Lamentations 4:12-13 Not a king in all the earth— no one in all the world— would have believed that an enemy could march through the gates of Jerusalem. Yet it happened because of the sins of her prophets and the sins of her priests, who defiled the city by shedding innocent blood” ( NLT).

THE POWER OF RESTITUTION

Sometimes ago, I was in the parent teacher’s association(PTA) meeting of my children’s school.

The chairman of the meeting is a Pastor i’ve known for decades. He stressed on the importance of not owing school fees to parents who were present in that meeting.

He told us the story of a young graduate he met who was good at digging gutters, soak away pits and holes. He engaged the guy in some manual labour in their church site.

He didn’t know he was a graduate because he didn’t present himself as one. He discovered this aspect of him while interacting with him on the job because his spoken English was smooth. He was forced to ask about his level of education.

He was disturbed in his heart seeing a graduate doing such an odd job. Out of compassion, he asked God what was wrong with the young man. He prayed for days.

After a week, God told him the man’s mother owed school fees while he was in elementary school. The Lord told him the young man’s problem came from that angle.

He sent for the mother and instructed the woman to pay what she was owing. They obeyed the instruction. Though the owner of the school is late, they paid the money to her children.

After they obeyed that instruction, he lost touch with the young man. Months after, this pastor entered the bank to transact, guess who attended to him? It was the same young man who use to dig holes.God turned his life around.

After the mother restituted, the door of good job opened for him. This is not fiction, it is real. The pastor who told us was part of the story himself.

Dearest, restitution can correct some foundational errors.

A note of warning to those that owe and do not want to pay back, you may be creating future problems for yourself or your children.

Paul says, “Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law” ( Romans 13:8).

Owing people and not repaying shows you don’t love them. That’s the implication of what Paul said in that text

It is only wicked people that borrow or owe debt and will not want to pay: “The wicked borrow and do not repay, but the righteous give generously;”( Psalm 37:21).

It is wickedness to hold on to what belongs to others and not want to give it back or return it to them when it is in your capacity to do so.

You can’t live large on people’s sweat and not pay for it. Law of harvest will take its course. Some think the law of sowing and reaping is for a dispensation. Sorry, it is a trans dispensational law that is in force till now.

Whatever you sow( good or bad), you will reap it because that’s how God ordained life to be. Paul says, “Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant”(Galatians 6:7 NLT).

Satan hold on to little things as legal grounds to prevent our blessings. When we have insight into spiritual things, we’ll understand that godliness works in our favour on all fronts.

Is it bad to restitute where possible?

A young man once attacked me for preaching restitution. He told me to prove it from the ‘gospel of grace’. I decided not to engage him because he wanted to start an argument.

These days, I don’t have strength for such any longer. I discharge some people by saying “Ok” or “I’ve heard”. I give explanation only to those willing to learn.

While i agree that we cannot restitute all wrongs from our past neither can restitution itself grant salvation, yet failure to restitute certain things may rob us of our peace and joy.

Further, restitution is not equal to repentance but it is the fruit of genuine repentance. It is impossible to repent genuinely and not want to make amend where possible.

Obviously, restitution is not possible in all cases/ situations neither can it earn us salvation.

That’s why I believe restitution should not be done in the flesh or out of zeal but by the leading and prompting of the Spirit.

If God instruct you to restitute, one of the purposes is to break the law of harvest so you don’t reap a bad harvest from bad seeds sown in life.

You may not be able to stop the harvest of a bad seed you’ve sown in the past except through restitution.

Also, restitution makes our conscience clear and free. That’s why Paul said: “So I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man”( Acts 24:16).

If you’re facing tough battles that has stuck to your life like an emblem after praying and fasting, ask the Holy Spirit what you need do to come out of it.

Just like that young man, yours may also be to restitute certain things.

PRAYER: Father, i have heard your word. Holy Spirit, reveal to me areas where i need to restitute, reconcile and make correction In Jesus name.