I’ve recently found myself looking back on old posts, and it’s interesting to re-read them in light of how events are shaping up now. With that in mind I bring you this one from September 2007 (edited a little to remove local church info that isn’t relevant to a wider audience).

Introduction
Part of the job of those called to the prophetic is to speak the word as watchmen on the walls. As it says in Ezekiel 33 v1-6:

1 The word of the LORD came to me: 2 “Son of man, speak to your countrymen and say to them: ‘When I bring the sword against a land, and the people of the land choose one of their men and make him their watchman, 3 and he sees the sword coming against the land and blows the trumpet to warn the people, 4 then if anyone hears the trumpet but does not take warning and the sword comes and takes his life, his blood will be on his own head. 5 Since he heard the sound of the trumpet but did not take warning, his blood will be on his own head. If he had taken warning, he would have saved himself. 6 But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet to warn the people and the sword comes and takes the life of one of them, that man will be taken away because of his sin, but I will hold the watchman accountable for his blood.’

So please do read what I’ve written and weigh it carefully. For I am blowing the trumpet as Ezekiel did – to warn the people!

The Mercy Judgment
Last September the Lord spoke into my heart; these were the words given:

It is the twilight of the current age, and we bask in its fading gleams. Much that can be shaken, soon will be.

With apologies to those who are not Tolkien fans, this is what informed my hearts response:

“I wish it need not have happened in my time,” said Frodo. “So do I, said Gandalf, and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”

So, what is to happen, and what are we to do with the time that is given us? Probably the best explanation would be to read a word given to me at the turn of this year:

A storm is coming
This is a word I must bring to you, a word for 2007. Indeed, this is something I have alluded to a number of times before, but the hour grows short, and the word more urgent.

Friends, a storm is coming.

The nature of this storm is not immediately important, although I could make some educated guesses. As a summer storm comes upon you, the air grows sultry, clouds gather, thunder is heard in the distance and lightening can be seen – so it is now.

I see this gathering storm, gathering to break upon us. Many go to and fro, and the old gods, now resurfaced in all their malice and ugliness, dominate our culture. The Lord is not mocked though, and His hand is at the ready.

What is judgment is also blessing, though we will need eyes to see it. As the security of the world is revealed as a false crutch, so will peoples’ eyes be open to their true need. And that, friends, will be our opportunity. For, at present, there are many who have no ‘need’ of God, secure as they are in the wealth of the world. Until, that is, the whole pack of cards comes crashing down. Then the paths of despair or hope will open up before them.

And not just them, but us also. For we are just as entwined in the world. The cathartic action will be painful for us too, more or less, dependent on where we are with the Lord. This then is the counsel for the times: Trust not in what can be seen, but in what is unseen. Put your root down into the Rock of Ages. Then, when the topsoil is stripped away, you will not fall. Rather, you will have the opportunity to be a beacon, a lighthouse in perilous times.

Many will come to Him, if His Church is ready. That is what He is calling us to now. Be ready. Purchase oil that your lamps will not run out. See, the bridegroom is at the threshold even now! Therefore, put away your toys, your vanities, and gird yourself for the times to come. Then your light will indeed shine. Hear the Spirit of the Lord, He is crying amongst the churches! Wake up, wake up! A new day is dawning and you must be ready.

So, what kind of storm am I writing about? Well, that is something that is not yet revealed. Perhaps we might see terrorist acts? An economic crash? Times of war? Earthquakes, or floods? Persecution within the Church? Or perhaps something else entirely? I don’t know the details of what is to come.

Are we talking of the second coming of Christ? In this context, no. Of course, you cannot unbind events from each other, but this is not what I am directly writing about today.

Is it possible at this time we see some foreshocks of coming judgment? It is hard to say, but it is certainly necessary to be sober, alert and aware of the times. Consider the flooding that occurred in England on the 29th July 2007 and the statement by a number of Anglican bishops that this was God’s judgment on that country. Such things should not be said lightly, though one might ask why God should not judge nations that appear to be moving far from Him and descending into wickedness?

Also, one might look at the current turbulent economy and wonder whether there is judgment there? Or perhaps consequence would be a better word – the consequence of greed and living beyond our means?

