Recovery, Restoration, and Righteouosness

The difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter. 'Tis the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning.  --Mark Twain

On the NPR affiliate in my region there is a show that I enjoy.  It is called A Way With Words, and it describes itself as "A public radio program about language examined through history, culture, and family."  Usually on the air they shorten that description to "A show about words and the way we use them."

Not too long ago I heard a caller on the show make a statement about something his father had always told him.  He said, "There is one right or correct word for every occasion."  This brought about a lengthy discussion about English words and the nuances they bring with them.  One might look up a word in a thesaurus, and find other similar words; but those words are only similar, they are never exactly the same.  There is a prime example in the sentence that brought about this discussion: even though the terms "right" and "correct" are almost interchangeable in certain circumstances, each one has its own connotation.  "Right" could mean appropriate to the situation, where "correct" is more technical, meaning it fits within the grammatical context and agrees with the subject in tense, number, and form.

This discussion started me thinking about the different nuances and meanings of the same word.  One of the things that makes the English language so complex and difficult to learn is that while no two words have exactly the same meaning, one word can, by itself, have a dozen or more different meanings.  (Note to my biological sister: this is what I was trying to think of and tell you about when I saw you last, but I got distracted and couldn't regain my train of thought).

For various reasons, I have lately been thinking about the word "recovery."  The term has two broad definitions: 

> The first is, "A return to a normal state of health, mind, or strength," as in signs of recovery in the housing market.  In this sense, some synonyms may be "recuperation," or "convalescence," as in her recovery may be slow. Other synonyms may include improvement, rallying, picking up, upturn, or upswing, as in the economy was showing signs of recovery.
> The second is, "The action or process of regaining possession or control of something lost or stolen," as in a team of salvage experts was hired to ensure recovery of family possessions.  Some synonyms may include retrieval, regaining, repossession, getting back, reclamation, recouping, redemption, or recuperation, as in the recovery of stolen goods.

As I write this, I am waiting for the kickoff of the final game of the NFL season, the championship of American Football, or what some may call "the Big Game".  Whenever a player of a team fumbles the football, there is a "recovery" of the ball either by the offense or the defense.  In this sense, a mistake is made (the fumble), and some amount of physical exertion or work needs to happen in order for a recovery to be made.  The final outcome could be positive or negative, depending upon which team has possession of the football (or depending upon which team you are rooting for.)  Nevertheless, from the instant when the ball is fumbled and the moment when it is recovered, the time lapse is only a few seconds at most.

Another sports analogy:  This month we are looking forward to the Winter Olympics.  Many of the events involve racing on snow or performing intricate maneuvers on ice.  Snow and ice are intrinsically slick, so mistakes are commonplace.  Regaining equilibrium while hurtling down a mountain at upwards of 90 miles per hour might only take milliseconds.  Likewise, an ice skater who catches her toe-pick on the landing of a triple Salchow has only milliseconds to reclaim her balance; if she falls, the announcers may say that she "recovered nicely" in the remainder of her routine, but the judges will still reduce her score.

Other kinds of recovery may be painfully slow.  Recovery from an accident or injury may take weeks or months.  Recovery from addictions may take years or even decades.  Lifestyle changes must be made in order to fully recover.

Recovery.  One word, so many connotations. So many opportunities.  You see, we are all sinners.  Sometimes the sin can be discovered early and repented of quickly.  A lustful glance.  A little white lie.  We may, like the figure skater or downhill skier, be able to recover quickly, before any lasting damage is done.  It may take a short period of intense work, like the football player who has dropped the ball.  Yet if the damage is deep-seated, and has resulted in years of addictive behaviors, recovery may be slow.

A friend of mine was teaching a Sunday School class about 2 Timothy 3:16.  He drew an image on the white board that looked something like this


Then he read the verse: "All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness."  He explained that, like the line in the graph above, our general direction is forward, left to right.  During those optimal times, we are following Scriptural teaching.  But sometimes we get off track, as when the line turns south and starts going downward.  At those times, God may "reprove" us--that is, He may tell us to go back and try again (represented by the times where the line in the graph reaches its lowest point, and seems to be going backward).  This is when God corrects us, represented by the line moving upward, toward the original path.  The final step is training in righteousness, shown in the graph as movement in the right direction, away from our error.  You will notice that the errors are repeated, much like sin in our lives.  The verse still applies: if we go back to the Scripture that is God-breathed, we can enjoy teaching, experience reproof, endure correction, and receive training in righteousness.

According to Strong's Exhaustive Concordance, the word for "restore" occurs 1299 times in the Old Testament, in over 948 verses.  That doesn't even count the times restoration is mentioned in the New Testament.  Clearly, God wants to restore us to the way we were first created: to a place where sin is not standing in the way of fellowship between us and Himself.

Psalm 23:3 says, "He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake."  Restoration and righteousness go hand in hand.  Any other way is like a blind guide.  "Let them alone," Jesus warned.  "They are blind guides of the blind.  And if a blind man guides a blind man, both will fall into a pit." (Matthew 15:14).

To keep me from falling into a pit (again), I have turned to God's word.  My prayer this past week has been Psalm 19:14, "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer."