Theme for September: Who is he?

By Benescke Janse van Rensburg

Two years ago, a twelve-year-old boy stumbled in an art gallery in Taipei. As he fell, he accidentally pressed a hole in a 17th century painting with his finger. The value of the painting was €1.3 million (almost R20 million).

The moment the painting tore, the value tumbled into the ground. Could it be restored? Yes, but it would take time. During the restoration process of any painting, the restorer looks at the whole picture in order to restore it. With the completion, the art work’s value might be greater than before.

In our lives we too at times feel completely worthless due to wrong decisions or mistakes. It causes us to feel as if our hearts are “torn” into shreds. The truth, however, is that God can do restoration work in our lives.

In Isaiah 57: 18-19 He says, “I will comfort those who mourn, bringing words of praise to their lips. . .” Also in Revelation 21: 5, we read, “And the one sitting on the throne said, ‘Look, I am making everything new!’ And then he said to me, ‘Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.’”

God is able to restore our lives as He created us and therefore understands our worth. If we allow Him to do the restoration work on the inside of us, we become of greater valuable to the people around us as our character is developed and shaped during this time. Let us trust Him to restore and recover what is needed in our lives as nothing is impossible to Him. God bless.

Father God, thank you for Your ability to restore and heal any hurt in my heart. Help me to understand my value in your eyes. I ask this in the Name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

• See picture of the painting at www.benescke.co.za

• Watch video of the "fall-moment" caught on the security camera of the boy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdonRRhUmPo699