Each one of us is on a journey to our final, and eternal, destination.  As Christians, we live with the confident assurance that our eternal home is with God.  But, we’re not home yet and there is a life to be lived as we journey toward heaven.  It is my prayer that this series of devotions will help you discover not only a glimpse of heaven, but that it would prepare you to more fully live like you are home even as you continue the journey.

This is day twenty-three from the devotional journal, “Almost Heaven: Devotions For the Journey Home”.  Each of these devotions are designed to help a person spend time with God in the process of discovering how He would have us to live as we prepare for an eternal home.

Almost Heaven:
A Home Of Restoration

“Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that he may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you — even Jesus. He must remain in heaven until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets.“
Acts 3:19-21 (NIV)

Is there a difference between repairing something and restoring it?  What might that be?  Have you ever had something of value that was worn out or broken that you had restored?  How did the finished restoration make you feel?  Are there things in your life that need restored?  What would it take for that to happen?  How much confidence would you have in something being fully restored if you knew the item’s designer and creator were doing the restoration?

I am pretty good at breaking things and am improving at repairing them, but generally lack the ability to actually restore them.  Many times when we mess up our life, we settle for a quick fix or simple repair when God wants to give us a full restoration.  While God has made the way for us to be restored through the work of His Son, that work in us will not be fully complete until we are home with Him.  As you pray, ask God to fill you with the desire to repent in order to bring about restoration.  Pray that you would trust Him, as your designer and creator, to know how to fully restore you.  Pray that God’s restoration work in you would be brought to completion. 

In prayer,

Tom