HE RESTORES MY SOUL
When we need a “reset” to experience wholeness and peace in our soul, we need to turn to the eternal source of peace.
7/2/20263 min read
Psalm 23:3 He restoreth my soul…
At some time or other, all of us have, at least to some extent, been ravaged by life through the meanness, cruelty, oppression, or coldness that we have encountered through individuals who were vessels of the tormenting spirits that manifest on earth. If we experience this repeatedly and frequently, it wears us down. We experience emotional fatigue, in some cases “depression”, or even “post-traumatic stress disorder”. There is not a deliverance “app” for that, but there is a Word for that: He restores my soul.
Believing in the restorative power of God requires faith in His Word, His power, His dominion, and His sovereignty. Nothing is beyond God’s knowledge, purpose, plan, or permission. He can use everything in our past to make a better future for us. We witness that in the story of Joseph, who was sold by his brothers and then imprisoned. God did more than restore Joseph; he elevated Joseph to the position of his dreams- the dreams that he had before all the bad stuff happened. He was elevated to the position of ruler in Egypt. Egypt was not his birthplace or where he had been reared. If Joseph had bothered to be bitter, Egypt would have been a likely place for bitterness for him. But Joseph must have known that bitterness was not his portion, and he did not choose it. As God would have it, Joseph's restoration eventually came in the form of elevation and turned out to be his family's salvation during a famine. For nothing is lost, forgotten, or wasted by God.
Joseph went forward with life. His first two children were born in Egypt, and he named them Manasseh and Ephraim, proclaiming that God has caused me to forget all my toil, and my father’s house, and He has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction (Genesis 41:51, 52). We can experience the spiritual birth of a Manasseh and an Ephraim, because we as Christians believe that Jesus came to give us abundant life (John 10:10). Abundant life is not a life driven by the aftermath of exploitation, depression, and PTSD (but if medications are required, take them until God tells you differently). If we are saved according to the Word, we will have eternal life, but we can also have a full life on earth. God loves us and does not want us to live in torment, but to live in peace, righteousness, and joy. In John 14:18, 27, Jesus tells His followers I will not leave you comfortless; Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. Ephesians 5:9 tells us the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth; proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.
Those deeds from our past that trouble us must be forgiven, no matter who committed them. We must walk in the newness of life, realizing that our enemy is the devil, not other humans. Ephesians 4:23-31 tells us to be renewed in the spirit of our mind. We are to put on the new man, which is created in righteousness and true holiness in the likeness of our Heavenly Father. We need to make certain that the sun does not go down on our wrath, holding on to anger continually. Every day is a new day, and we will not give any space to the devil to occupy in our minds. We must be careful with our word choices and conversations, avoiding vexing the Holy Spirit while giving the devil opportunity to work through us. We must not attack others in our anger, but be kind, tenderhearted, and forgiving because God forgave us.
Most of all, we must walk in love. Love for others, and love from God. According to Colossians 2:10, we are complete in Him. Let go of pain. Reach out and touch the Lord in faith. The restorer has come to give us peace that passes all understanding.
I pray that this love settles into our hearts as we release unforgiveness and the ropes of pain from our past that choke out the joy of our present; that the mind of Christ be in us (Philippians 2:5), that the peace of God that passes all understanding keeps our heart and mind through Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:9), that the peace of God rules our heart (Colossians 3:15); that we recognize that Christ has taken everything that was brought against us, that was contrary to our new life in Him, and nailed it to the cross and we are now entitled to victory, peace, joy, fulness in Him. Amen!