This week Europe was shocked by the surprising defeat of the conservative Tories party. After emerging in the 1600s, the conservative party ruled the UK from 2010 until this year.
Their defeat signals a change in European politics. And perhaps it is a sign of things to come for the United States. Many Britons have complained about the corruption that had infiltrated and emerged among the conservative party.
- Greed
- Deception
- Pride
The Bible warns us against calling evil good and overcoming darkness with darkness (Isaiah 5:20- 21, John 1:5.) When those in power aren’t held accountable for their actions, evil spreads.
God does not condone any evil; He judges all evil the same. God has hated the wickedness of man since the fall of mankind in the garden (Genesis 6:5.)
Nations and governments rise and fall when they become corrupt (Proverbs 14:34, Daniel 2:21, James 5:1-6, 1 Peter 2:13-14.) No man or party can fix or save the world; only God can restore everything because He isn’t corrupt.
Restore
Ever since the fall in the garden, this world has been broken and has needed to be restored. Restore is defined as, “To put or bring back into existence or use; revive.”
There is a lot of brokenness in the world because of man’s sin, creation itself groans over the effects of man’s unfaithfulness (Genesis 3:17-18, Romans 8:19-22, Revelation 10:6.)
All creation needs restoration, not just America or our politics. After the fall God promised to restore what was lost in the garden (Genesis 3:15.) The Apostle Paul learned about the world’s need for restoration from his Jewish education (Job 12:7-9, Isaiah 40: 26.)
Râpâ’
God’s will was to create a nation unto Himself and He use Israel as a holy people to restore the world, not just one nation. Sin corrupts man and the ground we all stand on, the earth needs healing, as well as God’s people.
The Hebrew word for restore in the Old Testament is râpâ’ and it can also mean, “heal, or make healthful,” depending on how it is used. During the Exodus, God told Moses to throw wood into the water to cleanse it so they could drink it (Exodus 15: 25.)
Because God “healed” the water, Israel called God, Jehovah Rapha, The Lord Who heals. God is the only answer to the healing and the restoration of God’s people and the broken world we live in.
Later after Israel split and then was scattered by other nations, God promised to restore His people (Jeremiah 30:1-38:22.) Restoration is a painful process from God. Below are the four steps of spiritual restoration.
- Replace
- Renew
- Revive
- Return
Jesus emphasized the need for His followers to be born again (Matthew 3:8-9, John 3:5-6.) New life in repentance is a turning away from the world and our selfish wants.
The Apostle Paul reminded the early church that the old must pass away to make room for the new (Romans 12:2, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Ephesians 2:2.) Pain and suffering are powerful cleansers that break us from this life.
God’s people will face hardship because this world is not our home. The Apostle Paul reminded the early church that suffering is good and pain renews us (Romans 5:3-5.)
Beryl
Now that summer has begun, we have officially entered hurricane season. If you live in a coastal city or state, you understand hurricanes bring death and instruction. Science and the Bible tells us that this world is fading and things will only worsen (Zachariah 9:14, Matthew 4:7, Luke 21:11.)
As I write this, hurricane Beryl has rampaged through the Caribbean and devastated Jamaica on its way to the Gulf Coast and Texas. There has already been a lot of destruction.
- Flooding
- Wind damage
- Corrosion
- Death
Unfortunately, suffering is part of living in a broken world. The Bible warns us that Hardships fall on the righteous and unrighteous (Psalm 73:3-14, Ecclesiastes 9:2, Matthew 5:45, 1 Peter 1:6-7.) We will face hardships and experience pain. But, these are part of the healing process. And God is in the business of râpâ’!
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In