As an illustration, consider whether we are just like the country of Grenada – “a nation that was not prepared for the storm – the hurricane – nobody expected it”. We saw the utter devastation of some buildings, including the churches.

Simply put, we do not know exactly what this storm will look like, or when it will occur. The reason this word is being given now is because of an increasing sense of urgency. How urgency translates to timing is less clear, especially as we serve a God for whom a day is a thousand years and a thousand years is a day. In His economy, timing and even the judgment itself is fluid – what concerns Him is our response. The only words I might be able to give you are ‘near’, ’soon’, and ‘at the threshold’.

I’ve taken to calling this approaching storm the Mercy Judgment, in that what is Judgment will also be Mercy. What do I mean by this? Well, understand that what will be a difficult and chaotic time, a time where there will be suffering, will also have a redemptive and cathartic quality. Many things that are currently idols for us will no longer be idols – perhaps partly because they will no longer be present, partly because we will be able to see more clearly what is genuinely important. And if we have eyes to see and trust in our heavenly Father, we may be able to bring others currently enmeshed in the kingdom of this world, into the Kingdom of the world that is to come.

It should also be said that I do not see this to be cataclysmic destruction, but more of a severe judgment or judgments to chastise, simplify and ultimately purify. A genuine judgment, but one that will be ultimately to our mercy. Indeed, if God really wanted to destroy us, He would just leave us just as we are. We are doing, as a society, a pretty good job at self-destruction anyway. So, by His mercy He will not leave us just as we are. And through judgment and following persecution, we will get to bring the harvest home.

The Response of the Church
So, the question that we need to ask in light of coming judgment is this: “what then do we do?”. If these things really are coming, how do we respond? How then shall we live?

Firstly – do not be afraid.

Fear is the weapon of our enemy, and nothing that I write is intended to cause fear. As it says in 1 John 4 v17-19:

17In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. 18There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. 19We love because he first loved us.

Indeed, as Romans 8 v14-16 also says:

14those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” 16The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.

So, I repeat again – Do not be afraid. If you are found in Christ, the source of your salvation, then you cannot be shaken, because He cannot be shaken. Indeed, in the times to come Jesus Christ will be the only secure place that can be found.

So, we are being shown these things ahead of time not to cast a shadow of fear, but to forewarn and allow us to prepare.

Secondly, are you entangled in the world?

Drugs?
Drink?
Pornography?
Gambling?
Greed?
Sloth?
Adultery?
Fornication?

These things are quicksand to your soul. Divest of them, while you still have time.

Many live for transitory gains, gambling in the stock market, finding security in shares, or setting up RRSPs and GICs to provide for themselves a security apart from God. Granted, these things are not evil in and of themselves – but what we do with them often is. Always, the question is asked, where is your heart? Could you also be a rich fool – desiring to give God everything but the idol you worship? God had some things to say about riches – listen to this from Luke 16 v13:

13No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.

Who or what do you love more than Christ? Listen to Luke 14 v25-27:

25Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: 26″If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple. 27And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.

Hard words, do you think? We need to understand what they mean.

Do we love our brothers and sisters more than Christ? Then we are not worthy of Him.
Do we love our wives or husbands more than Christ? Then we are not worthy of Him.
Do we love our children more than Christ? Then we are not worthy of Him.

Your family is not your salvation. Only Christ is. If He is not Lord of your life: your whole life – then He is no Lord to you at all. Is it difficult to hear this? Yes, but better the pain now than pain later.

Only when our whole life is under His Lordship, only then will we have both feet upon the Rock. And – I tell you the truth – the only place that will be secure in the coming days is to have both feet on the Rock of Jesus Christ. As the Psalmist said:

40:2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and the mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.

Everything else but Christ will fade, all else will fall into ruin. And the secrets of all hearts will be laid bare.

Please read this word given in January 2005.

What is hidden will be revealed
I saw the Holy Spirit, brooding over the earth and the seas covering it. I perceived His plans for us. I saw Him dry up all the seas, and as this was done, what was hidden under the seas was revealed – mountains, valleys, plains and trenches.

