The LORD upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth up all those that be bowed down.
—Psalm 145:14

No one—not you, not me—makes it through life without experiencing pain and brokenness and loss. Add to the grief of the loss of loved ones or the suffering from an illness the prevalence of divorce, physical and sexual abuse, and other societal woes, and no one escapes. Whatever your situation, though, you can be sure that the Lord will uphold and raise you. Jesus is in the restoration business. You will always find Jesus restoring lives, not condemning. Even when He was confronted with the woman caught in the act of adultery, He offered forgiveness and restoration (John 8:11).

When God restores your life, He brings you to wholeness. He gives you the courage to love again ... the courage to face life ... the ability to experience life fully. Out of your wholeness, you will realize that God has already equipped you with everything you need to fulfill His design for your life.

With every step in my walk with the Spirit of God, He has wrapped His loving arms around me. He walked me through the journey. He helped me die to old habits and ways of thinking. He enabled me to discover who God is not, so that I could understand who He is. He forgave the unforgivable, delivered me from my past, and gently removed my masks so I could finally be myself. Like a master sculptor creating a fine piece of art, He replaced my useless empty fantasies with a carefully designed life.

The enemy will always try to blind you and distort your view of the love of God through damaged relationships, broken promises, and disillusionment. God's love is able to reach you this day, and He will pull you out of the deepest pit of your life and set you on the solid rock to stay. The roadway to restoration dead ends into an old rugged cross, with a bleeding Savior and dying King shedding His blood for you. No amount of false religion or self-help courses can do in a lifetime what God can do with just one touch of His hand on your life. You cannot restore yourself. Only Jesus can do it.

God is able to heal any hurt or heartache, even if it has been broken and shattered into a million pieces. He is able to take the ashes of your life and create beauty. He is not just able, but He is ready and willing to do so, because He wants so much for you to know that He loves you!

Related Texts: Psalm 23:3; 51:12; Isaiah 53:1–5; Jeremiah 30:17; Joel 2:25; Matthew 12:13; 2 Corinthians 5:17