ALPHA MAAMA (A.M.)

 TOKONAKI SIULAI 25, 2026

‘AISEA 13-17; FAKAHA 21:1-5

God, in grace, not only forgives us, but he also restores the things sin has damaged or destroyed.

Ko e ‘Otua ‘i he’ene kelesi, ‘oku ‘ikai ngata pe ‘i he’ene fakamolemole’i kitautolu, ka ‘oku ne fakafoki ‘a e ngaahi me’a na’e maumau’i mo faka’auha ‘e he angahalaa.

There are many wonderful old homes in Philadelphia. I get excited when someone purchases an old broken-down house and, instead of tearing it down, chooses to restore it. I love watching the slow progress of the damage being undone, piece by piece. I try to imagine what the house looked like in its former glory, and I love seeing that former glory progressively return. Even though I don't own the home, I find myself celebrating the fact that time and disrepair have not won. When the work is finally done and the house stands regal and beautiful, I celebrate the victory. But as much as the restoration of any physical thing is a victory over time and decay, it doesn't compare to the eternal glory of restorative grace. We must understand and celebrate the truth that God's grace doesn't end with forgiveness; it extends and extends until all that sin has damaged or destroyed is fully and finally restored.

We get a glimpse of God's restorative mercy in Isaiah 14:1: "For the LORD will have compassion on Jacob and will again choose Israel, and will set them in their own land, and sojourners will join them and will attach themselves to the house of Jacob." God was not willing to leave his children in captivity and defeat. Even though they had not earned it, nor did they deserve it, God would restore the glory of his people-not just for their good, but for his own glory. He would demonstrate that nothing could get in the way of his eternal redeeming plan for a world so damaged by sin. He would restore and preserve his people, so that out of them could come the ultimate restorer, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Passages like Isaiah 14 are not in the Bible just to record the progress of redemptive history. They are also there to help you understand God's character and plan. These restorative moments are God's reminders that he cares about the damage sin has done to us, our families, the natural environment, our neighborhoods and cities, and our systems of education, industry, and government. Everything has been damaged by sin, somehow and in some way. God's love for us is so vast that he forgives us and restores us.

Your Lord begins by restoring you so that you can live as he designed you to live. But there will be a day when he will make all things new. In almighty mercy, he will reverse every bit of damage sin has done, and we will live forever, in peace and righteousness, in a totally new world. This broken-down house that we call home will not be broken forever.

You live in the middle of the brokenness now, but there is hope, because the divine restorer has entered the house, and very good things are on the way.