Have you ever tried to restore an old piece of furniture?  It’s not easy. This summer my niece found an old beat-up dresser at a barn sale.  Somehow that old dusty, paint-peeling specimen of furniture found its way into my garage.  The first thing I did was wipe the cobwebs and dust it off to see what it looked like underneath, (not a lot better, truth be told).  The hinges were crooked, the paint was peeling, and some of the handles were missing.  So I scraped, sanded, and scrubbed it; then began the slow process of painting it layer by layer.  It took awhile and I had to backtrack a few times, but today the sparkling white dresser sits in my niece’s bedroom with shiny new handles and a whole new outlook on life.

Perhaps there are areas in your life that need attention: old scars, difficult memories, pain too deep to be seen.  God sees every single thing that brings you down.  “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”  (Psalm 147:3)  In Jeremiah 30:17 it says, “For I will restore health to you, and your wounds I will heal, declares the Lord.”  God’s heart is for you.   From Isaiah 61:7, “Instead of your shame you will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace you will rejoice in your inheritance.  And so you will inherit a double portion in your land, and everlasting joy will be yours.” God wants to bring change to all the broken places in your life, and everything He touches becomes beautiful.  So take heart, my friend,  “Weeping may endure for the night, but joy comes in the morning.” (Psalm 30:5)