A Time to Sow: Part 2Намуна

Seeds of Restoration

There may be some individuals who need their gardens restored. The dictionary defines restoration as bringing something back to a former position or condition. You could be thinking that you have sown too many destructive seeds into your life. God can help you remove the weeds that are choking the harvest and invading your life. However, you have to recognize the seeds of destruction, and you must be willing to change to keep from sowing those seeds.

As you read about the seed of promise that God gave the Israelites, God also planted seeds of restoration. The book of Nehemiah focuses on the physical rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem and the return of God’s people to the city. Although God led the Israelites out of slavery, throughout the Old Testament they continued to turn away from Him.

In the first chapter, Nehemiah recognizes the sins that the Israelites committed saying, “I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s family, have committed against you” (Nehemiah 1:6). His prayer goes on to remind God of the promise He gave to Moses – even if God’s people are unfaithful, God will restore them if they return to Him. The rest of the book details how God used Nehemiah to restore Jerusalem and bring His people back to Him.

The restoration process describes the Israelites reading the Book of the Law from the Lord, confessing their sins, and making a binding agreement to return to the Lord. The Israelites provide the perfect example of recognizing sin, remembering God’s commandments, and repenting. It took more than acknowledging their sins; they committed to live according to God’s commandments.

Too often people think that once they confess their sins, they can keep living the way they did before. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” For your garden to be healthy, you must dedicate your life to God and follow His word. Your garden might be almost dead, but God can renew it by planting seeds that bring new life.

During World War I, the Gothic cathedral and one of the world’s heritage sites, Notre-Dame de Reims, was nearly destroyed. After nearly two decades of restoration work, the cathedral opened to the public in 1938. The majority of the structure was rebuilt or recovered, however, there were some pieces like stained-glass windows that had to be remade. It would suffer some more damage in World War II, but it remained largely intact. One art historian pointed out how cathedrals are living buildings that are always in need of restoration.

When you commit your life to God, you have to realize that it is a process. Similar to a building being restored, it won’t happen overnight. It may take time. It’s not once and done. To bring life to a dying garden, it needs constant maintenance and the continual planting of healthy seeds.