[Unboxing Psalm 23: Treasures for Every Believer] Paths of Righteousness预览

He Restores My Soul

My Shepherd is the God of the universe; He created it all. He says I shall not want. I shall not lack for care from the great Shepherd who is Lord of all. I am made complete; I lack nothing. The great Shepherd brings me to a place of restoration. He causes the circumstances to be such that I can rest. He brings me to lush pastures with places where I can drink deeply and have my thirst quenched. He restores my soul. He restores me.

Funk & Wagnall’s Dictionary gives various definitions for the word “restore.” First, it means to bring back into existence or to its original or normal condition. For example, your state of health: I was unhealthy and now I’ve been restored to good health. That’s what happened in Scripture, after Hezekiah prayed (2 Kings 20:1–6). It’s what Jesus did, when He restored sight to a blind man (Mark 8:22–25).

To restore is to put back something that was lost to its former place. This is what Joseph, when he was in jail, said would happen to the king’s butler, or cupbearer, when he interpreted that man’s dream (Genesis 40:9–13). It is what Jesus did when He raised a widow’s son and gave him back to her (Luke 7:11–15).

To restore is also to give back, to return or make restitution, such as when you restore somebody's money to them. This is what Zacchaeus promised to do for those whom he had cheated, once he had seen and spoken with Jesus (Luke 19:1–10). This is what the disciples expected when they asked Jesus if He would restore the kingdom to Israel (Acts 1:6).

To restore is also to reproduce or reconstruct. That is what Nehemiah set out to do when he heard that the wall of Jerusalem was broken down. He prayed for an opportunity to rebuild the city, and God granted his request through King Artaxerxes (Nehemiah 2:1–6). It’s what Jesus did, when He healed a man’s withered right hand, restoring it so it was as whole as his other hand (Luke 6:6–10).

God restores us back to who we originally were. He’s the God of restoration. He’s the God who restores all the way to perfection. Because of Jesus Christ, we have been restored to a perfect relationship with God.