Restore, Chapter 7--I'll Make Everything As Good As New

If you were privy to the events in our lives in the past year, you would know why I felt led to use this verse below for the cover of the "Restore" ceremony programs. 

“Yes, God’s message: ‘You’re going to look at this place, these empty and desolate towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem and say, ‘A wasteland. Unlivable. Not even a dog could live here.’ But the time is coming when you’re going to hear laughter and celebration, marriage festivities, people exclaiming, ‘Thank God-of-the-Angel-Armies. He’s so good! His love never quits,’ as they bring thank offerings into God’s Temple. I’ll restore everything that was lost in this land. I’ll make everything as good as new. ‘I, God says so.’”
Jeremiah 33:6-11 The Message

 Pain. Grief. Despair.  

    

How do we move forward from this?

If you had looked inside our windows and into our hearts your would have found desolation and emptiness. You might have said, 

"A wasteland. Unlivable." 

or 

"I can't imagine how you can get over all of this."

or 

"Maybe it would be best to move on."

But God says, 

"I’ll restore everything that was lost in this land. I’ll make everything as 
good as new."

Why?

Because He said so. 

If you listen to Christian music at all you have probably heard the song "Restore" by Chris August and realize that is where we got the name for our ceremony. I don't think that it is any coincidence that this song was released this year. I am sure that this song has meant a great deal to a great many people but a couple of those folks were Eric and Anna. God used this song to encourage us. It reminded us that we aren't alone in our struggles. 

Take a few minutes to listen to "our new song".

  

 

 "But the time is coming when you’re going to hear laughter and celebration, marriage festivities, people exclaiming, ‘Thank God-of-the-Angel-Armies. He’s so good! His love never quits,’ as they bring thank offerings into God’s Temple."

    GOD ALONE CAN DO THIS.

(I just wanted to note that I do know that the scripture above was not written to describe marriage. I know that it refers to Jerusalem. So if anyone thinks that I am abusing scripture, that is not what I meant to do. I believe that God, Restorer of Israel, a nation that acts so like myself, is able to restore our marriage. He wants us to love others and to keep our word. He said so.)