Restored – we can be taught!

DAILY PROMPT : WE CAN BE TAUGHT

Tell us a moment or an incident that you treasure  – not necessarily because it brought you happiness, but because it taught you something about yourself.

God has promised to restore – what has been lost.  I have to admit, there are some things I thought would never be restored. I thought that was just the price I had to pay.  You know, you screwed up so bad, you thought God would never give you back that part of your life.  I was wrong.  Let me tell you a story.

About 18 years ago, I got divorced.  It was not a good time in my life, and the relationship that I was in was not healthy – at all.  Abusive. Demeaning.  You know – just plain icky.  Well, I left, for my own safety.  It was that or die in that old house.  My ex got the house in the divorce – and the kids.  It’s hard to prove you are a good mom, when he has cut you off from all your friends and family.  And even turned your best friend against you.

So, for the last 18 years I have been renting.  My kids and I have lived in DV shelters, and then subsidized housing for a while.  Apartment, to Duplex, to renting a house this past 2 1/2 years.  God has been faithful and always provided for me and the kids.  He is true to His Word.  We thought all was lost about a month ago.  Our landlords had some things go on in their lives and long story short, the house we were living in got put on the market.  For Sale – and nothing we could do about it.  My husband and I called a bank to see if they would give us a mortgage.  The answer was NO.  There was too many old bills from our previous marriages that would have to be paid in order for them to give us a loan.  So we accepted that fact, and started looking for somewhere else to rent.  We thought it would take about 2 years to get everything cleaned up, and we would apply again.  Told the kids – they went crazy.They did NOT want to move.  This was their home, and they loved it. The assessor came, the Realtor came, and so did the first showing.  It was awful. Nothing like leaving your house while someone else comes in to see if they want it.   It was a very stressful month.

With man it may be impossible, but with God – all things are possible!

What can I say.  After a month or so, God stepped in.  He showed how awesome He is.  The Bank President called us.  We don’t even have an account at this bank.  He asked if we would be interested in buying the property.  We said YES, but that we had been turned down recently due to past debt issues.  He said, “well, why don’t we just look at things, give me some information.”  So we gave him our personal info over the phone.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding.

He called back the next day.  He asked us to fill out a loan application.  We did and I brought it to the bank that same day.  I walked into this new bank, and the lady at the desk asked me,”Can I help you?” I said “Yes,I’m here to see John (name changed).”  “Who?” she said.  “John” I said.  She looked at me like I was from another planet or something.  I said, “John, the President.”  “John, the President?” she said.  “Yes.” I said.  I got the raised eyebrow. You know, like who are you chickie? Then she said, “well, he’s not in right now.”  So I left the papers at the desk, for John, the President of the bank. lol! I was laughing all the way back to the car.

And you will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a witness to bear testimony before them and to the Gentiles (the nations). But when they deliver you up, do not be anxious about how or what you are to speak; for what you are to say will be given you in that very hour and moment, For it is not you who are speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

He called the next day – they were going to give us a loan! Praise God!  For no money down, at a price $15,000 less than the asking price.  Oh yeah, and our principal and interest payment would be LESS than the rent we had paid for the last 2 1/2 years!  We closed on our house yesterday.  My husband and I exchanged keys…God is good, and can and will restore everything!

Excerpts from Jeremiah 33:3

2 Thus says the Lord Who made [the earth], the Lord Who formed it to establish it—the Lord is His name:

3 Call to Me and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things, fenced in and hidden, which you do not know (do not distinguish and recognize, have knowledge of and understand).

6 Behold, [in the future restored Jerusalem] I will lay upon it health and healing, and I will cure them and will reveal to them the abundance of peace (prosperity, security, stability) and truth.

7 And I will cause the captivity of Judah and the captivity of Israel to be reversed and will rebuild them as they were at first.

8 And I will cleanse them from all the guilt and iniquity by which they have sinned against Me, and I will forgive all their guilt and iniquities by which they have sinned and rebelled against Me.

9 And [Jerusalem] shall be to Me a name of joy, a praise and a glory before all the nations of the earth that hear of all the good I do for it, and they shall fear and tremble because of all the good and all the peace, prosperity, security, and stability I provide for it.

11 [There shall be heard again] the voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voices of those who sing as they bring sacrifices of thanksgiving into the house of the Lord, Give praise and thanks to the Lord of hosts, for the Lord is good; for His mercy and kindness and steadfast love endure forever! For I will cause the captivity of the land to be reversed and return to be as it was at first, says the Lord.

12 Thus says the Lord of hosts: In this place which is desolate, without man and without beast, and in all its cities, there shall again be dwellings and pastures of shepherds resting their flocks.

13 In the cities of the hill country, in the cities of the lowland, in the cities of the South (the Negeb), in the land of Benjamin, in the places around Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah shall flocks pass again under the hands of him who counts them, says the Lord.

14 Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will fulfill the good promise I have made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah.

15 In those days and at that time will I cause a righteous Branch [the Messiah] to grow up to David; and He shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.

16 In those days Judah shall be saved and Jerusalem shall dwell safely. And this is the name by which it will be called, The Lord is Our Righteousness (our Rightness, our Justice).

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