New Beginnings & Fresh Starts - Seven Days for Turning a New LeafSample

Restoration...

He restores my soul...
Psalm 23:3a NKJV

Let’s take a look at one of the re words that come up so frequently in the Scriptures. Especially as we venture into what it might mean for the Lord Jesus to make a fresh start in our lives. King David’s words from Psalm 23 are some of the most comforting and profound in all of Scripture...it is his Loving Shepherd who restores his soul.

From the original Old Testament Hebrew word for restore—Shub—we find again the meaning of returning to what was initially intended. To refresh, restore, reverse, and return. As we apply God’s Word to the arena of our soul, we can lean into this promise that our hearts, emotions, minds, thoughts, and personalities can be made whole and restored by the One who created them in the first place.

Whether we like it or not, our soul affects every area of our lives. We can’t compartmentalize it and consider that it won’t color even the most practical matters we face. Jesus said that our soul is so interconnected that our emotions reflect our thinking and our thinking is helped or hindered by our emotions. Then add to the mix that both our emotions and thoughts have the utmost influence on our personalities and ability to make sound decisions (Matthew 15:19). No wonder we need a total restoration of this hidden part of us!

In all truthfulness, how we tend our souls can open and close new doors all through our lives.

So, let’s pay close attention to not only what we are thinking but also what we are feeling. We are not to trust our emotions. Still, they are a temperature gauge of our soul that we can’t ignore. Let’s get help if we need it. Talk to your pastor, a trusted friend, or a professional Christian counselor. Seek Jesus ardently, and let the Holy Spirit do what He does so well: restore every aspect of our soul and return it to the wholeness it was originally intended to flourish in.

In conclusion, Lord Jesus is always up to something new in our lives and it begins with His seeing us as already new. The Holy Spirit is transforming us from the inside out as we cooperate with Him and invite His presence. What consumes our thoughts is oh-so-vital, and our emotions can aid or hinder us. And we sometimes can't keep doing life like we have been to walk through a new open door or make a fresh start with the Lord.

So, let’s begin this journey of walking in the new thing He is doing. Are you ready? Me, too. Let's surrender our all to Jesus and get going!

Was this plan helpful? It is a shortened version from Jesus Makes All Things New: 31 Days of Interactive Devotions for New Beginnings, Fresh Starts, & Open Doorsby Sue Boldt, which is also a YouVersion Plan entitled New Day, New Year, and New Beginnings.