SCRIPTURE READING

“But now more than ever the word about Jesus spread abroad; many crowds would gather to hear him and to be cured of their diseases. But he would withdraw to deserted places and pray.”
– Luke 5:15-16 NRSV

DEFINITION

Restore – to bring someone or something back to a former condition, place or position.

INTRODUCTION TO THE LESSON

“Too often, we keep doing and doing, going and going, like the Energizer Bunny, to the point of illness or collapse. Jesus knew that solitude is an antidote to activity, aiding a return from chronic ‘human doing’ to our [spiritual origin of divine being.].”
– Bob Hostetler

Like the Prodigal Son, we believe there is something ‘over there’ for us to do. As a result, we stray away from ‘being’ who we truly are, the offspring of Spirit. Through experiences of suffering, we often return to God and are restored without delay, to our spiritual origin and the inheritance associated with it.

MAJOR POINTS

1. Restoration is always at hand or available. It is up to you to let the restorative power of God within you, have its way as you.
   • Let It restore you.
   • Let It adjust you.
   • Let It guide you.
   • Let It provide for you.
   • Let it heal you.
   • Let It defend you.
2. The key to that restoration is returning to God in the solitude of the soul not once, but again and again, knowing God alone, performs that which is given to you to do. (See John 5:30 and John 14:10)

QUOTE TO PONDER

“Put yourself in Jesus’ sandals for a moment. People are clamouring for your help and have many real needs. You are able to meet all those needs. Can you ever feel justified in pulling away to be alone? Jesus did. We love to feel wanted. We love the sense of importance/power/indispensability (pick one) that comes from doing something no one else can do. But Jesus did not succumb to those temptations. He knew the importance of disciplining Himself to be alone.”
– Donald S. Whitney