2022: A Year of Peace and Restoration (Part One)

—John 14:27 NASB

New Years’ Prophecies

By now you will probably have heard several prophecies or words of encouragement about this new year. I’d like to add the following thoughts for your prayerful reflection and, hopefully, constructive encouragement.

On New Years’ Eve, gathered with trusted friends to welcome 2022 in prayer, I felt the Lord say that 2022 will be ‘A Year of Peace and Restoration.’ This came as both a surprise and comfort, as the last years had been very challenging and at the time we were going through a very difficult situation. God knows how to speak a word of encouragement at the right time and I hope this would be one for you, too.

Peace of Christ, Reconciliation in Christ

The peace of Christ, the peace He gives (Jn 14:27), the peace that should rule in our hearts (Col 3:15), the peace that will guard our hearts and minds (Phil 4:6–7), is a heavenly, supernatural peace. This is the peace we so desperately need in a world with its many uncertainties and upheavals, with its many unpleasant surprises and troubles, and with its many painful experiences and sufferings. The peace Jesus gives us, His peace, is ‘not as the world gives,’ but one that protects our hearts from being troubled or worried or fearful. It’s the divine peace we have in Him despite the ‘tribulation’ we experience in this world. We know that our Saviour has ‘overcome the world’ (Jn 16:33). It’s a peace based on Who He is and what He has accomplished by defeating sin and death. The peace He gives is the peace in Christ. It’s a firm inner peace in the midst of storms and troubles.

In Colossians, ‘the peace of Christ’ (Col 3:15) is related to ‘the word of Christ’ dwelling richly in us (v 16). In Philippians, the ‘peace of God’ is related to prayer (Phil 4:6–7). As we pray and cast our burdens on the Lord (Ps 55:22), God gives us peace instead of worry. Remember, only the burdens you cast on Him are the burdens you won’t have to carry alone. His yoke is easy and His burden light (Mt 11:28–30), as we walk with Him and learn from Him ‘the unforced rhythms of grace’ (MSG). As the Word of God is in us—instructing us, guiding us, comforting us—peace is established in us as a guard and protection against the storms of life. As we obey His word, we shall withstand these troubles on a firm foundation (Mt 7:24–27). Knowing what to do in the storms of life based on God’s word is the key to survive them and survive them victoriously. With God’s peace in us and divine guidance based on His word, we can bring God’s peace to the suffering world around us and make it a little better, day by day. The world needs peace! The world needs the sons of God as ‘peacemakers’ (Mt 5:9).

Christ is our peace (Eph 2:14) and offers peace to the whole world (v 17). This peace is found in the reconciliation God offers the world in Christ (2 Cor 5:18–21). As ‘ambassadors for Christ’ (v 20), we are called to spread the peace of God through ‘the ministry of reconciliation’ (v 18). The Gospel is the message of peace. The world needs that kind of peace—desperately! Be a peacemaker that offers reconciliation to the world in Jesus’ Name.

Restoration: personal, corporate, national

When it comes to restoration, the Bible has a lot to say on the topic. As a matter of fact, the whole of salvation history from Genesis to Revelation, the so-called Heilsgeschichte, is about God restoring humanity back to its original state and environment, with the key difference that the Edenic garden will be in Heaven at the end of history as we know it. After the Fall of man and its terrible consequences of suffering and injustice, God was at work to restore things, from redeeming the sinful couple (Gen 3:21), to giving them a ‘second chance,’ as it were, as they had another son in the place of the murdered Abel, from which, soon thereafter, men started to call on the name of the Lord again (4:25–26). Despite the terrible sinfulness of humanity and God having to punish evil with the Great Flood (Gen 6—7), God saved the righteous and gave humanity a new chance (8—9). Then God chose a man from whom would come forth a model nation (Gen 12), from which about 2,000 years later, came forth the Messiah, Saviour of the world (Gal 3).

The Church is to preach salvation, peace and reconciliation to the ends of the earth in order to restore and rebuild the world and be salt and light in a world marred with pain, struggle and suffering in order to preserve and heal it. Through salvation in Jesus, man can receive heavenly peace and enter a process of restoration to what God originally planned for each human being. The Gospel message is one of peace and restoration!

This restoration God offers as the ‘message of reconciliation’ based on the atonement of Messiah (2 Cor 5:18–21), applies on several levels: personal, corporate, national. The good Shepherd restores our souls (Ps 23); the good Saviour restores us after we repent from sin (Ps 51:12); the good Healer restores us after sickness (Ps 41:3). After terrible loss and suffering, God ‘restored the fortunes of Job’ (42:10) and blessed his latter days (v 12). This type of restoration is on a personal level, but also affects our families.

