“I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the grasshopper, the destroyer, and the cutter, my great army, which I sent among you!” Joel 2:25
“When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream” Psalm 126:1
As I sojourn in life and ministry, I have been privileged to pass through some nations, territories and continents of the world. Sometime ago, I had the opportunity of getting to the spot where the World Trade Centre (Twin towers) used to stand in the city of New York, USA. For anyone who was aware of the events that brought down the Twin towers and the catastrophe that followed in 2001, you will agree that it was a sad day in the history of the world; where over three thousand innocent lives were consumed just like that! The two massive towers crumbled in a matter of hours apart while some other buildings around were not spared.
However, inspite of this ugly situation and incidence, the government of the USA decided to rise out of the rubbles; find their feet again and then strategized on what to do with situation. They went back to the drawing board and made a tourist destination out of the rubbles. Various monumental sites were erected that attracts lots of tourists from around the world. I could not but marvel at how they turned the place around into a beautiful attraction place. Truly, it is said that if life throws a lemon at you, make a lemonade out of it! This was a practical demonstration of turning their ashes into beauty and turning their lemon into lemonade!
On one of the days that I had to transit through the city to another, I was to take a train at the World Trade Centre. I missed my train by 5 minutes; hence I had to wait another 20 minutes for the next one. That was the PATH Train! Navigating my way through the station that early morning, I could not but marvel. It was a beautiful sight. I sat, waiting for the next train and I began to meditate on the scriptures above. God is indeed, a Restorer! If we allow Him, He surely can make a miracle out of our mess; He can turn our bitter experience into sweet; He can bring a complete turn around for the better. The PATH Train station was a beautiful site to behold. It is at the basement of the OCCULUS Building just part of where the World Trade Centre used to be together with many beautiful shopping malls, tourist places etc. I sat down and worshipped God as I meditated. This country did not sit in their rubbles weeping but they got up, shook off the dust and wiped their tears; and then got to bringing a redefinition to the situation. As I thought through this situation, I could not but capture the environment in a picture. I asked another waiting passenger to take a photograph of me with the PATH Train. The environment was beautiful; I could not let it pass. This is the feature photograph in my post today 😊
Beloved, what bitter situation are you going through? What is it that it seems the enemy has taken away from you? What have you lost? What mess are you experiencing? Remember, God is the RESTORER! He has promised to restore; lay claim to His promises. When we allow Him, He truly can turn things around for us. What the enemy would want to see you do, is sit in the rubbles of whatever bitter experience you may be going through. His mission as a thief is to steal, kill and destroy; but remember that JESUS has come that you may have life and have it in abundance! Lay hold on that which Jesus has come to give; receive life in abundance back into every situation you are going through that seems you have been exploited or plundered!
May you and I experience a divine turn-around from whatever ugly situation we might have experienced, into beautiful ones. May every captivity be turned around and may testimonies of God’s restoration erupt in our domain. Amen!
©Funmi Adebayo