Restoration for your Own Mistakes
Perhaps you are thinking, “Yes I know I can expect restoration when the devil attacks me or if I am persecuted. But I am suffering now because of my own mistake. Surely I cannot expect God to restore me? I will have to suffer and pay for my mistake.”
Well, the Gospel of Jesus Christ is called the good news because it is really undeserved favor. Even if you are suffering losses from your own mistakes, you can still expect to receive restoration that is better in quality and/or quantity than before.
I know it sounds too good to be true, but I am not just making that up. Look at Abraham’s story. He told his wife Sarah to lie to everyone in Gerar that she was only his sister.
He did this because Sarah had been renewed in her youth and was exceedingly beautiful. Abraham was afraid that if the people knew that she was his wife, they would kill him and take her for themselves.
After hearing that Sarah was only Abraham’s sister, the king of Gerar, Abimelech, took Sarah into his harem.
Reading this story, it is clear that Abraham is the one at fault. He lied that Sarah was only his sister, and his lies stemmed from cowardice and self-preservation, endangering Sarah’s chastity.
Yet, when God wanted to save Sarah from being violated, He threatened Abimelech and his family with death if he decided not to restore Sarah to Abraham.
“God said to him in the dream, “Yes, I know that in the integrity of your heart you have done this, and I also withheld you from sinning against me. Therefore I didn’t allow you to touch her. Now therefore, restore the man’s wife. For he is a prophet, and he will pray for you, and you will live. If you don’t restore her, know for sure that you will die, you, and all who are yours.”” (Genesis 20:6-7 WEB)
Shouldn’t it be Abraham who was threatened with death for his cowardice and lies? This is God’s Grace towards the righteous ones who are justified by faith. Even if you make a mistake, God is not punishing you for your sins—His heart is to restore you for the negative consequences of your wrong actions.
What does restore “the man’s wife” mean? Is it just to give Sarah back to Abraham? Let us examine what Abimelech did:
“Abimelech took sheep and cattle, male servants and female servants, and gave them to Abraham, and restored Sarah, his wife, to him. Abimelech said, “Behold, my land is before you. Dwell where it pleases you.” To Sarah he said, “Behold, I have given your brother a thousand pieces of silver. Behold, it is for you a covering of the eyes to all that are with you. In front of all you are vindicated.”” (Genesis 20:14-16 WEB)
Wow, instead of just giving Sarah back to Abraham, Abimelech gave sheep, cattle, servants, land and a thousand pieces of silver to Abraham. Even though Abraham was the originator of the problem, he was enriched through his mistake.
This is what God’s restoration looks like. You never just get the same thing back. It will always be better in quality and/or quantity when He restores you for your losses.
Even though Abraham made mistakes in his life, he had a great relationship with God, such that the Scriptures call him “a friend of God”. Whenever God appeared and spoke to him, he paid attention, delighting in the words and meditated on them.
An example of this would be God’s promise to him that he would have a son who was born of Sarah. Abraham never gave up on that promise, and eventually, he received the fulfillment of it.
“Blessed is the man who doesn’t walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand on the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in Yahweh’s law. On his law he meditates day and night. He will be like a tree planted by the streams of water, that produces its fruit in its season, whose leaf also does not wither. Whatever he does shall prosper.” (Psalms 1:1-3 WEB)
Although we are born-again and our spirits are righteous, holy and perfect like Jesus, we still live in this body of sinful flesh. Sometimes we get confused, thinking that the fleshly impulses and thoughts are our own. This causes us to make mistakes.
However, if you have a heart for God’s word like Abraham did, even the mistakes you unwittingly make will prosper. What you did may not be good, but God can still turn things around for your good because He is for you, not against you. Since you are righteous in Christ, you can expect to receive restoration for your losses, even if they were caused by your own mistakes!
Learn God’s plan to prosper you in all things through His restoration. If you have lost in any way, you can expect to gain much more/better back. This eBook, “All Things Made New”, may be the most comprehensive book about God’s restoration:
https://bit.ly/prosper-through-restoration
