Rev John's January Jottings

28 Dec 20

Can anyone restore the lost year of 2020? 

That is a question you might be asking.  There are many who think that it is within our human power to restore everything, especially with the past year.  However, God can restore much more than we can imagine. Take for example the following, using each letter from the word ‘RESTORE’:

Reason – There are those who have been and may still be ‘at their wit’s end’. This expression actually originates in the Bible from Psalm 107 verse 27.  However, in the context of storm-tossed people, God is able to bring them to a ‘haven’ of peace and tranquility.

Energy – There are those whose energy may feel completely ‘sapped’.  Again, this is described in the Bible in Psalm 32 verse 4. However, God can restore our strength so that ‘they who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength’.

Soul – What do all these things mean when we are faced with external forces beyond our control? It is that great Psalm 23 where we are reminded that The Lord is our Shepherd and He is able to ‘restore our souls’, our inner being.

Time – There are those who find losing time a major issue.  However, Job, the troubled man in the Bible whose crops were destroyed by a plague of locusts after all the time and effort he had put in to grow his business, discovered when he called upon God that ‘God was able to restore the years the locusts had eaten.’

Opportunities – Young people at school and colleges must wonder about how their futures have been affected by events.  It was the writer of the book of Ecclesiastes, which means ‘teacher’ in the Bible who said, ‘Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the times of trouble come.’ God is a solid foundation for life.

Relationships – Being unable to speak face to face and hug others outside a bubble has been very painful for most of us.  Maintaining and sustaining relationships at a time of lockdown, with those in the UK and abroad has been hard.  One thing we can be sure of is that God’s love has always been there, if we would but reach out to Him.  During this past season we have been reminded that ‘God is love and in Him there is no darkness.’

Equilibrium – having a perspective and a balanced view of life may have been lost during this year of pandemic.  However, God can bring a focus into our lives which can create stability, hope and faith. 

What will 2021 bring? Thankfully whatever happens, our times are in God’s hands – and that’s the best place to put them! 

Wishing you a time of restoration and peace. 

Reverend John Langlands