Restoration
I do not usually enter the new year with a "word" for the year. But this year or maybe it is just in this season, the Lord has put the word Restoration on my heart with a burning intensity. Walking in the chronic illness space, both personally and professionally, this is not a new word. We all pray and hope for complete restoration in our body, soul, and spirit. Yet this year it feels like it is not just a hope to cling to, but a promise for many.
Restoration - The process of rebuilding what has been broken.
Sometimes this brokenness is due to life circumstances, other times it is due to our own choices. The walls in Nehemiah's time were torn down because Israel had turned from the Lord and paid the price. Sin always costs us something. But God does not leave us in the brokenness, instead, He raises up builders to help rebuild the walls.
We have a very real enemy who seeks only to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10) He often leaves us alone when he sees breaches in our defense. The foxes can get in through the little holes, and wreak havoc on our lives. We might be miserable but we do not feel the intensity of the battle until our eyes are opened to the truth of the condition of our brokenness.
Like the blind man on the road, we cry out for healing. The Lord gently asks "What do you want?" (Matth. 20:32). It starts with knowing what we are asking for. How often do we miss the brokenness and ashes we are sitting in? Or how often are we left assuming it will not change?
It is in this place that the Lord starts to rebuild. He will never ask us to rebuild alone but will always put us in a community, side by side aid in the rebuilding of what was broken. Even if we cannot see those who are rebuilding with us, know that you are never alone. And just as He promises to raise watchmen, shepherds, and teachers so He will raise builders.
Once we start the process of rebuilding, it can feel so discouraging because this is when we start to feel the heat of the enemy.
The Mocking of the Enemy
At first, the enemy taunts us. Mocking us. Making us think that the brokenness cannot be repaired. Then when the walls are beginning to be repaired and the breaches have been set and sealed, he gets angry. We pray and we act. We are called to live simple quiet lives and work with our hands. (1 Thess. 4:11) We have been called to set our hands to work. When we set our hands to the work in front of us, God will set His banner over us and will sing over us (Zeph 3:16) Our job is to set our minds, hearts, and actions toward Him.
Working unto Him is our job. He promises to protect us. He puts His banner over us, sings over us, delighting in us and the work we are doing unto Him in worship. Walking out our healing is worship.
The enemy sees the restoration and does not like it. When his plans, which have worked previously, are no longer able to work, his workers will scheme, and devise new plans to get you to set down your work.
Working with both a trowel and a sword.
You have come to build with the trowel and defend with the sword. How do we bring restoration into the body? By needing to do both. Build and defend. We build up with nutrients while defending against pathogens, and toxins that want to invade deeper into the system. We rebuild by doing both.
First, the mocking starts. How can you rebuild with broken and burnt-up stones? (Nehemiah 5:2) He tries to disorient you with confusion. As the wall begins to be rebuilt, the anger of the enemy is kindled and a plot is born to bring confusion to those rebuilding.
If the mocking, nor confusion will deter you from stopping, surly distraction and pestering will. Nehemiah is building the wall, four times a messenger comes with a message to come down and meet with his enemies. But four times he replied “I am doing great work and I cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and come to you?”
Many of us can swat a bug away once or twice without much thought but what about the 3rd or 4th time? Will you remain set on the work at hand, the steadfastness of what you have been given or will you be distracted, and will the pestering finally win out? It's when we are exhausted that we often lose sight of what we are doing. Sometimes we have to speak out loud the truth regardless of our reality.
“I am doing great work and I cannot be distracted. I cannot be confused and I will not care if you mock me. I know what I am doing and it is a great work and it is not finished yet.”
Jesus would not stop on His way to the cross. He was willing to drink the cup that had been handed to Him and for the joy set before Him endured the cross until it was finished.
Be Strengthened
Next come the accusations. False claims against you bring down your character, to create defensiveness and fear in your spirit. How do you rebuild when you are fighting? Both fight or flight (out of fear) would result in setting down the trowel. Setting down the tools that you need to rebuild. But this I know that Jesus came to bring life and life abundantly. I can throw myself at His feet knowing He is protecting me and defending me. But none of this comes without a cost. It comes with a wearing down of the builder.
Let your prayer be “But now, O God, strengthen my hands.” (Nehemiah 6:9)
"to grant to those who mourn in Zion— to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified." - Isaiah 61:3