“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” — Luke 19:10
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Success is great, but success after failure just somehow seems all that much sweeter. One requirement of a comeback story is having an obstacle to overcome and the sports world is full of comeback stories of athletes and coaches who were seemingly at rock bottom and turned things around.
Think Tiger Woods after his fall from grace. Or Simone Biles in the past Summer Olympics. Or how about the “Miracle on Ice” in the 1980 Olympics? Or one of my faves: Assistant Coach Shooter drawing up the “picket fence” to win the big game in “Hoosiers.” OK, OK, I know it’s a movie, but you get the idea!
We serve a restoring and a reversing God. There are so many instances in the Bible where God “restored” what was lost. But He didn’t stop there — He then turned things around! Restoration and reversal!
Recently, I read the story of Rachel and Leah and Jacob in Genesis 29-31. Jacob was essentially an outlaw fleeing the country after he pulled a fast one on his brother, Esau, and stole Esau’s birthright. Jacob is an outcast and, in his wandering, falls in love with and plans to marry Rachel, only to be deceived on his wedding night by his father-in-law. There are a ton of plot twists in this story, but finally Jacob feels God telling him to return to his home and make things right with his brother.
Jacob obeys and God restores the relationship between the two brothers, and later on Jacob becomes the patriarch of the 12 tribes of Israel. Not only was his relationship restored with his brother, but God orchestrated a complete reversal of the path Jacob had been on and used him mightily.
Another comeback story happened in John 4: Jesus had a divine encounter with a woman who was an outcast in her neighborhood. When Jesus finally broke through to her heart, the woman found acceptance, forgiveness, grace and a new beginning. Jesus did not define her by her past, but as someone made in God’s image and worthy of love. He restored her. He reversed her path.
Our past history doesn’t have to determine our future destiny. God wants each of us to walk in freedom. He wants it so much He sent His only Son to die on the cross so that we might be free. He wants to restore us to Him, make us whole, and put us on a whole new trajectory so that we might know Him and the power of His resurrection.
Where do you need restoration in your life today? What areas feel broken, and where do you long for a turnaround? God is ready to restore you and use you to fulfill the unique purpose He designed and equipped you for. No matter how far you’ve strayed or how much time has passed, it’s never too late and you are never too far gone for a comeback. It’s time to embrace some much-needed R&R — restoration and reversal!
— Melissa Motes
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