It was a full-circle moment for me to sit in church this past Sunday as Pastor Jason shared the message on restoration. On January 1st of this year, I sat with the Lord and asked Him to give me a word for 2025. The word that He gave me was “restore”…so to end this year with this particular message was a beautiful Holy Spirit moment for me!
When God gave me that word earlier this year, my mind immediately went to all the good things that come from restoration…all the hope, the joy and the anticipation of things that have been “lost” for awhile. The years the locusts had eaten (Joel 2:25). I was ready to immediately see those things restored, with open hands and an expectant heart.
But along the way as I walked through 2025, I realized that God had a process of stripping away, exposing sin, and showing me ugliness inside even before the healing began. Ultimately, it’s hard to face these things and see them for what they are. The worship song we all sang on Sunday solidified what this process was like for me as these words rang so true:
“You can light up even the darkest parts of this heart…
I give it all up to you.
I give it all up to you, Jesus.”
(Clean Heart, Life Church Worship)
I have seen some of the darkest parts of my heart this year, and it was unbelievably hard to expose that. However, God would never choose to expose anything within our hearts without a reason, without a purpose behind the exposure. Exposing means redemption is on the horizon…there is still good work to be done.
The most encouraging part of Sunday’s message to me personally was this point: The most important thing we can do in our life is pursue God.
It reminded me of this beautiful verse I read this week as David was handing down the building of the temple to his son, Solomon. He encourages Solomon with these words:
“And Solomon, my son, learn to know the God of your ancestors intimately. Worship and serve Him with your whole heart and willing mind. For the Lord sees every heart and knows every plan and thought. If you seek Him, you will find Him...” (1 Chronicles 28:9 NLT)
There is something truly beautiful about the process of seeking…about the journey of knowing God. To really know Him means that there will be restoration. Healing will come.
I’ve often thought about what it would be like to stand before Jesus at the gates of heaven, and to realize that eternity is for real…but to never have built a relationship Him.
How can we spend eternity with someone we don’t even know? Our time here on earth is but a glimpse, but it is worth our time and effort and energy to truly get to know Him…to walk with Him in relationship. At the end of it all, that relationship is what lasts. That relationship will be forever.
As we head into Thanksgiving, I am choosing to meditate on King David’s charge to Solomon. To know God intimately, and to be thankful for that. There are so many things to be thankful for, God has been so good to us hasn’t He? But maybe the one thing I am most thankful for is simply knowing and loving Him. It is the greatest privilege of our lives. Friend, He is so worth knowing.
“Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever.” (Westminster Catechism)
When God gave me that word earlier this year, my mind immediately went to all the good things that come from restoration…all the hope, the joy and the anticipation of things that have been “lost” for awhile. The years the locusts had eaten (Joel 2:25). I was ready to immediately see those things restored, with open hands and an expectant heart.
But along the way as I walked through 2025, I realized that God had a process of stripping away, exposing sin, and showing me ugliness inside even before the healing began. Ultimately, it’s hard to face these things and see them for what they are. The worship song we all sang on Sunday solidified what this process was like for me as these words rang so true:
“You can light up even the darkest parts of this heart…
I give it all up to you.
I give it all up to you, Jesus.”
(Clean Heart, Life Church Worship)
I have seen some of the darkest parts of my heart this year, and it was unbelievably hard to expose that. However, God would never choose to expose anything within our hearts without a reason, without a purpose behind the exposure. Exposing means redemption is on the horizon…there is still good work to be done.
The most encouraging part of Sunday’s message to me personally was this point: The most important thing we can do in our life is pursue God.
It reminded me of this beautiful verse I read this week as David was handing down the building of the temple to his son, Solomon. He encourages Solomon with these words:
“And Solomon, my son, learn to know the God of your ancestors intimately. Worship and serve Him with your whole heart and willing mind. For the Lord sees every heart and knows every plan and thought. If you seek Him, you will find Him...” (1 Chronicles 28:9 NLT)
There is something truly beautiful about the process of seeking…about the journey of knowing God. To really know Him means that there will be restoration. Healing will come.
I’ve often thought about what it would be like to stand before Jesus at the gates of heaven, and to realize that eternity is for real…but to never have built a relationship Him.
How can we spend eternity with someone we don’t even know? Our time here on earth is but a glimpse, but it is worth our time and effort and energy to truly get to know Him…to walk with Him in relationship. At the end of it all, that relationship is what lasts. That relationship will be forever.
As we head into Thanksgiving, I am choosing to meditate on King David’s charge to Solomon. To know God intimately, and to be thankful for that. There are so many things to be thankful for, God has been so good to us hasn’t He? But maybe the one thing I am most thankful for is simply knowing and loving Him. It is the greatest privilege of our lives. Friend, He is so worth knowing.
“Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever.” (Westminster Catechism)
Erika Pizzo
Erika is an author of various books on the topics of faith, mental health, and victory in Christ. Erika lives with her husband, daughter, son, and their fluffy poodle in sunny Southern California. Her two favorite things are a visit to the beach and a chai latte in hand.