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The Heartbeat
of Destiny
by Francis Frangipane
The
prophet Jeremiah had warned that, unless
Israel repented, Jerusalem itself would
be destroyed. And so it happened: King Nebuchadnezzar's
armies laid siege against Jerusalem. No
food or supplies entered the city; Jerusalem
eventually was utterly devastated. As the
Lamentations of Jeremiah declare, the surviving
Jews were carried off to captivity. It was
one of the bleakest times in Israel's history.
Yet,
it is written that the Lord "does not
take away life, but plans ways so that the
banished one will not be cast out from him"
(2 Sam. 14:14). Thus, even though the Jews
went into exile, the Lord had already purposed
to restore Israel. He said,
"When
seventy years have been completed for Babylon,
I will visit you and fulfill My good word
to you, to bring you back to this place.
For I know the plans that I have for you,'
declares the LORD, "plans for welfare
and not for calamity to give you a future
and a hope' (Jer. 29:10-11).
I
love this about the Lord: He is the God
of restoration. The Lord had "plans
. . . to give [the exiled Jews] a future
and a hope." Just as there was a time
of exile, so there would be a time for restoration.
No matter what things looked like during
the time of captivity, the Lord desired
to restore His people.
Comfortable
With Captivity
Yet, for some of the exiled Jews, restoration
to the holy land seemed unimaginable. When
the grace came to bring Israel back, many
chose instead to stay in Babylon. The familiarity
of their captivity nestled them into Jewish
enclaves. They eventually began to root
in Persia and Babylon, and even prosper.
In time, they grew comfortable in the land
of their exile. Indeed, to this day, the
descendants of these exiles still live in
Jewish communities in Iran.
Yet,
among the exiles, thousands did, in fact,
recognize the heartbeat of destiny. God's
Spirit stirred them. He awakened a holy
dissatisfaction with their present circumstances.
In their spirit, they felt the excitement
of divine anticipation calling them to their
eternal purpose. The time of restoration
was at hand, and they returned to the promised
land and rebuilt the temple of God.
Seasons
of Restoration
Today, for Christians, we too must guard
against becoming comfortable in Babylon,
the land of our exile. Babylon is a land
of intoxication (see Rev. 17-18). The Holy
Spirit desires to restore us, not to a distant
geographic place, but to the image and power
of God's Son. It is this spiritual life
- the "measure of the stature which
belongs to the fullness of Christ"
- that is our "promised land"
(Eph. 4:13).
Thus,
every time I read the Scriptures and I see
the magnificence of God's promises
to the church, I lament that so many of
us are still living in exile. Do you not
also feel this longing for more? Is there
not something in you that desires to walk
in the fullness of what God has promised?
Yet,
let us remember: just as the Lord restored
the Jews to their land, He desires to restore
His church to Christlikeness. Let us not
despair or lose hope! For before Jesus returns,
there is an unfolding season of restoration.
Yes, even today, the true, born-again church
is living in the period the Bible identifies
as the "restoration of all things"
(Acts 3:19-21). If we will not lose heart,
God has promised a season when His church
shall walk in fullness! The works Christ
did, we shall also do (John 14:12). We shall
"be filled [through all our being]
unto all the fullness of God" (Eph.
3:19-21 Amp).
From
Glory to Glory
Let me also say for the soul that has been
embattled, God cares about your individual
restoration. Just as the Lord restored David's
soul (Ps. 23:3), He desires to restore to
us what we have lost. No matter what we
have gone through, even if we've fallen
and failed or grown weary, the Holy Spirit
is seeking our restoration. Even if you
feel shamed and self-condemned, the Lord
has a word for you. He says,
"Fear
not, for you will not be put to shame; and
do not feel humiliated, for you will not
be disgraced; but you will forget the shame
of your youth, and the reproach of your
widowhood you will remember no more"
(Isa. 54:4).
We
must not allow our hearts to remain planted
in standards fashioned in Babylon. Remember,
though some Jews remained in captivity,
many thousands returned during the restoration.
They returned to possess what God had promised.
Let
us also advance with confidence toward the
fullness of Christ.
Let
us embrace the heartbeat of destiny, for
the Lord delights in our restoration!
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Francis
serves as senior minister of River of Life
Ministries in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. 
