February 3, 2015

There is good news for the broken, beaten down, and belittled. Wrongs are destined to be righted, and justice will be served. Maybe not right now, but then.

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 5.3-10)

The qualities of blessedness, called Beatitudes in Jesus’ Sermon On the Mount, are not as we might think. We tend to think of the whole and the wealthy as happy and blessed, but Jesus says otherwise. Those who are broken and hurting, and know they need help, are the blessed ones. 

The kingdom of God is the answer for problems and needs. It’s called “the period of restoration” (Acts 4.21), and it’s exactly that. Our Father has carefully noted what’s gone wrong with His perfect creation, and has a plan to meticulously return it all to its former state of perfection. And that includes us. The crippling effects of emotion, physical, and spiritual brokenness will one day be fully removed, and we will enjoy a freedom and zest for life such as we’ve never known before. 

Those destined to be restored are about the restoration plan and work. That’s our life purpose. Restoring broken relationship, with each other and our Creator. Experiencing restoration through the internal re-creating work of the risen Christ by Holy Spirit, and serving as His exhibit for others to see a sampling of what He fully intends to do. 

None are exempt from brokenness, but today’s brokenness is only temporary. A restoration plan is afoot in our lives and in the world. The best is yet to come.

If this happens to be an especially painful chapter in your life just now, do not lose sight of the fact that it is truly only temporary. Intense as it might be, it is destined to give way to “times of refreshing” (Acts 3.19) that will characterize the coming age. 

Stand strong, faithful friend. Relief and restoration are on the way, and they will far outweigh the trials and troubles of this life.

Steve

©Steve Taylor, 2015
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