What do you think about when you hear the word restoration? There are numerous things that people restore such as: cars, furniture, and houses. The definition simply means to bring back to original condition. The condition of the thing needing restoration many times would be considered “broken”, and much of the time the choice is made just to throw it away. Unfortunately, people find themselves in the same condition because circumstances, abuse, neglect, or poor choices leave them in a similar state as a neglected car- broken. Yes, we are surrounded by broken people and many times, sadly, our sentiment is just to throw them away!
I am so glad God is not like that. The God of the Bible is and has always been in the restoration business, but His restoration is different in that when He restores someone’s condition- that person is even better than before. The Bible is full of examples of God restoring people but one of the most poignant is Jesus’s restoration of Peter. Peter’s pride and elevated sense of self would leave him a broken man and instead of tossing him aside and using someone else, Jesus would restore Peter to fellowship and service.
Peter bragged that he would be more loyal and steadfast to Jesus than all of the other disciples right after Jesus had warned all of them of Satan’s intention to “sift them like wheat”. Peter assured Jesus that the others might fail him, but he would not and then Jesus assured him that very soon Peter would actually deny him three times! The story is a familiar one of Peter following Jesus after his arrest then around a camp fire when given the chance to stand for Jesus he failed miserably. The Bible tells us after the third denial, Jesus gazed at him and Peter ran away, fell down, and wept bitterly. Peter was a broken man. The roosters that would crow every morning for the rest of his life would be a reminder of his failure. Many Christians have roosters in their lives, reminders of the times we deny our Lord in word and deed.
