ACT V: Restoration | Sadness Undone.
This article was first published by Bible Memory Project — a website designed to help you memorize and meditate on the Bible.
He sent redemption to his people; he has commanded his covenant forever. Holy and awesome is his name!
(Psalm 111:9)
We’ve come to the Final Act in the Story of Redemption. With each scene, the providence and kindness of God become more evident.
In Act I, we see God’s providence and kindness in the creation of the universe. Everything that you and I see originates with God. He did not create out of compulsion or need. Instead, He created out of the overflow of His love.
In Act II, we watched as humanity — rather than following God’s good design — chose to rebel. This gives unfortunate clarity to the dysfunction that we see in our world today. Why is the world such a broken place, you may wonder. The answer is rooted in our origin story. When Adam and Eve sinned, it set in motion the brokenness we see today. Yet, even in humanity’s rebellion, we see the providence and kindness of God. He did not destroy humanity. Instead, He gave a promise of future salvation and restoration (Genesis 3:15).
In Acts III, we see with clarity God’s plan from the beginning. In His providence and kindness, He made salvation possible for all who would turn to Him in faith. However, the salvation God provided was not cheap — the price was infinitely valuable. It cost the death of His own son, Jesus. The Bible teaches that this is the clearest example we have of God’s love and kindness toward us (Romans 8:32).
In Act IV, we discover that, in light of such great news, there is only one reasonable response — to proclaim the good news of salvation to everyone. In God’s providence and kindness, He allows you and me to play a part in the proclamation of the Good News.
This brings us to Act V — the restoration of all things. The story is almost too good to be true. The ending is better than we could have imagined. Not only does God make a relationship with Him possible, but someday He will restore all things that have been destroyed by sin. One day everything sad and broken in this world will come untrue. It’s a beautiful promise. A promise that gives courage to face dark days and hope when things feel hard.
In Psalm 111:9, the author writes, “He sent redemption to his people; he has commanded his covenant forever. Holy and awesome is his name!” This verse is a powerful reminder of God's commitment to restoration and the incredible hope that we are moving towards. It looks back on the faithfulness of God toward his people and the way He has been faithful to his covenant with them. The entire theme of this Psalm is to look back and remember what God has done. As the Psalm ends, the writer concludes with this reminder — God sent redemption to His people and has been faithful to the covenant He established with them. This is good news for you and me! When we study the Bible and see God’s faithfulness throughout history, we are reminded that He will be faithful in the future.
As human beings, we are all in need of restoration. We are all broken in some way. Whether it is through sin, illness, addiction, or any other form of brokenness, we all need God to make the broken pieces in our life news. And this is exactly the promise we find in Scripture. God does not merely save us spiritually, but He intends to restore all things physically. Until that day, we wait with eager anticipation. We look forward to the day when God will restore things to how they once were — perfect. And as we wait, we are reminded that God is holy, His name is awesome, and He is always faithful. We wait for the restoration of all things with confidence.
If that is our future — if that is the hope that we are moving towards — here are three practical ways to live in light of our future restoration.
Embrace Hope: Living in light of future restoration means we can embrace hope in all circumstances. That doesn’t mean we live in blind optimism, but it does mean that this life is not the end. We have a future hope and restoration coming. Even when we face trials and difficulties, we can know that our story is part of a much bigger Story of Redemption — one that ends in restoration.
Cultivate Gratitude: I’ve heard it said that we don’t remember what happened; we remember the things we reflect on. Gratitude is one of the best ways to reflect well and a great way to live in light of our future restoration. When you and I cultivate gratitude, we remember the ways that God has been faithful to us (and to His people) in the past. And we grow in our confidence that He will be faithful in the future.
Pursue Righteousness: Living in light of future restoration means that we must pursue righteousness in all that we do. This means seeking to live in accordance with God's will and following his commands. One day, God will return, restore all things, and establish his kingdom. On that day, righteousness will flourish, and the presence of evil will be undone. Until that day, we are to live now in light of what will be true then. We are to pursue righteousness.
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