- I Shall Not Want
- Green Pastures and Still Waters
- Restoration and Guidance: Receiving the Promise
- Walking Through the Valley of the Shadow of Death
- Eating a Meal in the Presence of Your Enemies
One of my prized possessions is my grandfather’s RCA Victor console that he bought around 1950 or 1951. It’s a full piece of furniture with an AM/FM radio and 78, 45, and 33 1/3 rpm turntables. One of the cabinets still holds his replacement vacuum tube, still in its box. I even have all of his records, which include 78s by Hank Williams and Doris Day. What a combination. My wife Kim had worked it out last year for a co-worker to restore the console’s electronics so that it would be just like new. Unfortunately, things changed, a manufacturing plant closed, and we transferred out of state. One day, though, I’ll get this thing restored.
Sometimes, instead of a console, it’s our souls that need restoration. I’ve found myself needing my soul restored many times. Maybe you have too. Fortunately, we have a God who loves to do this for us. We’re in a series of posts looking at the 23rd Psalm, picking up with this verse:
He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. (Psalm 23:3)
What exactly does it mean that God “restores our soul”? I think there are several aspects to this phrase, and one is that God offers us forgiveness when we’ve wronged him. Mankind is hopelessly lost in sin. In fact, because of what we’ve done, we can’t even know him without him first calling us. But he offers to make right with him all who come to him for forgiveness. All you have to do is admit your need for forgiveness and ask for it.
For those of us who already belong to him, when we mess up, he’s always there to forgive us. That’s why his disciple John said these words:
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:19)
I love it that John doesn’t say that Jesus might forgive, or we can come to him and “hope for the best.” John says that our Shepherd is faithful and just and will forgive us.
Sometimes our souls need restoration because we’re tired. Just the normal wear and tear of life can get us down in our souls. Worries, challenges, stress, disappointments, there are hundreds of things that can tire us out. Some folks are tired of dealing with a virus. Some are tired of wondering how they’ll pay the bills or put food on the table for their kids.
Other times we’re hurt. Maybe physically, yes, but we’re also hurt spiritually and emotionally. I’ve never been in a physical battle, so I can’t relate to that at all. But I’ve been in a few spiritual battles. I know what it’s like to be wounded by fellow believers. Some of our wounds take a long time to heal.
But no matter what has tired us out or hurt us, we have a Shepherd who is always there to give us strength. And it isn’t just random strength that he gives us. He gives us his strength:
He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. (Isaiah 40:29)
What an incredible promise! He’s always there to strengthen us and to forgive us. Always. He restores our souls.
Look at the second part of verse 3:
He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. (Psalm 23:3b)
Sheep have no sense of direction. They have no idea where to go for pasture or water. They follow the shepherd, trusting that he’ll always go the right way and that he’ll always provide.
God will always provide us with guidance on the right path, if we ask for it, and if we’re willing to surrender to him and follow him.
One night several months ago, we were showing some of my son’s friends around Birmingham, Alabama. I know my away around Birmingham fairly well, but things can look different after dark. I was using my phone’s GPS, but then my phone died, and one of the guys offered to use his phone. That was great, but I couldn’t see his screen. He was giving me verbal directions, but because I couldn’t physically look at the screen, I kept turning too soon or too late. He’d say, “Turn left here,” but then I would turn left, and he’d say, “No, not this left, the next one.” That happened several times. Let’s just say that it took a lot longer to get to Shake Shack than it should have. And we saw parts of Birmingham we’d never seen before. All because I didn’t stay on the correct route.
God will give us direction. He’ll give it in his time, which isn’t always our time, but when he’s ready to give it, he will lead you. God gives us an incredible promise in Proverbs:
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6)
If you’ll trust him, he’ll lead you. Trusting him means surrendering to him in all of your ways. It means surrendering to his guidance in your job, in your finances, in your relationships, in your parenting. In all of your ways, acknowledge that he is Lord of every part of you, and he will lead you.
When we get off his path, though, we can’t blame God when we get into trouble. We only hurt ourselves when we set out on our own. Most of the time, when it comes to knowing God’s will what we need is not more information. What we need is surrender. When you give up your wants, and you surrender to what God wants, he’ll make your path clear.
Notice that God does this “for his name’s sake.” God leads you not just so you’ll be happy, but so you’ll bring him glory. God doesn’t lead us to call attention to how good we are at following. He leads us so that others will be drawn to him. He leads us so that people will look at how wonderful and powerful he must be to make something good out of people like us.
We have a Shepherd who loves to renew our strength and guide us successfully through this life. If it’s strength you need today, rest in him. If it’s direction you need, surrender to him and follow him when he leads.