All of us have lost something precious in our lives. Be it family, confidence, time, opportunities or possessions, God knows how much it hurt us. But what we don't often realise is God's ability and desire to restore what we lost, and even give us more than what we had, if we surrender it all to Him.

Painful loss

Losing something precious is never enjoyable, regardless of what it is. When a beloved family member dies, we feel sadness. When we lose our jobs, we feel anxious. When we fail to grab great opportunities, we feel as if we'll never get better ones. Yes, this is so true.

I honestly don't know what you have lost, dear reader, but I encourage you to look up to God and put your trust in Him through your pain and your grief. God knows how to restore your joy and give you reasons to be happy.

I feel you

My friend, I personally experienced much loss in my life before. There are times when I still cry over the opportunities I missed by not going home and spending time with my beloved grandmother, whom I lost to sickness. There are times when I still cry over the years that I spent away from my family. I am sure there's something you are crying over, too. My friend, I feel you. But more than me, I know God feels for us, too.

Hebrews 4:15 tells us, "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathise with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin." Christ Jesus, who is God in the flesh, knows how we feel.

Jesus knows how you feel

Jesus experienced many things that enable Him to say "I feel you." In fact, He had worse experiences than us. He was rejected by those whom He loved. He was betrayed by Judas, denied by Peter and abandoned by the others except John. He experienced the loss of a loved one – His earthly father Joseph, whom scholars believe died before Christ started His earthly ministry. He gave Himself up for our sakes, even feeling separated from God shortly before He died (see Matthew 27:46).

Yes, Jesus Himself experienced much loss: the loss of acceptance, the loss of friends, and the loss of a loved one. He even lost His very life, so that we might have life in Him, and never be separated from the love of God ever again (see Romans 8:35-39).

Ultimate Restoration

Friends, Christ's death and resurrection restores what we have lost -- our relationship with God. Although some things will never be the same way it was before, we are assured that what we will have is better. In fact, the ultimate restoration has been given to us through His blood: we returned to God as His children, and Him as our beloved Father. There's no better restoration than that.