He Restores My Soul 

The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He restores my soul (Psalm 2:1-3a NIV).  

            Some of us think that we have done such awful things in our past that we have harmed our soul and that there is no help for us. Indeed sin does hurt our soul and leads us away from our God—the very One who can help us. (Our soul consists of our mind, will and emotions). If we continue in sin, we fall deeper and deeper into a miry pit and it is harder to get out. But if we are repentant and truly sorry for our sins, and turn back to the living God, He will help us. He is always ready and willing to forgive us and put us back on the road to His kingdom. He can even take our bruised and injured soul and heal it. He is the Healer and the Bible says that “By His stripes we were healed” (1 Peter 2:24), and that healing includes our soul as well as our body.

            The Lord Jesus is a good shepherd. He loves His sheep and will not leave nor forsake them. He will watch over His own sheep always and if they stray He will go after them and bring them back into the fold. If they get hurt, He will pick them up and carry them back and tend them until they are totally well again. If wolves or foxes come to hurt the sheep He will protect them.

            Isn’t it wonderful to know that Jesus is our Shepherd and that He will never leave nor forsake us? He loves us so much, more than we can comprehend. When we are His sheep, we shall not be in want, but have everything we need. He will supply all our needs according to His riches in glory. We don’t need to worry or fear, for He is with us and He makes us to lie down in green pastures (Ps. 23). Not fields where the grass is all dried up, but fields that are lush and green. He also leads us beside still waters. He doesn’t lead us by the raging sea, but beside quiet waters. When we follow Him we will have peace in our souls, no matter what is going on around us. He gives us a peace that the world cannot give, or take away.

Thought For Today: Remember that no matter what you have done in the past, if you come to the Lord in repentance, He will forgive you and restore your soul.