Rebuilding Ancient Ruins
by Joanne Ellison
07.05.18
07.05.18

Hope everyone had a wonderful and safe Independence Day holiday yesterday! We are so blessed to live in the United States and to enjoy the freedom and liberty our country provides. Today I want to reflect on the freedom that the Lord also provides. It is He who repairs the broken-down areas of our lives. Below is an entry from my devotional, Drawing Near to God, that touches on this subject. The key verse is Isaiah 58, and I’m excited to share that I will be teaching the course I wrote on Isaiah this fall via our live teaching & worship experience as well as via streaming. There will be lots of exciting information about getting linked up with that study coming soon, so be sure to stay tuned.


Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.
Isaiah 58:12

The Lord promised in Isaiah 58 to satisfy His people in a sun-scorched land and to restore Jerusalem, His holy city. He is the Repairer of Broken Walls and Restorer of Streets with Dwellings. God promised to loose the chains of injustice and set the oppressed free. (Isaiah 58:6) When the Lord loosens our chains of oppression, He begins a work of rebuilding “our temple” into a dwelling place for Him. God came to redeem us from our sins and to restore the broken down places in our lives, revealing to us that He is both Savior and Redeemer.

Often we see the Lord as Savior alone, but He is also the Redeemer: He has sent me to bind up the broken hearted; to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners. (Isaiah 61) Jesus declared that this passage described His mission on earth. (Luke 4:15-21) Jesus came not only to save but to redeem us from our places of darkness and oppression. Redeem means to “deem back”—to give back to us the places that the enemy has stolen. Children are most vulnerable, and at a young age the enemy tries to sew his seeds of destruction, seeking to block the development of our lives in Christ. He may sew seeds of jealousy, envy, unworthiness, and the like. Jesus Christ came to set us free from the seeds of destruction that the enemy has sewn. He saves us from our sin and delivers us from the lies.

God was known as the Repairer of Broken Walls, and through His Son Jesus Christ, He seeks to repair and restore our lives. Are you willing to allow Him to do some repair work? He stands waiting to begin.

Heavenly Father,
I am in need of repair. I can see the seeds of destruction in my life, and I desire for You to restore and rebuild those areas of my life. Thank you that You came to save me, deliver me, and make me whole.
In Jesus’ name, Amen

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3 Comments

  1. Maribeth Ditmars

    I just did Isaiah 58 with my kid’s Bible class this am. We talked about how Isaiah knew Jesus was coming 700 years ahead of time. That makes it easier for me to wait in the promises.

    Reply
    • Jack Robertson

      Jack Robertson from St Louis I just read your article and started weeping. I’ve just made it back to church although I have been interceding from midnight to three am for some time now. In my sleep I kept hearing acient foundations half the night and the Lord says to me it’s been a long way back you’re home now. Not sure I understand it’s meaning yet but thanks, May God bless you and His light of love guide you’re heart and mind love your brother Jack

      Reply
      • Joanne Ellison

        Jack, your words bless me– to hear that the Lord has drawn you back to Himself. There are no ruins that he won’t rebuild and the great thing is He will rebuild them even better. I am reminded in the book of Nehemiah,that after the Israelites came back from captivity in Babylon, they used some of the rubble of the old walls to rebuild the new walls. This is God’s way. He takes what we see as “ruins” and uses this in our new building. As he builds up His temple in you, He will use all of the things that you think were a loss and makes something out of them even better!

        Reply

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