As Americans, we love the drama of restoration. We spend evenings watching HGTV or DIY shows, where people perform the home makeover and bring a house back to its former glory.
Some of our garages are filled with projects and old car parts. Others hunt the thrift stores, looking for a perfect piece of furniture that just needs some tender loving care.
Restoration always has a number of factors. It inherently involves brokenness, intrinsic value, skilled and dedicated labor, and a glorious result.
Restoration takes place on that which is broken. Perhaps it was simply neglected. Perhaps it was just worn out by the ravages of time and over use. Maybe it was harshly used or abused. Whatever the case, there is an acknowledgement that it is broken, and it is in need of restoration.
Restoration takes place on that which has intrinsic value. The mechanic hunts for the old Ford Mustang, not the Ford Escort. The woodworker pours his sweat into the solid hardwood china cabinet, not a used pressboard cabinet from Ikea. The restorer finds the item that catches his or her eye and immediately recognizes the prize and potential that exists behind rust and stains. Restoration takes places with a great deal of labor and love. The project can take anywhere from several weekends to several years to complete. It becomes purely a labor of love, filled with determination, care and pride. The new creation exhibits the mastery and the skill of its author.
Restoration ends with a glorious reveal. The cable companies know that they can drag you through piles of commercials because you are anxious to see “the big reveal” at the end of the show. All of the hard work, money and time finally pay off when you behold the final result, turning out better than you could have even imagined at first.
Psalm 23:1-3: “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul.”
This Psalm is not referring to your Mustang, china cabinet or single-family home. It speaks of your own life that has brokenness. Some might walk by and see the damage and esteem it invaluable. But not the Good Shepherd, he sees underneath all of that rust and grime the potential of what might be. His restoration is tender and costly, involving great sacrifice. And yet the labor of love is most effective and able to bring about an amazing renewal. It ends with a glorious big reveal.