DIVINE RESTORATION
(Matthew17:10-13)
In answer to the question
concerning why the scribes insist that Elijah must come before the day of the
Lord, Jesus replied that Elijah does come, and he is to restore all things. He
added that Elijah had already come but they did not recognize him; they did to
him whatever they pleased.
The scribes based their
conviction on the prophecy of Malachi 4:5-6 that Elijah would come before the
day of the Lord.
Elijah comes to restore us to the
true worship of God. John the Baptist is believed to be that Elijah. He comes
to call us out of idolatry. He comes to turn our hearts back to God and away
from being lost. He comes to seek out that which is lost in you. Have you lost
your desire to do good? Have you lost your sense of the sacred? Have you lost
your love for prayers? Have you lost your hatred for evil? Have you lost your
power to fight sin and overcome temptations? Have you lost your strength to
readily say yes to God as you used to do and no to evil as you used to do? Be open to God for restoration.
Elijah comes to do these
restorations through the various things we experience in our lives. We fail to
recognize that some of them are ways through which God wants us to really turn
to Him, no matter how hard they may seem.
There are persons God brings into
our lives, using them to draw us closer to Himself but do we recognize their
presence as divine opportunities to allow God restore us to life in Him?
May we not be like the people
Jesus spoke about today, who did not recognize when the one who was to lead
them to salvation came. As Jesus comes, may He restore our happiness, joy and
peace. May He restore love in our families. May He restore lost prosperity; May
He restore lost glories; May He restore fear of God; May He restore generosity,
kindness, and all the virtues the devil and false worship made us lose.
Let us pray
You are our restorer and
deliverer Oh God, we praise and worship you. Restore in us the joy of our
salvation and continue the good work you have started in our lives till
perfection, through Christ our Lord. Amen
God bless your Saturday (Advent,
Week 2)
Rev Fr Julian O Ekeh
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