The restoration on a corporate level, beyond individual or family affairs, can be seen, for example, in the life of David (1 Sam 30), in the way God restored what was stolen from them by the enemy (see below).

On a national level, we find stories of Israel’s restoration after sin and captivity, expressed in the Psalms (e.g., 60:1; 80:3, 7, 19; 85:4; 126:4) or the Prophets (e.g., Jer 42:12; Lam 5:21; Hos 6:11; Joel 3:1), and recorded in the historical records of Ezra and Nehemiah. These passages and books provide insightful and practical blueprints for our own restoration, be it personal, corporate or national. I remember hearing the striking words of Dr Tunde Bakare from Lagos, Nigeria, when he said that ‘God did not create any nation to fail.’ But should a nation fail, ‘it’s because the church in that nation has failed the nation.’ I can never forget these sobering words that draw us into tremendous responsibility as the Body of Christ in both our priestly function before God on behalf of the world and our prophetic responsibility towards humanity on behalf of God. We must be the carriers of peace and be the agents of restoration. Like in the time of the Judges, with its anarchy, chaos and poverty, God raised up three key individuals who made all the difference and turned Israel into a powerful and wealthy kingdom. Hannah, Samuel and David represent another powerful blueprint for national restoration worth considering. So how do we do it? Here are a few considerations.

Job: Asking, Why? or How?

The story of Job offers some helpful clues regarding restoration. A good and righteous man suffers greatly. He loses his beloved kids, considerable wealth and then also his health. It begs the question, Why do bad things happen to good people? This is a fair question to ask. But we should also note that in our human existence ‘good things happen to good people,’ as the outcome of Job’s life shows, and sometimes ‘bad things happen to bad people,’ which appears to carry a sense of justice. All three observations of life are true. ‘Life isn’t always fair, but God is always good,’ as the saying goes. Apart from that, there are mysteries in this life that we can’t know the answers to. We simply have to accept them and trust God. Job is a good and useful example here. So how do we read and interpret Job?

Whereas most people tend to focus on the Why? of suffering, I would like to propose an alternative approach: asking, How? How can I endure it? How can I respond to suffering and what must I do to see God’s gracious hand of restoration at the end of my suffering? The Why? is not unimportant, to be sure. It has its rightful place in our struggle with suffering. We tend to try to make some sense of our suffering, although it often doesn’t, and things simply look hopeless and are painful. Sometimes rational explanations give some comfort in our suffering, yet it often feels insufficient, especially emotionally. At times, it’s in order to do some ‘soul searching,’ analysing where we did wrong and contributed to ‘the mess’ we’re in. Sometime it’s our fault and we need to repent. Sometimes it’s others’ fault and we need to forgive. Whatever the reasons might be, the right response is crucial!

I would respectfully submit to you, dear readers, that the How? Approach to suffering might prove more constructive, helpful and comforting. The Why? Approach has the danger of falling into the pity of wrong accusations of self or others, or the dark dungeons of self-pity. Some issues regarding our suffering are simply outside of our control. The How? Approach will shed light on that which is not outside of our control: our response. The fault-finding approach of Job’s ‘friends’ (note: who needs enemies when you have such friends?!), proved very dissatisfying. God called it, darkening ‘counsel by words without knowledge’ (Job 38:2), for which these friends, who had not spoken of God ‘what is right’ (42:7), were almost judged, was it not for Job’s atonement on their behalf (vv 8–9). Pain and bitterness bring us into the temptation of developing a distorted image of God. There’s a great danger in that.

Job’s attitude made all the difference: it didn’t avoid the suffering but made it bearable. And it’s important that suffering is bearable. Job refused to sin against God or blame Him (Job 1:22). His wife’s advice, ‘Curse God and die’ (2:9), was rejected as foolish women’s talk (v 10). God the Creator, as Job acknowledged, gave and took away, but His name had to be blessed (1:21). All things come from Him and He is sovereign. He is the Potter, we are His clay vessels (cf., Jer 18). Job would hope in God, even if the slaying came from Him (Job 13:15). This is truly remarkable! Can you trust God even in suffering? There is great comfort in that, and there is a great danger in losing trust in God during suffering. Think about it, many ask Why? but can’t get answers, but even if they do, that knowledge might not be that helpful as expected. Trust is more important than knowledge. If you can trust God, you will be fine. His goodness will ensure a good outcome.

