God of restoration

Are you ready to receive back what the enemy has taken from you? If you haven’t thought about that recently, it’s time to get ready because God is about to restore what the devil has stolen.

However, before we delve into the encouraging message about restoration, I want to share  another specific Word from the Lord I received from the Holy Ghost, which I believe is for you.  Not long ago, when I was doing my morning exercises, the Holy Spirit told me some specific things, so I opened the notes app on my phone and took them down. I believe these words  will encourage you, correct your thinking, and replace fear with faith. The Holy Ghost said, “Your money, your health, your wealth, your standing is not affected by any election, but rather by your faith in God through His Word. Watch your confession and your words both now and in the future. Don’t be caught up with the affairs of this life. Open your spiritual, rather than your natural eyes, for it is God’s anointing that breaks every yoke of bondage.”

It matters not whether you like the choices Americans made. What matters is your faith and what you do with the Word. First Timothy 2:1 says to, “Pray for all that are in authority, that you may lead a quiet and peaceable life, in all godliness and honesty, for this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who will have all men to be saved and come into the knowledge of the truth.” We always pray that God’s will be done in our nation, regardless of which party holds the White House, Congress, and Senate. We believe the world is awakening to God, and a revival of reverence and power is coming upon the churches. Even now, in America, we are beginning to see a few of the “rich and famous” get radically saved. The Wall Street Journal recently reported that Bible sales were up 22% over last year through the end of October 2024.We believe God is restoring America to its spiritual roots, and He is ready to restore whatever the enemy has stolen from you, too.

Webster’s 1828 Dictionary of the English Language defines restore as “to return to a person a specific thing that they have lost or taken from them.” The Hebrew word that is translated restore is shalam, which means to be safe, complete, reciprocate, make amends, recompense, or restitution. Partner, if you’ve lost something, believe God to restore it. The Bible has many accounts of people whose health, life, and families were restored.

For example, the wealthy Shunamite woman was blessed with restoration two times that we are aware of. She and her husband offered housing and food to the prophet Elisha. They fed him every time he passed through town and built a “prophet’s chamber,” or a little guest room just for him. The prophet wanted to bless them for their generosity, but he didn’t know what he could do. They didn’t express their desires, but Gehazi, the prophet’s servant, knew they wanted a child. So, Elisha prophesied they would have a baby, and God fulfilled the prophecy.

When their supernaturally born son was about two years old, he suffered heatstroke and died. His mother laid the boy on the prophet’s bed, saddled a donkey, and took off to find the man of God. Her husband saw her heading down the trail and shouted, “Why are you going to see the prophet? It isn’t a special holy day.” She replied in faith, saying only, “It is well.” Eventually, she reached the top of Mount Carmel, where the prophet and his assistant, Gehazi, were.

2 Kings 4:25-35

So she went and came unto the man of God to mount Carmel. And it came to pass, when the man of God saw her afar off, that he said to Gehazi his servant, Behold, yonder is that Shunammite: Run now, I pray thee, to meet her, and say unto her, Is it well with thee? is it well with thy husband? is it well with the child? And she answered It is well: And when she came to the man of God to the hill, she caught him by the feet: but Gehazi came near to thrust her away. And the man of God said, Let her alone; for her soul is vexed within her: and the LORD hath hid it from me, and hath not told me. Then she said, Did I desire a son of my lord? did I not say, Do not deceive me? Then he said to Gehazi, Gird up thy loins, and take my staff in thine hand, and go thy way: if thou meet any man, salute him not; and if any salute thee, answer him not again: and lay my staff upon the face of the child. And the mother of the child said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And he arose, and followed her. And Gehazi passed on before them, and laid the staff upon the face of the child; but there was neither voice, nor hearing. Wherefore he went again to meet him, and told him, saying, The child is not awaked. And when Elisha was come into the house, behold, the child was dead, and laid upon his bed. He went in therefore, and shut the door upon them twain, and prayed unto the LORD. And he went up, and lay upon the child, and put his mouth upon his mouth, and his eyes upon his eyes, and his hands upon his hands: and stretched himself upon the child; and the flesh of the child waxed warm. Then he returned, and walked in the house to and fro; and went up, and stretched himself upon him: and the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes.

God restored her son’s life through her faith and the prophet’s anointing. If you jump over to the eighth chapter of 2 Kings, you’ll learn that this miracle was well known, but they faced other challenges. It says: “Then spake Elisha unto the woman, whose son he had restored to life, saying, Arise, and go thou and thine household, and sojourn wheresoever thou canst sojourn: for the LORD hath called for a famine; and it shall also come upon the land seven years” (2 Kings 8:1). The prophet warned the Shunamite woman that a famine was coming upon their land. He told them to leave and return after seven years when the famine would end.

As a side note, famine is part of the curse; abundance is part of the blessing. When God’s people disobeyed Him, they suffered judgment from the curse of the Law, which included poverty (famine), sickness, and death. I want to point out that God warned the prophet and those faithful to Him about the coming economic downturn. God always warns His people, but they often do not listen. That is why I focus so much on keeping my spiritual ears open. Sometimes judgment comes upon a nation or a community of people for their disobedience, but those who obey God will be warned so they will be protected even through judgment.

