The Repair Shop

One of the most loved television programmes on BBC is The Repair Shop. It’s such a simple format, which has captured the imagination of millions.  It involves a team of expert restorers who lovingly and patiently bring people’s treasured possessions back to life again. People bring to them old favourite toys, clocks, furniture, vases, paintings etc. And these are painstakingly worked upon by the craftsmen and women until they resemble what they looked like when original. The joy on the owners faces when they see them restored is lovely to behold. Some get very emotional and weep, when the memories come flooding back, as they recall their childhood most favoured items. 

God is in the restoration business too. He loves to take broken lives and make them new again. He is the Potter we are the clay. Throughout the New Testament we see Jesus, again and again, making people new. The broken, the sick, the dying, the lost, the no-hopers, the failures, the losers in life, all came to Him, and made them whole again.  The woman with the issue of blood got her health restored. Blind Bartimaeus got his sight restored. The widow of Nain got her dead son restored. Peter got restored from his denial failure. Thomas got restored from his doubting failure. In the Old Testament, David got restored from his moral failure. Jacob from his cheating failure. Noah from his drunken failure, and Joseph’s brothers from their betrayal failure. 

In fact, God’s restoration job is so good, that the person is better than they were originally.  11Cor. 5:17 “Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” Peter’s failure was spectacular. All his proud boasting. His vainglorious brag that “…Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble.” (Matt.26:33)  How the mighty are fallen! When the pressure was on, and the trial of Jesus well underway, before the morning rooster crowed, Peter even swore an oath three times, denying that he ever knew Jesus.  Away he went. A broken and a humiliated man. Who could ever put this Humpty Dumpty together again? Only one mender of men could do it. 

After a fruitless night’s fishing, Peter and a few of his disciple friends  came to shore. Jesus was there waiting for them. They didn’t recognise Him. He asked them had they any food. They said they hadn’t, so He told them to cast their net on the right side of the boat and they would find some fish. They did so, and hauled in a great harvest of fish.  Then He takes Peter aside, into His repair shop, and wonderfully restores him. In fact, Jesus so restored Peter he was a million times better than the old Peter.   

Do you need restored today? Let Him take you into His Divine Repair Shop and lovingly restore you. 

- Pastor David Goudy