The God of Restoration

I love restoration videos. Most of my free time is spent watching someone pick up a broken watch or a run-down vintage car and restore it to its original state. I am often impressed by the artist’s skill in taking broken pieces and joining them to create a masterpiece.

Something is calming about watching these restoration videos. Maybe it’s because, as humans, we are flawed in many ways or have experienced loss in different areas of our lives, leaving us longing for restoration.

According to the English dictionary, restoration is described as “the action of returning something to its former or original condition.” This is the basis for most of the restoration videos we watch—someone takes a run-down house or car and restores it to how it once was.

However, with God, restoration takes on a different meaning. In God’s world, to restore means “to receive back more than what was lost—to the point where the final state is greater than the original condition.” In other words, what is restored is improved beyond measure.

How beautiful is that? This is why, every time restoration is mentioned in the Bible, it is often double—meaning you receive more than you lost. In Job 42:10, we are told that “the Lord restored his fortunes and gave him twice as much as he had before.”

Kintsugi-Japanese Pottery Restoration

The ancient Japanese practice of Kintsugi illustrates this concept beautifully. For centuries, the Japanese have repaired broken pottery using gold, silver, or platinum, turning the once-damaged piece into something more valuable and beautiful than before.

This craft is believed to have started in the late 15th century when a Japanese shogun, Ashikaga Yoshimasa, sent his broken tea bowl to China for repairs. Dissatisfied with the results, he asked craftsmen to develop a more visually appealing restoration method.

This led to the development of Kintsugi, which uses gold or silver to bind broken pieces together. The art form is also connected to wabi-sabi, a Japanese philosophy that finds beauty in imperfection, incompleteness, and impermanence.

This unique method of restoration mirrors what God does in our lives. He takes the broken fragments of our experiences and creates something even greater. Did you know that the areas of our lives that have caused us the greatest pain are often the very places where God reveals His glory? 

Rick Warren puts it best:

“Other people are going to find healing in your wounds. Your greatest life messages and your most effective ministry will come out of your deepest hurts.”

In 1 Samuel 30, David returned from Philistine territory only to discover that the Amalekites had plundered their camp and taken their wives and children captive. David and his men were devastated, weeping until they had no strength left. His men even considered stoning him. But amid this despair, David strengthened himself in the Lord. God instructed him to pursue the Amalekites, promising that he would overtake them and recover everything

I don’t know what you have lost, but I do know that God is a God of restoration. There is no loss in Him. You shall pursue, overtake, and recover all. You shall receive double for your loss. God does not waste pain, experiences, or seasons. 

He declares in Romans 8:28,

“All things work together for good for those who love God and are called according to His purpose.”

Not just some things working in isolation—all things work together.

While restoration is promised to us during our lifetime, there are some things we will only experience in full when we reach heaven. This includes the loss of loved ones, the frailty of our disease-stricken bodies, and the brokenness of the sinful world around us.

But God promises in Revelation 21:4-5 that,

“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes,” and that He will “make all things new.”

In the meantime, place your brokenness and pain in His hands, and watch Him create a masterpiece out of what once caused you the greatest sorrow. Look at Jesus—it is through His nail-scarred hands that we find redemption.

Excerpt from the book It’s Not My Thing, chapter The Promise of Restoration: Purpose in Pain.