Here’s another vital point about judgment and restoration: when God warns about coming judgment, that doesn’t mean it will happen tomorrow, next week, or even next month. He may give you notice 10 years in advance so you can prepare. So, keep your spiritual ears tuned to the Holy Ghost, and do what God says. He will try to protect you, but you’ve got to listen and do what He instructs.

Elisha told the Shunamite woman to leave her property because a famine was coming. She and her household left their beautiful home with the prophet’s chamber and all their land. You can guess what would happen if you left such an estate for seven years: somebody would squat on your land. They will move in and act as if it belongs to them, and apparently, that’s what happened to the woman’s property. So, the Shunamite woman went to the king, seeking the restoration of her estate. Still, nothing happened until God inspired the king to ask Gehazi about Elisha’s ministry.

2 Kings 8:4-6

And the king talked with Gehazi, the servant of the man of God, saying, Tell me, I pray thee, all the great things that Elisha hath done. And it came to pass, as he was telling the king how he had restored a dead body to life, that, behold, the woman, whose son he had restored to life, cried to the king for her house and for her land. And Gehazi said, My lord, O king, this is the woman, and this is her son, whom Elisha restored to life. And when the king asked the woman, she told him. So the king appointed unto her a certain officer, saying, Restore all that was hers, and all the fruits of the field since the day that she left the land, even until now.

It was no coincidence the king asked Gehazi about Elisha’s miracles then! It was just the right time to bring up the Shunamite woman and her son so the king would be kindly disposed to help them reclaim what was rightfully theirs. If you listen to the Lord, He will put you in the right place at the right time. The king ordered an official to ensure that the Shunamite woman, who generously served the prophet, would get everything restored, including all the produce her land produced in those seven years! God kept this woman and her household safe in Philistia, and when He brought them back, He gave her a seven-year paycheck all at once. She had complete restoration! Her son was alive and well, and they were back to their land, producing food with seven years worth available to sell or store. She got complete restoration—the same restoration I believe God is sending you!

Remember that God is not the thief as you believe God to receive restoration. John 10:10 tells us, “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I [Jesus] am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” Satan is the thief, and Proverbs 6:30-31 tells us the thief must restore seven times what he has stolen. It says: “Men do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry; But if he be found, he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give all the substance of his house.”

Restoration may come to you differently than how you lost what you want to recover. For example, if your husband died, biblical restoration does not mean that God will raise your husband from the dead and give him back to you. However, God can restore you by giving you another husband.

The Shunamite woman was a covenant woman. You are also a covenant man or woman if you are in Christ! Galatians 3:29 says, “And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise.” The woman in 2 Kings also sowed a seed, and I know you do the same. She blessed and honored the man of God, as you honor me by being my ministry partner. The Shunamite woman got it all back, and you will, too.

You can find promises about restoration throughout the Bible. For example, the book of Joel, which is mostly about prayer and repentance, also speaks of restoration. Prayer, repentance, and restoration are all connected. When people pray and repent, God restores what they have lost due to their sins and God’s judgment. Let’s be honest. Sometimes Satan steals things right out from under us, but many times, we open the door for him because we are disobedient, in the wrong place at the wrong time, step out of the secret place of the Most High (see Psalm 91:1), or we didn’t listen to the Holy Spirit’s warnings.

The prophet Joel called the entire community, including the leaders, to unite in fasting and prayer. Under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, Joel said, “Gird yourselves, and lament, ye priests: howl, ye ministers of the altar: come, lie all night in sackcloth, ye ministers of my God: for the meat offering and the drink offering is withholden from the house of your God. Sanctify ye a fast, call a solemn assembly, gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land into the house of the LORD your God, and cry unto the LORD, Alas for the day! for the day of the LORD is at hand, and as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come” (Joel 1:13-15). Joel told them their problems were the effects of the broken law. The same was true in Shunamite’s day and ours. Israel suffered because of disobedience, and even the righteous had to make some adjustments. The Shunamite woman was protected by moving away, but it must have taken some effort and commitment to move her entire household of seven years.

Today, you may be a righteous follower of Jesus who obeys God’s Word, but if you live in a state or nation that is breaking God’s laws, you might suffer some of the consequences of sin unless God delivers you from the worst of it as He did the Shunamite woman. Again, I want to remind you to listen to the Holy Ghost. He will lead you out of trouble and into safety, just as He did for the Shunamite woman.

Joel also prophesied that the day of the Lord is at hand. Here, the day of the Lord means the day of restoration; Joel mentioned it in chapter one and again in chapter two: “Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand…” (Joel 2:1). God is waiting to restore, but restoration begins inside each of us as we open our hearts to God. Joel chapter two is a powerful prophetic utterance about repentance, prayer, and restoration. It begins, “And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil. Who knoweth if he will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind him; even a meat offering and a drink offering unto the LORD your God? Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly: Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet. Let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O LORD, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God” (Joel 2:13-17)?

