RESTORE US

God's Word speaks to us personally and specifically at appointed times. His Word is truth, life, wisdom, and faith. It becomes alive in our hearts and speaks to our need. It correct and guides and is incredible encouragement.

Last week a specific verse jumped out from the Bible during my devotion time. It became alive and powerful. I felt I was to claim it for my life now. Certainly all of God's Word speaks daily and all of it is profitable at any time. However sometimes, certain verses have specific meaning now.

The verse that spoke so powerfully to me is Ps. 80:19. It reads:

¹⁹ Restore us, O LORD God Almighty;

make your face shine upon us,

that we may be saved.

Restore us.

Make your face shine upon us.

Save us.

God's was saying I will restore you. I will give you favor. I will save you. Over and over these words sunk deep into my soul. I claimed them for me, my family, and for the church I pastor.

This past Monday as Wanda and I were ending our morning devotional reading, I told her about this verse and felt that God wanted us to claim it for our lives, family, and our church. I got the Bible and read it to her and shared from my heart. Then we prayed over our lives and our church.

I especially felt led to pray for God to make His face shine on Southside Assembly. I asked for God's favor and for special blessing on this church and His people.

Later that day I received a call from a paving contractor. We had allowed his crew to park their equipment in our parking lot while they were repaving Atlantic Blvd. Their heavy equipment did some minor damage on our old pavement which already was badly in need of repaving.

To make a long story short, the contractor said they were not going to just repair the parking lot, but that they wanted to repave with "a new topcoat". At no charge. Free! Wow! A couple weeks back the contractor had told me that they were make the minor repairs on what they had damaged, but God had smiled on Southside in a great way. It was cost prohibitive for us to repave right now. Their donation ran into the thousands and thousands of dollars.

Did you know that free is better than cheap?

Praise God! The parking lot looks like new!

Our sanctuary and buildings have been renovated, re-carpeted, and repainted and now we have a sharp looking parking lot. Hallelujah!

Now, I pray that God will smile on you. That He would pour out a blessing so big you cannot receive all of it. I pray that He will do exceeding, abundantly, above what you might ask or think.

Amen!