Comeback King
God loves the down and out
Who is the Comeback King? Jehovah!
If there's one thing God will do, it’s orchestrate a comeback. The Bible says he,
Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show you compassion. For the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!
Isaiah 30:18
America had Rosie the Riveter, who inspired our image above. Christians have all the saints in the Bible. The Hebrews Hall of Faith is nothing but their comebacks:
Adam and Eve after the fall, and Able was killed had Seth
Abraham and Sarah's long season of infertility yields a son
Moses survived genocide as a baby
The Israelites surviving slavery and being delivered from Egypt
Joseph's comeback from prison
David had several
The Shunammite Woman’s son raised from the dead (2 Kings 4:8-37)
The poor widow, her son, and Elisha’s jars of oil (2 Kings 4)
Daniel in a lion’s den and literal fire
All the sick people that Jesus healed
Peter’s denial and restoration
The disciples’ abandonment of Jesus
Paul’s many trials and shipwrecks but the Church exploded in growth
Hebrews 11:38 says, “The world was not worthy of them.” They endured hardship, trials, delays, denials, rejection, and loss, but God still had more for them. And he still has more for you, too.
God loves a good down-and-out story because he gets to show off. He gets to show the world his power, goodness, and redemption.
Hollywood loved a good comeback, too, but the difference is they aren't there for you in the down-and-out portion. The world only cheers for you at the finish line.
Turning Pain into Promise
I promise you that your most significant source of pain is often your biggest opportunity to be used by God and help others. The devil can’t read God’s plan for your life but can read human behavior. If he sees a confident, articulate leader of a young girl, he will influence her to lead people into sin and pain. If he sees a kind, gentle, loving young man who longs to be a father, he will send him toxic women who will harden his heart. The Bible says there’s nothing new under the sun.
Whichever place you find your story, God loves a comeback, and despite all appearances around us, he desires this for us, too. This is because within your comeback trajectory lies your redemption, yes, but also your sanctification. You will become more like Jesus—if you do it God’s way.
For this is the will of God, your sanctification.
If you count yourself in a season of difficulty, it’s a setup for your comeback. There’s an element of faith that is involved. Faith that he will do what he says he will do (provide, protect, restore, bless, heal, deliver). Maybe not in the way we want, but he is bound by his promises to do those things.
Provide: Philippians 4:19-20 ESV - “And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”
Protect: Psalm 91:11 ESV - “For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.”
Restore: Joel 2:25-26 ESV - “I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten.”
Bless: Genesis 22:17-18 “I will bless you greatly, and I will multiply your seed greatly like the stars.”
Heal: Exodus 15:26 - “For I am the LORD who heals you.”
Deliver: Psalm 34:17 ESV - “When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles.”
Many more verses under these topics show a pattern of God doing these things. It’s his nature. If you need any of these things, let this stir up the gift of faith in your life.
“Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands”
2 Timothy 1:6, NKJV
For our Father in Heaven longs to be good to you.
Dear Jesus,
Restore to us what the enemy took away
Bring us back into alignment
with your good and perfect will for our lives
Give us our own comeback story.
Amen.
Beautiful reminders. Thank you for sharing this with us.