One of the things I love about the Psalms is if you read through the Psalms looking for God's grace, you will discover every aspect, every function of the grace of God. They're all there in the Psalms-it's really quite amazing! And Psalm 80 focuses on the grace of restoration. One of the most provocative word pictures that God uses to describe his grace is the word restoration.
We once lived across the street from a beautiful house that was being restored. And I loved watching that process; it kept me fascinated for months. This once grand house was broken down and needing of care. And as I watched this process for months, I realized that there is a huge difference between a house that is being remodeled and a house that is being restored.
When you remodel a house, you throw up cheap paneling over cracked walls; you try to do a quick fix to wiring and plumbing--your goal is to make the house livable. That's not restoration. A restorer will peel the house back to its deepest level of difficulty and build out until it's back to the condition it was in when it was first built. We watched a house that was jacked up and then a new foundation was put underneath. It was crazy to watch because that foundation needed to be restored.
God is not interested in remodeling you. His goal is not to make you livable. His goal is to restore you to the condition he designed for you to be in when he created people and placed them in this place we call earth.
Psalm 80 is a cry for God's restorative grace, and there is a refrain in verse 3, verse 7, and verse 19:
Restore us, O God;
let your face shine, that we may be saved!
Restore us, O God of hosts;
let your face shine, that we may be saved!
Restore us, O Lord God of hosts!
Let your face shine, that we may be saved!
The sad fact is sin leaves us not just needing forgiveness, because sin leaves us damaged. And there's a way in which that damage reaches to every part of our being. And so, we are in need of not just forgiving grace and adopting grace and reconciling grace and justifying grace; we are in deep need of transforming grace. When our lives are broken by sin, it's wonderful that God doesn't just act in righteous condemnation; it's a wonderful thing that he doesn't settle for remodeling. No, God restores us.
Now, you know whether a house is going to be restored or condemned by the size of tools that are out front. If there's a wrecking ball out front, they aren't restoring this baby; they're tearing it down.
Isn't it wonderful that God never uses wrecking balls of condemnation against his children, but the fine tools of restoration? That's such a beautiful picture of his grace.
Even when you don't care that you're broken down, even if you're willing to live in your messed up condition, the good news is the Divine Restorer enters the house and he cares. And he's going to walk from room to room until the house that is you has been totally renewed again and will live for all of eternity in the glory of that perfect restoration!
Questions for Personal Reflection or Group Discussion
1. What are some of the distinct differences between restoration and remodeling? In what ways have you attempted to "remodel" your life in the past? How has that remodeling worked out for you? What did the "remodeling" process reveal to you about your life and your need for something much more than just remodeling? How did it help you see your need for true change (restoration)?
2. Why is God a God of restoration and not remodeling? What kind of deep work has God been doing in your life to show you that he is willing to do the difficult work of restoring you? Re-read the refrain in Psalm 80: 3, 7, and 19. Who is doing the work in these refrains? Why is it so important to understand who is doing the work of restoration and who isn't? In what ways are you grateful that God's work in your life is restoration work and not remodeling work?
3. What might it look like for God to walk room to room in the house of your life and restore every part as he goes? If the ultimate restoration happens in the glory of eternity, why might it matter that his ongoing restoration in your life is happening in the here and now before our home going to heaven? Why is transforming grace so important in our lives right now?
Conversation Prompts to Use with Children
For Younger Children:
• Why do you think it's important to repair something well and in the best way I can instead of doing it quickly and not really paying attention? What would happen to a broken toy if I didn't really pay attention to how I repaired it? Why would it be bad to repair a toy poorly?
• Do you think we are more important to God than toys or other broken things? Since we are broken by sin, do you think God wants to repair us quickly without paying attention or does he want to repair us the best way he can so we can be restored to the way God intended us to be? Why do you think God cares about us so much that he chooses to restore us in the best way possible?
For Older Children:
• Why do you think good, high quality work often takes longer than poor quality, cheap work? What do you think the difference is between remodeling a house and restoring a house? Which do you think would take longer--remodeling or restoring? Why?
• The Bible talks about God doing the good work of restoring his people. Why do you think Scripture would use that metaphor? What do you think caused the damage in the first place so that we needed to be restored? What do you think God's goal is in restoring his people? What might that restoration process feel like as we are undergoing it? If the Restorer (God) is good and loving, why can we always trust the restoration process even when it might feel painful?
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