What will restoration be like?

Scripture: Zephaniah 3:16-17, 20

¹⁶On that day they will say to Jerusalem,

“Do not fear, O Zion;

do not let your hands hang limp.

¹⁷The Lord your God is with you,

he is mighty to save.

he will take great delight in you,

he will quiet you with his love,

he will rejoice over you with singing.”

²⁰ “At that time I will gather you;

at that time I will bring you home.

I will give you honor and praise

among all the peoples of the earth

when I restore your fortunes

before your very eyes,”

says the Lord.

Observation: After much destruction to the world around them, those truly following the Lord will be restored and lifted up.

Application: Today my reading covered Zephaniah.

Much of it tells of destruction. Yet it concludes with beautiful promises of restoration and love.

I’m guessing this is referring to the time also covered in Revelation. What will that restoration be like? I can only imagine what it will be like when so much of what I see (as a fallen human) to be good will be destroyed and replaced with what is truly wonderful and pure. What will it be like when every knee bows and we sing and shout with praise to the Lord with exuberance all of the time? And when we can hear HIM rejoicing over US with singing?

I remember attending a sold-out Third Day concert a few years back. I was singing all their songs with joy, lifting my hands (Which was very new to me, and still doesn’t happen often, but they just floated up that night.) and marveling at the thousands of people with me, singing their hearts out to God and loving it. I couldn’t help but to think “This must be a glimpse of Heaven.”  I had so much joy in my heart that night. But that could have only been a glimpse.

Wow. What will it be like? And how can I take that perspective and try to apply it as much as possible now, passing over wordly things and focusing on the eternal?

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I am not sure if this is the message you had for me today or not. But you certainly have me wondering: What will it be like? Help me to keep pondering that, and use those thoughts as I make decisions in my life now. Help me to focus on the eternal and lasting and not on the wordly stuff. Thank you for the promise that your day will come, when you will truly be glorified. And as your daughter, that I will be there to experience the jubilation. Wow! What a time it will be!