My understanding was that the seas represented the Lord’s grace in the natural – that is, his physical provision for us. I saw that He will dry up this provision, and in doing so reveal the hidden natures of our hearts – both the highest heights, and the lowest depths.

I saw that this water – the Lord’s grace in the supernatural – would still be available as a source to be drawn upon by those who are based and grounded in the Lord.

What will this mean, and how extensive will it be? I do not know. Only that a time of natural adversity with supernatural blessing will occur, with the intent of revealing what has been hidden under the Seas of Plenty for many years. Both the best and the worst will be laid bare for all to see.

Thirdly, we are called – both now and in the days ahead – to be a lighthouse

- bringing light to an increasingly dark world. What is it that a lighthouse does? It warns of dangerous waters. It guides to safe harbours. It provides a community, a haven, a hope in the tumultuous seas of our world.

In relation to this, we would not go far wrong in coming before the Lord in an act of corporate repentance where we could confess before Him the ways we have fallen short of Him, both individually and as a body. This is very necessary before we can move forward into His inheritance for us.

Regarding the need for repentance, I then received a further vision. I saw the lighthouse; it was as if the light rays were shining out into the darkness. Then, it was as if I was inside the lighthouse itself, another layer being unveiled to the vision.

The light source was at the centre of the lighthouse, I became aware of who this Light represented – Jesus Himself. Perhaps that is a little obvious, but I saw it deeper that I had before.

We, as the church, are represented by the panes of glass that make up the lighthouse reflectors. When we are dirty and grubby, the light does not shine through us well. When we are cleaned, the light can shine through us and out into the world much more brightly.

This cleaning is the purpose of corporate repentance; that we might be cleaner, more transparent, and hence more able to be that which we are called to be – a reflector of Christ.

Indeed, if we are reflecting Christ in His fullness we may be able, in the times to come, to save those who have lost everything they once held dear. This may be our great opportunity, if we are alive in Christ enough to see it. As Jude says in verse 22:

Be merciful to those who doubt; snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear – hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.

I also saw that the Light of Christ is the centre of the Church, without His Light we are nothing, worse than nothing – a counterfeit – a building that pretends to be something that it is most evidently not as darkness falls. If the light in you be darkness, how great is that darkness – as our Lord said in Matthew 6 v23.

It seems to me that the sin of the Church has to be heinous and protracted before this happens – before the lampstand is removed from its place.

The grace of the Lord is deep, He is long-suffering and desires all to repent….indeed far more than we can imagine.

But yet, there comes a time when the lampstand is removed and then, well then, a dark lighthouse is a horrible thing indeed – the spirit of the antichrist.

So we come back to the question – “what then do we do?”. Be assured that this is Gods primary concern. He is eager, with the heart of love itself, to know how we will respond to His call. Are we to be indifferent? Disbelieving? Letting the more immediate things of this world take precedence? Or will we seek Him with our whole heart, wanting to know Him with a passion, wanting to know His will for our life and in this time, and earnestly desiring to put to death all that stands between us and Him?

This is the most important thing that we can do. For sure, we may listen to Him, and ask if there is anything in particular He would have us do in preparation. But what we do is very much secondary to what we are. Are we the Lords? Or are we play-acting? Going though the motions, if you like? Are we serious about the Lord whom we say we serve? This is the most important, the most urgent question before us now. By His grace, we have a window, a short window of time, to decide where our hearts priorities lie.

The truth is this – there is only one place where there is light, life, salvation and security. Only one place that can never be shaken -and that is in Christ. This place is free, but not cheap. It will cost you nothing, and will cost you everything. It offers you life abundantly, joyfully and eternally – and to enter it you must die. Indeed, there is no other way. If you have not entered this life – this Kingdom life, or you were once in the Kingdom and now find yourself once again on the grey plain of the world, then please – turn to Jesus Christ while you still can.

Please listen to this final word, The heart of winter, given to me October 2004:

Grey clouds scurry across a twilight sky.
A cool wind blows from the North.
The last of the leaves are blown from the trees.
Dead leaves make patterns in the swirl of the wind.

