In a vision, I saw from on high an immense storm situated over the ocean. It had an expansive cloud bank that swirled around its center like a giant hurricane. As I stared at this massive storm, my perspective was changed in an instant from looking down from above to looking up at it from below.

The storm had seemed huge when viewed from above. But now, from the ocean’s bottom, words fail to express its tremendous magnitude. It appeared as if the entire ocean was one giant, whirling storm. As I watched through the churning water, I noticed that under the water this storm looked like a spinning vortex — a giant, underwater tornado. Sunken debris, like old shipwrecks and other items that had settled over time to the bottom, began to be pulled out of the ocean floor and spun around as they were driven to the surface.

Then, I noticed an enormous treasure chest still lodged in the depths of the sea. Despite the horrific pull of the storm, it didn’t budge an inch, remaining firmly entrenched in the ocean floor. Finally, the force of the underwater cyclone pulled open its lid, and all its contents began to be drawn to the surface. Streaming to the surface in what appeared to be a long, spiraling chain were old maps, compasses, lanterns, sheet music, musical instruments, gold coins, unwrapped gifts, and many other things. The ascending spiral of items continued until everything within the chest had been drawn to the surface.

I began to wonder what had happened to all the “treasures” from the chest, and just then I could see into the eye of the storm and there they were, floating on the surface. What appeared to be a rescue ship was also cruising there in the midst of the storm. This ship wasn’t picking up survivors though, it was gathering in the various treasures that had been drawn up from the opened treasure chest. As the vision faded, I could see the name on the ship. It was the H.M.S. Restoration.

Things Are Stirred Up
Across the face of the globe there is a world-wide storm of economic, social, and political concerns spinning out of control in a magnitude unheard of for more than a generation. In these days, we are constantly bombarded by reports of shrinking retirement funds, banks and investment firms failing, the still looming mortgage crisis, wars across numerous continents, the increasing energy crisis, terrorist threats, and on and on. While most Americans are quite shaken by the things that have been stirring for the last few years, God is not shocked or surprised. Even in the midst of these tumultuous times, God remains steady, unchanged, and in perfect peace.

Just as the storm in the vision removed all of the old debris, God wants to remove everything we have “settled” for in placing our trust. He is desiring us, as His Church, to take our eyes off of anything else we have been looking to or trusting in, and to fix our eyes upon Him — our only sure hope in time of need. Only as we draw ever closer to Him will we be able to have peace in these storm-tossed days. Truly, He is the peace in the eye of the storm!

Time Of Restoration
But the Lord’s desire is to do more than just remove all the old lifeless things that we have chosen to clutter up our lives. He is moving in our day with resurrection power to bring restoration to what we have put down, dropped, cast away, or had taken from us. Many precious blessings from God have been neglected or discarded by the very ones to whom He has given them. Leadership gifts that show the way have been dropped because of disappointment. The light from numerous teaching gifts have been allowed to be extinguished due to rejection. Many musical gifts — such as prophetic singing, new songs, anointed accompaniment — have been set aside and forgotten. And there is so much more!

In the midst of the current stormy circumstances, God is not only wanting to draw us close, but desiring to draw out of the discarded depths of our past many valuable gifts we have let go of — for He is a God of restoration. We might have thought of these gifts as lost and unrecoverable, but He is coming with irresistible power to restore, for the giftings and callings of God are irrevocable. In these days of holding on tightly to God, let us also be prepared to lay hold of the gifts of God He is choosing to restore to us.