Mensa Otabil - He Restores My Soul
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We’re looking at the 23rd Psalm, our favorite Psalm, Psalm 23, and we’re looking at verse three: «He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.»
Just as the shepherd takes care of his sheep, so does the Lord take care of us. He doesn’t just take care of us physically, but He takes care of us spiritually. He restores our soul. To restore something means to bring it back to where it used to be, and so David is saying the Lord is the one who restores my soul; He restores me spiritually. Sheep are notorious for wandering, and sometimes when a shepherd is leading them one way, they go their own way. Sometimes they find a patch of grass and they are grazing, enjoying the moment, and the shepherd moves on with the rest of the sheep. So they find themselves lost.
Shepherds are constantly trying to find, rescue, or restore lost sheep. David takes this analogy and makes it spiritual. That sometimes as Christians, we also wander from God. We turn away one way or the other; either we are so preoccupied that we forget about God, or we are going our own way having fun, and then we leave the flock of God. When that happens, the shepherd goes seeking for the lost sheep and restores them to the flock. David says this is how God takes care of me. When I wander from His presence, I leave His presence. He restores me; He brings me back, and He restores me spiritually; He restores my soul.
So if you are running away from the Lord, He knows how to restore you. He will find you and bring you back unto Himself. Then He takes the thought a step further. He says when He restores my soul, He will lead me in the path of righteousness. In other words, He takes me from the wrong path and puts me on the right path. The word «path» there in Hebrew is a very interesting word; it means a flattened and smoothed trail. What does that mean? It means that it is a path, a way that has been prepared. It’s not jagged; it’s not rocky.
Somebody has taken time to clear the way for the feet of the sheep, and so there is a prepared path for us. God has a path for you; He has a path for me; He has a path for our feet. When we go wandering, He will bring us to the path. The path of righteousness is not always a path we like because sometimes it’s a hard path; it’s a difficult path. There are temptations; there are challenges. But God wants us to stay on His path because it’s the best path. There may be other paths that seem appealing, but they lead us into unimaginable danger. The path of righteousness, even if it’s difficult for us to walk on, is the best path for us; it is the right path for us.
As Christians, we seek to be on the path of righteousness in God’s perfect will. It’s not always going to be easy, but it’s a path He has designed for us. If you really love the Lord, you must desire to walk in His paths-not just mouth His name, but walk also in His path. David says, «The Lord leads me in the path of righteousness for His name’s sake.»
In other words, God has to protect His name. He’s put His name on us; He has to protect His name. There are people who are watching to see how He relates to you to determine whether they will trust Him or not. So for His own name’s sake, for His own reputation, for His own good, He takes care of us. When we go astray, He restores our soul; He brings us to the right path, and He does it because He must honor His name in our lives. May the Lord bring us into the path of righteousness.
Let’s pray. Say with me: «Heavenly Father, You are my Restorer. Refresh me with Your presence and renew my strength. In Jesus' name, amen and amen.»