They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated. (Isa. 61:4)
In 1967, Sterling High School in Greenville, South Carolina, was destroyed by a fire. All that was left standing of the historic African American school after the flames had been extinguished were the gym and a small music room. In 1970, the facility was dedicated as a community center, which continues to serve the surrounding neighborhood through sports and after-school programs, senior adult activities, summer day camps, and various other programs.
When Isaiah made his proclamation to the people of Israel he was reminding them that even after all that they had been through, they had not been destroyed. The God that they followed was still with them and his covenant was still intact. He had plans to rebuild, restore, and renew them as a people and as individuals, not just physically but also spiritually.
We have all experienced some sort of difficulty in our lives because we live in a broken world. You may even be in a season right now where restoration seems impossible. But when devastation comes we can choose one of two responses: We can let the ruins remain, or we can allow God to restore what has been destroyed. What was true for the Israelites so long ago is true for us today—he still rebuilds ruins and restores the devastated places in our hearts.
Allow God to restore the broken pieces of your life.
Deborah Rhodes is co-lead pastor of Parkside [Wesleyan] Church in Greenville, South Carolina. She is passionate about studying and teaching God’s Word.
© 2020 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.
