Restored!

Matthew 19:²⁹ “And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.” (NIV)

The first of three things that happens to everybody, that if you harness well you will end up with more is AGE. The second thing that happens to everybody is LOSS. The truth is that loss and more do not really go together. But many times, God brings more out of loss, and He brings abundance out of scarcity. That is how God works. So, in seasons of scarcity and loss, if you understand and walk with God, you will end up with more. A classic example is Gideon’s story. Gideon experienced a loss of harvest. Not only did He lose his harvest, eventually because he was trying to obey God, he lost his family altar that had become a community altar. He lost the Asherah pole that was like monumental and should probably be in museum by now.

Gideon lost over ninety-nine percent of his soldiers, and he was left with 0.97 percent of all his soldiers. For Gideon, it was like loss after loss. Gideon lost a lot of things but guess what? God made Gideon lose so that he can gain. God made Gideon go through loss, so that he can end up with more. Gideon lost his low self-esteem, so that he could become the commander of the host of the nation. Gideon lost sight of how small his father’s home was, so that he could lead a whole nation. Gideon had his story of more, you will have your story of more. Gideon had abundant harvest. Gideon built an altar to the Living God. Gideon’s soldiers became more powerful than the opposition. What is the point of having a large army that is weak? Gideon had a small army that was strong. Gideon gained, he ended up with more.

Ruth also had her story of more and embedded in her story of more is loss. Ruth had her story of loss; she lost her husband, her father-in-law, and her brother-in law. She lost her people because she moved away from her people. She lost her country because when you leave a country in those days, you have left. There is no social media, no email, no phone call, or video calls. When you leave, you leave! It is not like these days when people have relocated to Canada, but it is as if they are still living in Nigeria. You check their post on social media and you wonder if they are living in in Nigeria or in Canada. Ruth lost friends.

And guess what? When Ruth cleaved to Naomi, it appeared like she was losing her opportunity to ever have a child. Yet from her story of loss came the story of more. In the Name Jesus Christ of Nazareth, every story of loss in your life will become a story of more in the Name of Jesus. She had her story rewritten to a story of more. She gained a new husband, she had children and a new family. She had new people and a new country. Ruth had a new God.

Prayer: Father, I decree that my story will end with more, in the Name of Jesus. Amen!