Looking Through the Eyes of Jesus —The Master Restorer

Today’s Devotional, October 29, 2023

“This is love: not that we loved God, but, that he loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” —1 John 4:10, NIV

In 2018, I browsed a couple of Buy, Trade, and Sell sites for items to convert a second bedroom into a craft room. Then I saw the “Free” category which had many listings but most had an updated status of picked up. While the offer may seem generous, the furniture pics revealed items that were worn, torn, discolored, and appeared to have irreparable damage.

My interest was piqued, I googled “What do people do with damaged furniture?” and several articles about furniture restoration populated. I was in awe when I looked at the before and after pictures. I may have lacked knowledge in furniture restoration, but I took the initiative to learn and successfully restored two small pieces for my craft room.

The restorer sees the item differently from the eyes of an unskilled person. The untrained eye only sees a piece of junk but the restorer envisions the finished product as soon as they look at the item. They possess the expertise to develop an immediate plan to perform a complete transformation.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” —John 3:16

Furniture restoration immediately reminded me of the story of God’s grace extended to every person living on this earth. Jesus has a special interest in those who are broken and worn down from the impact of sin. We have an experiential knowledge of the plan of Salvation and spiritual transformation, but are we fulfilling our role in alleviating the hopeless despair of the unbelievers living on this dying earth?

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations…” (Matthew 28:19). God expects us to be co-laborers with Christ in witnessing to others. Every Christian has a pre-destined mission, to seek the lost, hurting, and hopeless individuals in our neighborhoods, villages, rural areas, the workplace, on the streets, in the supermarkets, shopping malls, restaurants, gas stations, in recreational and social settings, and especially those who attend church but have not accepted Christ as their Savior.

Because of our fast-paced life, we have to develop different strategies to witness. Most people are in a hurry and do not have the time or desire to listen to the story of Redemption. So, I prayed and asked the Holy Spirit to give me the most effective words for witnessing on the go. The answer is, “Jesus loves you.” And I agree with the Holy Spirit, yes, these three words are life-changing.

We can do our part by speaking the words, “Hi, Jesus loves you.” If the hearer is receptive then the Holy Spirit will take over and continue to speak to their hearts. Although many will not respond, they cannot reverse hearing that the most powerful name in heaven and earth loves them. Yes, those three words will resound over and over again in their minds!

Christ, the Master Restorer has a keen interest in restoring those who are broken and suffering from the ravages of sin. As recipients of Jesus’ saving grace, we have the privilege to participate in His mission by sharing the Good News with those who are lost. Praise God! We have Jesus – the Master Restorer who continually transforms and restores, making us whole.

Prayer: God, we thank You for the gift of Your Son Jesus and the love, grace, and mercies, we receive every day. In Jesus’ Holy name, we pray. Amen.

© 2023 Steps 2 Success with Spiritual Solutions and Woman, You Are Loved by God