Restore, Then More: Fundamentals of God's Blessing

God desires for His people to "live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes and undisturbed places of rest" (Isaiah 32:18). This promise isn't just a nice sentiment—it's God's intention for your life. But how do we access this promise? How do we move from where we are to where God wants us to be?

What Does "Restore, Then More" Really Mean?

Too often, we normalize what God wants to deliver us from. We accept what God rejects, while running from the dreams and desires God would have us embrace. God wants you powerful, not powerless.

Psalm 37:3-5 reminds us: "Trust in the Lord and do good. Dwell in the land and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord. Trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass."

While contentment is valuable (1 Timothy 6:6 says "godliness is a source of great gain when accompanied by contentment"), God wants to be involved in the desires of your heart. He wants to partner with you in bringing your destiny to pass.

What Happens When We Build the Wrong Altars?

In the showdown between Elijah and the 850 false prophets (1 Kings 18), we learn that one person with God is more powerful than 850 without Him. Culture today wants to quantify everything, but God uses principles to qualify everything.

When we build altars to false gods of selfishness, greed, and deceit, we get more of what those altars produce:

• More drought
• More poverty
• More hard times 
• More famine
• More death

The inverse of "restore, then more" is also true. If you restore an altar to something foolish or evil, you're guaranteed to get more production of that wicked outcome.

How Do We Practically Apply "Restore, Then More"?

To make this wisdom functional in your life, we need to answer four fundamental questions about the altar in "restore, then more":

1. Where Do We Restore This Altar?

Location matters. When Jesus spoke with the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4), she asked about the proper location for worship. Jesus replied: "God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth" (John 4:24).

The location is not a physical place but a spiritual reality—within you. Luke 17:20-21 tells us: "The kingdom of God is within you, in your hearts and among you, surrounding you."

God wants His altar of intimate connection with you right in your home, at the center of your life. Going to church buildings isn't wrong, but exiling God's presence from your daily life is deadly.

2. When Is the Right Time?

Jesus told the Samaritan woman: "A time will come, however, indeed it is already here, when the true genuine worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth" (John 4:23).

The timing is always now. God doesn't want a part-time relationship with you, but one that is "day and night, night and day." True worship isn't just attending a scheduled event; it's constantly connecting your heart to God in spirit and truth.

3. What Materials Make a Good Altar?

Elijah used 12 stones representing the 12 tribes, but these physical elements were only a reflection of the true substances that captured God's attention—his heart.

The materials God values are:

• Your attention
• Your trust
• Your hope
• Your faith

Hebrews 11:6 reminds us: "Without faith, it's impossible to please God. For he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him."

You can perform countless religious acts, but without giving God your heart, you haven't established a true altar with Him.

4. How Do We Do This?

This requires courage, determination, focus, and faith. Like Elijah on Mount Carmel, we must take decisive action: 

• Repent from former high places we've trusted in
• Eliminate distractions that pull you away from trusting in the Lord
• Get back your heart from wrong associations 
• Offer God thanks - Hebrews 13:15 says: "Through Christ, let us constantly and at all times offer up to God a sacrifice of praise"
• Return your whole heart to God - A divided heart will never experience God's power

Elijah prayed after he fully restored the altar. Too often, we pray before placing our trust in God. We make requests before offering Him sovereignty in our lives.

What Does Restoration Look Like in Practice?

When you restore, you: 

• Unbuild wrong beliefs
• Rebuild values that were broken down
• Reform what was damaged 

With God's help, we:

• Restore our attention back on God's Word 
• Rebuild God's values into our homes
• Restore God's principles as our standard for communication and daily habits 
• Rebuild the walls of protection around our hearts, homes, and families

Even our eyes need protection. Job 31:1 says: "I dictated a covenant to my eyes. How then could I look lustfully upon a girl?" Without restoring these principles, we fill our lives with things that aren't of God's goodness.

Remember, "a little leaven leavens the whole lump" (Galatians 5:9). A small compromise can contaminate your entire life.

Life Application

Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19). The altar of God's presence is within you. Never allow the presence of God to be deported from your life, your home, or your living room.

This week, take these practical steps 

• Identify the false altars in your life - What distractions, habits, or influences are pulling you away from God? 

• Begin rebuilding the true altar - Set aside dedicated time each day to connect with God through prayer and His Word.

• Offer your whole heart to God - Before asking for anything, surrender your trust, your attention, and your devotion to Him.

• Ask yourself: Am I treating God's presence as something that only exists in a church building, or am I living with the awareness that His altar is within me? 

• Consider: What areas of my life need restoration before I can experience "more" of what God has for me?

Jesus came that we might have life with Him living in us. That's the secret to living healed and whole—Christ in you, not across town. Abide in Him always, and have the courage to unbuild altars that don't honor God in your home.