My husband, Tom, has a gift for walking into an old house and seeing unlimited potential. He can look past the peeling paint, warped floors, outdated floor plan, and old wiring and see the good bones and the firm foundation on which the house was built. This talent led him to renovate many homes in the Tampa area.
While visiting a recent project, I realized how thankful I am that God is a restorer. A restorer exposes everything and has the confidence that everything is fixable. Restoring takes more time and is often messier than new construction, but it is always more intentional and honors what was first created and meant to stand.
We are now in the season of Lent. God is inviting us to be His restoration project. So, with David, the writer of the Psalms, as a role model, I am saying yes to this call to be exposed, renewed, and restored. Using the words from Psalm 16, I whisper, ”Keep me safe, my God, for in you I take refuge.”(Psalm 16:1) I know Jesus is my refuge and my safe place, and keeping my eyes on Him, with Him at my right hand, and with a firm foundation, I will not be shaken (Psalm16:8). Will you join me?
The initial exploration of an old house can be shocking: deteriorated wood, water damage, old wiring, rusted or abandoned pipes, patchwork, and often even trash. Previously hidden situations are now exposed. But once the walls come down, an assessment is done, and a plan for refreshment is made. One must not be in a hurry, but deliberate in removing the broken, harmful & useless items (even the dust and debris), and in discovering what stands strong. This allows for bringing new life to things that can be salvaged and adding extra support to those that need reinforcement.
As humans, it is uncomfortable to be in an exposed state. Showing our scars, blemishes, flaws, and insecurities hurts. Maybe others’ words have chewed on you, leaving deterioration. Maybe a situation you have faced has caused structural damage, or a storm you have been through has left issues that need to be addressed. Maybe worldly ways and the desires of the flesh have become a shifting foundation. Often, these are things we don’t want to address, or if we do, we look for a quick fix. But during this 40-day season of Lent, let's invite God to be our contractor and to do a complete renovation on us from the inside out.
- Say, “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Psalm 139:23-24) This won’t be a one-day project; come to Him daily with your brokenness and surrender it to Him, so He can begin to fill any cracks and crevices with His love. Proverbs 16:24 says, “Gracious words are like honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and healing to the bones.” Let’s let the words and love of Jesus renew our souls, the bones of who we are.
- Continue in the conversation with God by saying, Psalm 26:2, “Test me, Lord, and try me, examine my heart and my mind.” Ask yourself the question, What am I trying to preserve that I need to let go of and surrender to God so that I can be fully restored? Let’s welcome God to light up and refine even the darkest crevices.
- Then you might ask Jesus to pull out the shop-vac by saying Psalm 51:2, “Wash me throughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.” God already knows us inside and out. He knows our sins of the flesh (those others can see) and our sins of the spirit (those deep within). Bring them before the Lord, so that through Jesus, they can be permanently removed.
- Invite him to reinforce and restore, by saying Psalm 51:12, “Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.” Jesus can make a divine exchange. With the old gone, he makes a divine exchange. Filling you up with His Spirit and all of the beautiful gifts that come with it.
As God’s beautiful restoration project, we can declare Psalm 16:9-10, “Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, nor will you let your faithful one see decay.” What a beautiful blessing. When we are restored by Jesus, who alone is our portion and our cup, the one who makes our lot secure (Psalm 16:5), we will never see decay or be sent to the realm of the dead. We have the gift of eternal life.
While writing this blog, I was invited to participate in a Holy Graffiti celebration event for a new non-profit coming to the Tampa area. Isaiah 117 House is a place that provides physical and emotional support in a safe and loving home for children awaiting placement. The house is under construction, and they invited members of the community to come and write God’s Word all over the foundation and studs of the house before the flooring and drying are installed. When the children walk in, they will stand on God’s truths and promises, surrounded by words of love and encouragement.
WOW! I just love God’s timing. This beautiful image of what God is calling me to do this Lent, to be exposed, not in shame, but as an invitation to be filled up from the inside out with Him. Then, to actually bring this metaphor to life by writing on the studs and foundations of a real home! Let’s write God’s truths and promises on every inch of ourselves this Lent and let his love saturate deep into our frames. We have our foundation in place (Christ), our framework restored (our soul healed by Jesus), and we will become the vessel we were created to be.
Please pray with me
O Lord, our Restorer, You already know every hidden place within us, so let us humbly come before You with our walls open and our hidden places exposed. Let us welcome your searching light that is filled with great love. Thank you for the reassurance found in Psalm 16 that You will not abandon what You begin and that You will not leave us in decay, but, Lord, will restore and refresh us from the inside out. With Christ as our firm foundation, repair every broken beam, remove all the mess, be a healing balm, ensuring we are a purposeful vessel for You. Thank you for rebuilding us through your mercy and grace so that we can be filled with the joy of the Lord forevermore. Amen