Will you not come home to Me, my children? Will you still tarry outside?
Winter will be upon you soon, and the heart of winter, winter’s heart, will fall upon you.

I have all things prepared.
The lights are on, the fire stoked, the feast is laid.
Will you not come home?
I am here, to welcome you.
How long will you tarry?

Will you wait until it is too late?
Until the heart of winter is upon you?
Until the snow is thick upon the ground,
Until a shroud of ice is upon everything?

Until winter’s heart claws at your own heart?
Until there is no life, no love, no peace and no purpose?
Until the heart of winter will claim you as its own?

There is still time.
Come home to Me – there is still time.
Before the heart of winter grips you forever.
Before it is too late.
Come home to Me.

Come home to the one who loves you dearly, and has loved you from before the foundations of the world. Come home to the only sure foundation in the coming storm.

Let Christ be before us,
Let Christ be behind us,
Let Christ be below us,
Let Christ be above us,
Let Christ be within us,
And let Christ be without us.

This is the only place to be, the only place that will endure. This is His call to us now, and in the coming times.

Some more pictures from the aftermath of last Sundays storm:

But, that wasn’t then end of it, another 10-15cm dropped on us Friday and Saturday, giving 25cm lying:

Oh, and temperatures took a bit of a tumble.

-30c is -20F for those working in imperial. It’s cold, whatever way you measure. It makes your screen door look like this (yes, from the inside):

I do like winter in Canada!

Well, we’ve been waiting for the proper arrival of winter, and at last today it came, albeit totally unforecast!

While this is not intended to be a political blog, I find that I cannot resist saying something on the latest political shenanigans here in the frozen North.

As a bit of background for my non-Canadian readers, we seem to be headed towards what might be termed ‘interesting times’ in the political sense. Our political system is based on the British model, i.e. a parliamentary democracy. Voters in districts vote for a member of parliament, generally from one party or another, and the party with the largest numbers of MPs gets to try to form the next government. There are generally two types of government; majority (party holds >50% of MPs) and minority (party holds <50% of MPs). The latter, by nature tend to be unstable and often do not run for the full 4 years. There are four parties with MPs in the current parliment – Conservative (right wing), Liberal (left wing), NDP (far left) and the Bloc (Quebec seperatists).

We have had three minority governments in a row here in Canada, Liberals (2004-6), Conservative (2006-8) and Conservative (2008-now). The last election was 6 weeks ago and returned the Conservatives with an increased number of MPs, but still 10 or so shy of a majority.

This is where is gets interesting, and I use that term under advisement. For, six weeks after the election the opposition have now hatched a plan that I have never seen happen before in such a parlimentary democracy. The Liberals, NDP and Bloc have entered an accord where they will bring down the current Conservative government and replace it with three party coalition.

From what I have seen so far, the reaction to this stunt has been synchophantic fawning (that would be the MSM), immature posturing on behalf of some, and a real sense of anger and greivance amongst others.

What they are proposing is not illegal, it is not a coup d’état. However, it is highly irregular, and extremely dubious ethically. I have never seen this occur before, and I believe this has only happened before in Canda during the First World War.

The point is, it does not matter whether you voted Conservative, Liberal, or NDP – exactly 0% of the population voted for a coalition. If this was on the cards, it should have been mentioned 6 weeks ago when the voters would have been able to give their opinion on it. As it is, the dust has barely settled on the election and it becomes apparent that a dirty political game is in progress. Now, not many people expect ethical or moral behaviour from politicians en-masse. However, this is lowering the tone to new and unheard-of depths.

Note too, the Liberals and NDP (who are planning on becoming the government) together come 30 or so MPs short of the Conservative tally. So, how are they to make this work? Well, they will rely on the Quebec seperatists. They will place their political survival in the hands of a party dedicated to the break-up of Canada. I personally have no problem with the Bloc, but doesn’t anybody see the problem here?

Let’s spell it out. I think the Liberals and the NDP are going to realise (if they do not already know) how the majority of Canadians feel about this stunt. Therefore, the last thing they are going to want is another election. It will, if you like, be a Coalition of Fear. The Bloc has got to be laughing all the way to the bank, as they know they are going to be able to exact a high price to ensure the Liberal / NDPs political survival. Of all the parties, I think they have their heads screwed on right!

