Paul David Tripp, in his book Lead, makes a powerful statement about the grace of God:

“We sinners don’t just need forgiving grace; we need reconciling grace. And we just don’t need reconciling grace; we need restoring grace. And we just don’t need restoring grace; we need delivering grace.” (p. 179)

I have spent some time thinking about this statement, particularly the idea of restorative grace.

Most of us understand our need for God’s forgiveness. We know we are sinners in need of a Savior. But sometimes I wonder if we fully understand that God’s grace doesn’t stop at forgiveness. His grace continues to work in us, restoring what sin, failure, hurt, and life’s difficulties have damaged.

David understood this when he cried out in Psalm 51:12:

“Restore to me the joy of your salvation and uphold me with a willing spirit.”

Notice that David didn’t ask God to restore his salvation. He asked God to restore the joy of his salvation. Sin had robbed him of something precious, and he knew that only God could restore it.

Psalm 23:3 reminds us, “He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.”

I love that verse. Our Shepherd doesn’t abandon us when we stumble, become weary, or wander away. He lovingly works to bring us back to where we need to be.

And sometimes that restoration takes time.

Psalm 147:3 says, “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” Notice the picture of God binding up wounds. Healing is often a process, not an event. Just because we have been forgiven doesn’t mean the wounds immediately disappear.

I know something about that kind of grace.

There was a season in my life when restoration seemed like a distant possibility. The road to recovery and restoration was not easy. Even today, memories return, and old wounds are felt again. Yet God, in His grace and mercy, saw fit to restore my family and me and allow us to serve Him in ministry once again.

For that, I am deeply grateful.

I don’t share that because I have everything figured out. Quite the opposite. I share it because I have experienced firsthand that God’s restorative grace is real. He doesn’t simply forgive our past and leave us to figure out the future on our own. He walks with us through the healing process.

Jeremiah 30:17 reminds us of God’s promise: “For I will restore health to you, and your wounds I will heal, declares the Lord.”

There is another side to restorative grace that I believe we, especially those of us in ministry, need to remember.

Galatians 6:1 tells us, “Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness.”

Did you catch that? Restore him. Not discard him. Not ignore the sin. Not pretend that consequences don’t exist. But lovingly, patiently, and gently seek restoration.

If God has been gracious enough to restore us, shouldn’t we be willing to extend that same grace to others?

Restoration doesn’t always mean returning to the same position or circumstances. Sometimes God restores us by leading us into something entirely different. But His desire to heal, renew, and draw us closer to Himself remains.

Psalm 80:3 offers a prayer that I believe all of us need to pray from time to time:

“Restore us, O God; make your face shine on us, that we may be saved.”

Maybe today you need a reminder that your failures do not have to be the final chapter of your story. Maybe you are carrying wounds that nobody else knows about. Or perhaps God is calling you to be an instrument of restoration in someone else’s life.

Whatever the situation, remember this: God’s grace is not limited to forgiving what we have done. His grace is powerful enough to restore what has been broken.

I am living proof that God is still in the restoration business.

And for that, I will forever be grateful.