PRAYER REFLECTION- HE RESTORES MY SOUL

PRAYER REFLECTION- HE RESTORES MY SOUL- (The text below is the script from today's podcast.  You can find it on the "Podcast" tab.  Please consider sharing with a friend!)

Did you know you do not have a soul, but that you are a soul? By God’s definition your soul makes up you as an ENTIRE living being. It includes you as a person, your mind, your heart, your body, your will, your desires, your appetites. So when King David wrote that the LORD restored his soul, he was talking about the entirety of his needs, whether body, mind, will, or spirit.

There is a book called “A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23” by a pastor named Philip Keller. In his book he details little known backstory behind Psalm 23 that he says is rich in shepherd language and imagery. For example, in Psalm 23, verse 3 says, “He restores my soul.” According to Keller, the word restore is a shepherd’s term. It is not uncommon for one in the flock to fall over when traveling in certain terrain. They can land with all 4 legs sticking straight up into the air (see pic below). Sheep are top heavy, so their skinny little legs cannot keep them upright at times. Therefore, when they fall over, they do not have the strength to right themselves. The official shepherding term is to be cast down.  You see this shepherd language in Psalm 42 and 43, “Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me?”

When a shepherd sees a sheep “cast down”, it must rush to restore the sheep to its feet. If left on its back too long, the weight of the sheep’s internal organs crush the lungs. Sheep cannot breathe on their back and can die within minutes. A good shepherd has a keen eye on the state of each sheep, running to their rescue to lift them up and place them on all 4’s once again. Rescuing them involves holding on to them for many minutes, rubbing their legs to get the blood flow back into their legs, calming them from their state of EXTREME distress, and letting them know they are okay and not alone. This is what it means for God to restore a soul. This is what King David was trying to convey.

Restoring on God’s terms is rescuing. Restoring is holding. Restoring is ministering to bodily need. Restoring is staying close to let us know all is okay because He is with us. His eye is on the sparrow. He sees you in distress. You are not alone. He will rush to your side. But there is a need you have to respond to His invitation. To come to him with the weights you are carrying, with the things crushing you within and taking your breath away. Go to him and let him minister to your every need and restore your soul. With the LORD as your Shepherd, you shall lack nothing.

So I pray that ministers to you as you read the first 3 verses of Psalm 23 again. Take time to envision your current state. Are you cast down in any way? Take a couple minutes of quiet time to see the entirety of you. Where do you need to be restored? Talk to God about it and wait in His presence for restoration.

“The LORD is my Shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul.”

Amen.