One of the historical wonders of the beautiful country of Sri Lanka, is the complex rock fortress, Sigiriya (see-gee-ree-yah), and the palace built on it many centuries ago. It is an amazing place to see and tourists flock there to view its beauty, grandeur, and craftsmanship. Among the highlights of Sigiriya are the frescoes that are painted on the rock walls. These and the site itself are considered National treasures, with UNESCO listing Sigiriya as a world heritage site.

Many years ago, some of the frescoes were vandalized by an unknown group of people, with either ink or paint being thrown to deface them. As a result, many experts had to be brought in to restore these frescoes back to their original state. Thankfully, they succeeded in their painstaking efforts.

Similarly, we as God’s people sometimes go through crushing and damaging experiences. At such times, it looks like nothing much is happening when we pray and sometimes as if nothing is happening at all! These can be extremely trying periods. However, if we walk close to God during such challenging times, we will find that he is still in the business of restoring the damaged periods of our lives. These seasons need never be “wasted seasons,” if we allow God’s purposes to be accomplished in our lives.

God says, “I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten” (Joel 2:5).

Source: “The Ancient City of Sigiriya,” UNESCO.org; Premasara Epasinghe, “Fresco disaster at Sigiriya in 1967,” The Daily News (11-1-03)