But is this good for Canada? In the midst of a financial crisis, to pull a stunt like this where two losing parties (that don’t really like each other overmuch) bind themselves together under the Damoclese sword of seperatist ambition and grab power over the heads of the electorate. I can’t see it, myself.

Who was it who said a country gets the government it deserves? It seems that we deserve a train wreck in slow motion!

Why do we worship God, or why does He require worship? Is He insecure, requiring affirmation from His creation? Or could it be an ego trip? Or do we worship just to remain in His ‘good books’? I do not wish to be offensive, but these are questions that are out there and require an answer.

The truth is, none of those answers to the question of “why worship?” come close to the mark. What is worship, but the attribution of worth? The English word “worship” comes from two Old English words: weorth, which means “worth,” and scipe or ship, which means something like shape or “quality.”

Consider the sunrise below. Is it not beautiful and praise-worthy? How much more so then is God!

The point being, that praise is intrinsic to the object.

How often do we wrestle with understanding in situations where there are only half answers, at best? Perhaps the reason that God does not always give us understanding on demand is so that we can choose Him by faith rather than resting and relying on our own understanding in our own strength.

Seeking to question something is a valid activity, and sometimes answers are granted to us, but the question is where ultimately do we put our faith? Do we put our faith and trust in God whether we understand or not? Or is our faith in our own understanding?

The problem with the latter is that it is not a reliable place to stand – we see only as if through a glass, and that dimly. So I perceive that God sometimes (you may say often) does not answer the questions so that our trust may reside, often through struggle, in a place that will never be shaken.

I’m fairly wary of treading into the political arena, but yesterday I had a vision that continues to burden me. As I prayed briefly for the elections down south, I had a picture pop into my mind:

I saw prairie grass but this grass was burnt black. In the middle was a kidney shaped patch of unburned brown grass (the colour grass turns in the north in the winter).

I do not offer a definitive interpretation, but I do offer some thoughts. For the black burnt grass, I sense evil, darkness, death and a burden of grief. The brown remnant – dormant, dead in a sense but perhaps capable of being brought to life? Also consider 1 Peter 1 v24 “For all men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall”.

Possibly related is my continuing and deepening sense of unease about this word that is currently being bandied about: “change”. The thing is – change, yes – but to what end?

It seems as if there are those captivated with style over substance, to whom such a word connects with a feeling that things are not right (with which I would agree). But rather than enquire more deeply, they are satisfied with the slogan and the emotion attached to it.

Do we know where we are going? Not all change is for the good.

Recently I was reading Hebrews 11, the great chapter that talks about faith, and got to pondering how often we misunderstand the nature of faith.

The rather wry comment has been made that “faith is believing something that isn’t true”. How many of us carry something of that around with us, that we have to try really hard to believe something that is somewhat improbable at best.

If that is our definition of faith, then I would suggest that we are believing a lie. Let me give you a better definition: faith is about trust and relationship.

I would observe that those who dismiss or deride ‘faith’ as though the one holding the faith was somehow mentally retarded, are blind to their own reality. For, it is almost certain that they themselves hold faith in one or more things. It is difficult, for example, to be married without faith. It is a requirement for a stable relationship to be able to trust that your spouse will not be cheating on you when your back is turned. Do you know this? No, but hopefully you have faith that it is so, based on experience.

Perhaps this is what we lack, in our fallen state – the experience of the loving goodness of our Father God. Having turned from Him, having not known Him or His ways, it is hard to trust or have faith in Him. That’s why faith in our living God is sometimes described as a leap, or as Philip Yancey put it: “Faith means believing in advance what will only make sense in reverse”.

If you do not know God as a loving Father, and if you do not know the salvation of Jesus, and if you do not know the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, then I strongly encourage you to make that leap of faith today. This is a faith that leads to life, and life in all of its fullness.

Tonight, I find myself somewhat at a loss for words. Earlier, I read this article, chronicling the true outcome of gay marriage. Rather than it being about granting equal rights, allowing for tolerance / diversity etc, the true face is much darker; precious little tolerance or diversity can be found for those who would object to their children being indoctrinated contrary to their beliefs. I quote you a little:

By the following year it was in elementary school curricula. Kindergartners were given picture books telling them that same-sex couples are just another kind of family, like their own parents. In 2005, when David Parker of Lexington, MA – a parent of a kindergartner – strongly insisted on being notified when teachers were discussing homosexuality or transgenderism with his son, the school had him arrested and put in jail overnight.

Second graders at the same school were read a book, “King and King”, about two men who have a romance and marry each other, with a picture of them kissing. When parents Rob and Robin Wirthlin complained, they were told that the school had no obligation to notify them or allow them to opt-out their child.

In 2006 the Parkers and Wirthlins filed a federal Civil Rights lawsuit to force the schools to notify parents and allow them to opt-out their elementary-school children when homosexual-related subjects were taught. The federal judges dismissed the case. The judges ruled that because same-sex marriage is legal in Massachusetts, the school actually had a duty to normalize homosexual relationships to children, and that schools have no obligation to notify parents or let them opt-out their children! Acceptance of homosexuality had become a matter of good citizenship!

Think about that: Because same-sex marriage is “legal”, a federal judge has ruled that the schools now have a duty to portray homosexual relationships as normal to children, despite what parents think or believe!

Then, the following news from the UK:

WESTMINSTER, October 22, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) – U.K. pro-life campaigners were deeply saddened at tonight’s vote on the Labour government’s Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill. MPs voted 355 to 129 to pass the bill that allows human/animal embryos to be created by cloning and used in experiments.

The Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC) condemned the vote, saying, “Future generations would regard the bill as devaluing human life.” SPUC said they will raise the issue during the next general election.

Besides allowing the creation of cloned human/animal embryos for experimentation, the bill will enshrine in law all the individual permissions given in the last 16 years by the UK’s Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority. It will allow homosexual partners to have children created for them in IVF labs after it abolishes the requirement that doctors consider the “need for a father” in artificial procreation treatments. It allows the creation of children, called “saviour siblings,” to be used as tissue donors for siblings, and permits the genetic manipulation of embryos for eugenic purposes. Earlier this week, it was also revealed that the government plans to use the bill to allow the creation of human clones from tissues taken from mentally incapacitated patients who cannot give consent.

There is a darkness and evil abroad in our land, and with its increasing ascendancy, its true nature is revealed. So many are malleable, having no strong beliefs of their own, they are easily swayed by the appeal for tolerance, as well as the increasing pressure to conform to the newthink. Therefore, it is easy for those who have grabbed the reigns of power to run roughshod over a vestigial societal unease and enforce a new morality.

In all this, my heart goes out to the children, who are being used as the pawns – fit for indoctrination over the objections of their parents, fit to be experimented on – socially and medically, fit to be born as a donor for a sibling, fit to have their essence melded with an animal for increasingly macabre experimentation. I ask, have we all gone mad? Perhaps this is the natural state of man, having rejected God we become lower than beasts, rivaling devils in the pursuit of evil.

I have been, on and off for years, pleading that the Lord in the midst of His justice would remember mercy. Today, I find myself an an impasse. How can I pray for mercy, that such things may continue? They are manifestations of a dark, wicked evil, the tentacles of demonic oppression covering the land. Can I pray for mercy on a society that cradles and cherishes such things? I do not know any longer how to pray.

Perhaps it may just be “Lord, thy will be done, thy kingdom come, on Earth as it is in Heaven”.

A couple of days ago, I felt the Lord pointing out the following verse, from Amos 9 v11 and referred to in Acts 15 v16-17. I had read the verse in Acts that morning, and received the Amos reference from a friend in another context later in the day.

In that day I will restore
David’s fallen tent.
I will repair its broken places,
restore its ruins,
and build it as it used to be.

This is a message of hope in times of extreme shaking. The Lord says ‘I will restore’. God is not the god of hopelessness, nor is He the god of fear. Whatever our current state, He has in mind a glorious restoration. But note friends, this may not be restoration in the form we envisage. God’s restoration, much like His ways and thoughts, are not the same as ours. He will build it as it used to be, not the way we have made it.