

That's a picture of how God sees you.

He cheers you on. He encourages your pursuit. He wants you to hear loud and clear today that two steps forward and one step backward is still a step forward.

The freedom that God gives you is not only freedom from Sin but freedom to a life of purpose. God's freedom is greater than simply a pardon and release from punishment. He also wants to release you to be a world-changer working alongside Him.

God delights in you like a good father would rejoice in His son or daughter. So you don't just have a just judge, but you have a loving Father as well.

2 Corinthians 6:18 says, "And I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty."

Having a loving Father in heaven, who is not just a judge, changes everything. No offense to any judges out there, but hanging out with a judge just doesn't sound much fun. Judges seem like they would constantly be quoting rules and laws. But what about hanging out with a great dad? That sounds fun and safe. You don't have to have had an amazing dad to know what it would feel like to have an incredible father.

When you are forgiven, you are restored to make a difference in this world. This relationship not only means that you are God's son or daughter but also that you become a co-worker with Him in this world. You get to work for Him and with Him on an eternal mission. Every time we pray the Lord's Prayer, we say, "Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." You don't have to wait any longer to bring His kingdom into this world right here, right now.

So keep stepping. You've got a strong Dad right behind you, holding you up!

Challenge: Describe what a fully restored version of you would look like. What are three ways in which you can tangibly bring God's Kingdom to this world? Act on one of those today and share it in the "Talk it Over" section of today's reading.