The Lord told Joel to sanctify a fast. Many people begin the New Year with some type of fast. Some people eat nothing for one, two, or three days. Others skip one meal a day. Others cut out foods they usually enjoy and eat only vegetables or meat and no processed foods, sweets, or starches. What do you know about fasting? Most people think it is only related to how much or what kind of food a person eats. However, fasting isn’t about food. It’s about time and focus. You don’t get more spiritual by restricting your diet because natural things do not equate to spiritual things. You cannot solve a spiritual problem with a natural solution. Remember, “God is a Spirit, and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24). The natural doesn’t manifest spiritual things. However, spiritual things manifest naturally. Take healing, for example. Physical healing begins as a spiritual thing and then manifests in the body.

Isaiah 58:5-8 describes how God wants us to fast. It says, “Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the LORD? Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh? Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy reward.”

These verses tell us the fasting God wants us to do involves feeding the poor and setting captives free. Then, the glory of the Lord shall be your reward, and health will abound. Those things are not promised because of dietary restrictions, but they come when people open the door for God’s glory through repentance and obedience.

The Prophet Joel gave a serious call to repentance, but along with the fasting and rending of hearts, Joel also reminded us that God is gracious and merciful. There is a time to mourn and weep (see Ecclesiastes 3:4), but the weeping will endure only for a night because joy comes in the morning (see Psalm 30:4). God wants to forgive, bless, and restore. However, the first move is ours. We must repent, pray, and seek His face. Joel 2:18-20 tells us how God will respond: “Then will the LORD be jealous for his land, and pity his people. Yea, the LORD will answer and say unto his people, Behold, I will send you corn, and wine, and oil, and ye shall be satisfied therewith: and I will no more make you a reproach among the heathen: But I will remove far off from you the northern army, and will drive him into a land barren and desolate, with his face toward the east sea, and his hinder part toward the utmost sea, and his stink shall come up, and his ill savour shall come up, because he hath done great things.”

Finally, Joel described the restoration of all the devil has stolen. I don’t know about you, but for me, these verses are “shouting ground.”

Joel 2:21-32

Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the LORD will do great things. Be not afraid, ye beasts of the field: for the pastures of the wilderness do spring, for the tree beareth her fruit, the fig tree and the vine do yield their strength. Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month. And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the vats shall overflow with wine and oil. And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you. And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the LORD your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you: and my people shall never be ashamed. And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the LORD your God, and none else: and my people shall never be ashamed. And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit. And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the LORD come. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call.

Did you notice the turnaround promised in the these verses? There is a change coming for the body of Christ. A change is coming for those faithful to serve the Lord. A change is coming for everyone who gives generously and does not withhold what God tells them to give. Glory to God! Change is coming. Lack is turning to abundance. Sickness is turning to health. Fear is turning to faith. God is opening up the windows of Heaven and pouring out such a blessing that His faithful ones will not room enough to contain it! (see Malachi 3:10)

When we receive tithes and offerings in our church, we say a tithers’ confession. A part of that statement of faith is that we believe God for “supernatural wealth transfer.” I want you to know that it is not an imaginary doctrine f man. It is entirely scriptural. Proverbs 13:22 tells us, “… the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just.”

Joel prophesied that although the nation’s sins had put them under the curse, which brought on a famine, God would restore everything they lost. So, he told them what I’m telling you in this letter, Partner be glad. Rejoice! Wherever you are right now, I encourage you to rejoice. Even if the rejoicing must be under your breath, thank the Lord for His goodness and mercy that endures forever. Praise His name because the promises of Joel 2:21-32 are for you. Thank Him for His teaching and those who teach the Word today because the phrase former rain is mowreh in Hebrew, which means teacher or teaching. The word moderately is tsdaqah, which means righteous or according to righteousness. So, we can understand this verse to say, “For the Lord has given you teaching according to righteousness, and he will cause the rain to come down for you.” In other words, rain that produces fruit comes from anointed scriptural teaching. The rain must come before the fruit, so let it rain. Get under the spout where the Word of God is taught and watch the blessing flow.

How many blessings accompany the rain from God’s Word? Joel said, “And the floors shall be full of wheat; the vats shall overflow with wine and oil. And I [God] will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpillar, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you.” A floor covered with wheat and containers brimming with wine and oil means prosperity. Prosperity doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be a millionaire, but your every need will be met, with no lack and plenty of extra to be a blessing to others.

Maybe you feel like your harvest has been stolen, but even if the devil has taken everything from you, God will restore it when you repent, turn to Him, seek His face, get under scriptural teaching, praise and glorify His name, and trust His Word. Satan wants to wear you out, run you down, and take all your stuff, but God wants to build you up, strengthen you, and restore all the devil has taken from you so you can be a blessing to others. He promised to restore the years the locusts have eaten. Praise the Lord, for He is the God of restoration!