Jesus is excited about your restoration too. Why? He knows your potential.
People who go antiquing love it because they enjoy the process. They roam about countless yard sales, second hand shops and even the “junk yard.” They know that amidst the rubble are hidden gems most people overlook. They’re confident that with a little hard work and tender love and care, something discarded as trash can be restored to its original condition—a unique treasure whose value is priceless. Treasure hunters don’t just love the treasure; they have a passion for the process.
Our Father God is the ultimate treasure hunter. He is always looking for his children. He finds them abandoned in war zones; he discovers them underneath the rubble of an earthquake; he finds them crying in broken homes; and he even finds them in luxurious estates, hiding their pain. Every time he finds one of his little treasures, he is ready to pay the price. In fact, he’s already paid the price—through his Son Jesus—and is ready to start the transformation process.
Jesus is excited about your restoration too. Why? He knows your potential. Before Jesus began his earthly ministry, he was a carpenter—someone who appreciated creativity and craftsmanship. But, in the beginning (in Heaven) Jesus was the Word of God (John 1:14) He created everything. He knows exactly how valuable you are. He made you!
- John 1:1-3, King James Version – In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made
- Genesis 1:26-27, King James Version – “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion…So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.”
Jesus loves you just the way you are. He doesn’t expect to find you in perfect condition. Yes, he sees your flaws (sins), the dents (mistakes) and wear and tear (tragedy and sorrow), but he has the expertise to restore you back into pristine condition. Jesus wants to fix you up—no need to “do-it-yourself” or pay for it. His motivation is love. His message is restoration. The cost to you? Nothing. Everything has been pre-paid.
- Matthew 9:13, New Living Translation – “I want you to be merciful. For I have come to urge sinners, not the self-righteous, back to God.”
- Matthew 9:35-36, New Living Translation – Jesus traveled around through all the cities and villages of that area, teaching in the Jewish synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And wherever he went he healed people of every sort of illness. And what pity he felt for the crowds that came, because their problems were so great and they didn’t know what to do or where to go for help…”
- Ephesians 2:8-10, New International Version – For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