Many times, people serve God when everything is nice and easy, but the moment difficulties come, they change and perhaps fall away (cf., Parable of the Sower in Mark 4). One has to ask, Who was their actual god and why did they serve him? Did they ‘serve God’ for His sake or the blessings He gives them? Many people serve to gain stuff, rather than from a pure heart to please the Father of light from whom comes every good gift. The blessings of God should not become our focus or priority, else we might fall into idolatry. It’s like some people giving money to church just to get more back! It’s true, God rewards generosity, yet our motives in giving must be pure. The same is true for serving God. Do it faithfully, even during difficulties and suffering. Job would stay faithful to God no matter what hit him—that’s true worship and trust!

‘God tests the righteous’ (Ps 11:5) and sometimes they suffer many afflictions (Ps 34:19a), but the help of God and the outcome He causes are important. ‘The Lord delivers [the righteous] out of them all’ (Ps 34:19b). James commended the ‘endurance of Job’ as an example to follow while we ourselves suffer, pointing to the outcome of the Lord’s dealings, knowing that He is compassionate and merciful—we are blessed when we endure (Jas 5:11). The unpleasant discipline we must go through at times has the ‘peaceful fruit of righteousness’ and the sharing in ‘His holiness’ as a blessed reward (see Hebr 12:1–11). It ultimately makes us more mature and stronger to face the world and its many challenges. As Rick Godwin used to say, God is more interested in your character than in your comfort. The acclaimed actor Denzel Washington made a similar point: ‘ease is a greater threat to progress than hardship.’ The apostle Peter had a whole lot to say about how to endure suffering, from the sufferings of Christ and the example He gave us to follow, to enduring suffering with dignity in order to be an example and blessing to others. We know, as Paul stated, ‘all things work together for good’ as we love God and stay focused on and in our calling (Rom 8:28: cf., Gen 50:20). In our temptations we must trust God’s faithfulness and provision of strength and look for the way of escaping a bad outcome (1 Cor 10:13).

Job’s humility when faced with the Almighty did him credit, too (Job 40:1–4; 42:1–6). Perhaps the greatness benefit in this painful and difficult process was him knowing God in a way he had never known Him before (42:5). There is great comfort and beauty in getting to know God more intimately. It’s a truism that some things can only be learned in times of challenge, hardship and suffering. The same humility, with a forgiving attitude and patient disposition, we see in Job, can be seen in the likes of Joseph or Paul, and, of course, Jesus on the cross. We, too, must pick up our cross and follow Him. Suffering is part of life, but we decide how we carry our cross. We must not be those who fall away but endure to the end (Hebr 10:35–39). Fight the good fight of faith and finish your race (1 Tim 6:12; 2 Tim 4:7).

David: Strength and Strategy

The story of David’s restoration (1 Sam 30) is enlightening and encouraging precisely because it took place under extreme circumstances. Let’s learn from it.

The enemy had stolen their women, children and possessions, while the men were out doing their military duties (vv 1–2). The shock at their return was enormous and their reaction showed it: they cried until there was no strength left (vv 3–4). It’s perfectly fine for men to cry together in mutual support. David, too, had suffered the same fate (v 5), yet the difference between him and his men was a remarkable one: the very men he had sought to comfort, now conspired to kill him, presumably in emotional revenge because of their own suffering. They must have blamed David for failing in leadership and sought some aggressive outlet for their strong emotions of grief and anger. When people suffer loss and become bitter, they tend to become irrationally emotional and make great mistakes that can cost them their future.

David was ‘greatly distressed’ (v 6); not just had he lost his own wives and possessions, his own people added insult to injury by seeking to end his life in a brutal way. It all looked hopeless, especially when they sought to kill the key person that would be God’s instrument for restoration. David dead would’ve meant the end of any hope for restoration. Don’t make irrational bad decisions when you are hurt or angry. Note well: how we respond to suffering and pain will define who we are (identity) and determine our future (destiny). Do we become bitter or better? That is the key question!

So how did David respond in this extremely challenging situation? The story is remarkable in many ways. ‘But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God’ (v 6). That’s how you respond to pain, injustice and persecution! You find strength in God; you pour out your heart before God; you seek comfort and guidance from the Almighty. As their leader, David simply had to set aside his own grief and pain and do what is right for the common good—that’s what leaders do. The same applies to a parent who is seeking to restore the family after things have gone wrong, or a CEO rebuilding the business after a crisis. It’s tough, but necessary.

After seeking strength from God, David also sought His guidance (vv 7–8). It’s very important that we both have strength and strategy from God. We need an action plan and do it. God gave David strength and strategy to restore what was lost. Thanks to David’s powerful ability to seek God in the most painful and stressful experiences of life, he found strength and strategy for restoration. We, too, need that. Be confident in God to provide strength in your weakness and guidance in your struggle. He is faithful! It was a temptation in which God proved faithful and provided strength and strategy as a way of escape (1 Cor 10:30) and a path to restoration (Jas 1:2–12).