Today’s Devotional: “Speak Restore”

Once again, my Bible reading had me in Isaiah 42, and one of most beautiful but sad Scriptures within the Bible.

“But this is a people robbed and plundered; all of them are snared in holes, and they are hidden in prison houses; they are for prey, and no one delivers; for plunder, and no one says, ‘RESTORE!’” (Isaiah 42:22).

We are a plundered people. Jesus said this is what Satan wants to do, and he has done a good job of it. But Jesus came to counter that. Jesus came to give us life and that more abundantly (John 10:10).

Yet, we remain robbed and plundered, held captive in the prison house of our sins and disobedience. But we don’t have to stay there. We can have that abundant life. So why don’t we?

We can point to our disobedience and lack of repentance, but what the Lord is saying here is that it’s because we don’t speak the word “Restore.”

We need to speak the word “Restore.” The Lord told this to Ezekiel in his vision of the Valley of Dry Bones.

“Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, ‘Thus says the Lord God: ‘Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.” (Ezekiel 37:9)

We live in a nation that has been plundered. We see a church that is in decline that has been plundered. We see the institution of marriage plundered. We see the sanctity of life plundered. We see our families and community plundered.

Are you plundered? Are your finances plundered? Is your marriage plundered? Is your family plundered? Has your spiritual life been plundered?

Yes, ask God to forgive you. Yes repent and turn away from your sins. But also speak the word of the Lord to your situation. Speak the word “Restore.”

And God’s promise is that He will restore, that He will bring the former and later rain (Joel 2).

And so, if there ever was a word from the Lord for His people, this is it!