When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion,
we were like those who dream.
Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
and our tongue with shouts of joy;
then they said among the nations,
“The Lord has done great things for them.�
The Lord has done great things for us;
we are glad.

Psalm 126:1-3 (ESV)

Have you ever had a dream come true?

I have. I know the dreamlike feeling of seeing God begin to work out His restoration in my life and the lives of those I love. And, almost without warning, I find myself in a place that seemed unattainable just a few days earlier.

Sometimes trials last for years and take us past the limits of our endurance. Sometimes we are left brokenhearted and scavenging for hope in a situation that the world sees as hopeless. But I am convinced that, for the child of God, the end result of all trials, all testings, and all tragedies is the full restoration of all of His promises.

Sometimes this happens in a place the world cannot see, because it happens in our first blinking moments in the beautiful morning of His presence in eternity. And sometimes, before an earthly throng of sceptics and the hopeless, Lazarus comes forth.

But restoration always happens for the child of God. For the wounded soul it can start with words spoken from the Father into the dark night:

"I love you, child."

Simple words, yes, but they echo through eternity, from a cool garden in the deeps of time to a scourging post and nail-pitted cross, to a tomb newly abandoned, to the uttermost end of all ages. These words signify His very nature, and there is absolutely nothing that can withstand the love of the Father for His beloved.

And the day begins to dawn as hope resurrects.

The Lord has done great things for us. We are glad!

"I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten . . . "
Joel 2:25a (ESV)