DIGGING DEEP NO. 1150 • September 29, 2026
Bible Study: RESTORATION
1. What Does Restoration Mean?
To restore means to bring back, repair, renew, rebuild, or return something to its proper condition or purpose. Biblical restoration does not always mean God gives us the exact same thing we lost. Sometimes He restores by healing us, rebuilding us, redirecting us, or giving us something new.
Psalm 23:3 — “He restoreth my soul.”
Jeremiah 30:17 — “For I will restore health unto thee.
Joel 2:25 — “I will restore to you the years…”
God may not give you yesterday back, but He can redeem what happened yesterday and still give purpose to tomorrow.
2. Restoration Often Begins After Something Has Been Broken
Sometimes we want restoration without acknowledging what needs to be repaired. David experienced this after his sin. He prayed:
Psalm 51:10–12 “Create in me a clean heart, O God… Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation.”
Someone’s marriage may be struggling. They may pray, “Lord, fix my spouse.” But restoration may begin when God shows them, “There are some things I need to change in you too.”
Could we sometimes be asking God to restore something around us while God is trying to restore something within us?
3. God Restores the Soul
Psalm 23:3 “He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.”
Sometimes nothing visible has been lost, but internally a person is exhausted. You can still go to church. Still smile. Still serve. Still go to work. Still take care of everybody. Yet inside, you are tired.
David says, “He restoreth my soul.” God restores us through His Word, prayer, worship, rest, fellowship, and time in His presence.
Isaiah 40:31: “But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength…”
You don’t have to completely fall apart before you allow God to restore you.
4. God Can Restore What Time Seems to Have Taken Away
Back to Joel 2:25. This is powerful because God says: “I will restore to you the years…”
There are things money can replace. But years seem impossible to replace. You may think: “I’m too old now.” “I missed my opportunity.” “I wasted too much time.” “I should have done this years ago.”
But God specializes in bringing fruitfulness out of seasons that appear wasted.
Moses was 80 years old when God called him to confront Pharaoh.
Never confuse “later than I planned” with “too late for God.”
5. Restoration Doesn’t Always Look Like Going Back
Sometimes when we say restoration, we mean: “God, give me exactly what I had before.” But God may have something different.
Isaiah 43:18–19 “Remember ye not the former things… Behold, I will do a new thing…”
Sometimes restoration means rebuilding. Sometimes restoration means replacement. Sometimes restoration means renewal. And sometimes restoration means a completely new beginning.
Don’t become so attached to how restoration must look that you miss what God is doing.
6. Restoration May Require Participation
Consider the rebuilding of Jerusalem.
Nehemiah 2:17 “Come, and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem…”
They prayed, but then they built. Brick by brick. Wall by wall. Day by day.
If someone asks God to restore their finances but continues spending irresponsibly, something is missing. If someone asks God to restore their health while ignoring appropriate care and healthy habits, something is missing. If someone asks God to restore a relationship but refuses to forgive, communicate, or change harmful behavior, something is missing.
James 2:17: “Faith, if it hath not works,
sometimes we are waiting for God to rebuild what He has already given us the grace to start rebuilding.
7. Restoration Can Happen After Failure
Peter denied Jesus three times.
Luke 22:61–62 tells us Peter went out and wept bitterly. But Jesus wasn’t finished with Peter.
In John 21:15–17, Jesus restores Peter and tells him: “Feed my sheep.”
Then in Acts 2, Peter stands publicly and preaches, and thousands respond.
Sometimes people think their mistake has disqualified them forever. Divorce. Financial failure. A bad decision. A moral failure. Walking away from God. A broken relationship.
Peter’s failure became part of his testimony, but it did not become the end of his story.
8. Job, Restoration After Great Loss
Job lost his children, possessions, wealth, and health. But Job 42:10 says: “The LORD turned the captivity of Job…” And verse 12 says: Blessed later end.
Restoration does not mean pretending the pain never happened.
Someone who loses a loved one doesn’t “replace” that person. But God can restore joy, purpose, community, hope, and the ability to live fully again.
9. God Can Restore Relationships
Colossians 3:13: “Forgiving one another… even as Christ forgave you…”
“Is there somebody you have stopped speaking to because of something that happened years ago?”
Restoration doesn’t mean ignoring abuse, abandoning wise boundaries, or pretending wrongdoing never occurred. But where reconciliation is safe and appropriate, God may lead us toward forgiveness, humility, conversation, and healing.
The Enemy Wants You to Believe It Is Too Late Ezekiel
37:1–10 — the valley of dry bones. “Son of man, can these bones live?” The bones weren’t merely dead. They were very dry.
10. Restoration Has a Purpose
Restoration should produce testimony.
Psalm 51:12–13 David says: “Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation… Then will I teach transgressors thy ways…”
Restore me → then I will help somebody else.
- Your restored marriage may encourage another couple.
- Your restored finances may teach someone wisdom.
- Your restored faith may encourage someone who wants to give up.
- Your restored joy may give hope to someone battling discouragement.
Your restored life becomes evidence of God’s grace.
In Closing: What Area of Your Life Needs Restoration?
Your relationship with God, your joy, your prayer life, your marriage or family.
A friendship, health, finances, confidence, ministry, Your dreams, Your hope for the future
Joel 2:25: “And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten…”
“Restoration doesn’t mean your story never had broken chapters. It means God is still writing the story.”
“What if the area you thought was finished is the very area where God wants to show you that He is still God?”