He restores my soul

Psalm 23

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
 He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
 He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
   for his name’s sake.

 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

   I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
   your rod and your staff,
   they comfort me.

 You prepare a table before me
   in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
   my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
   all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
    forever.



* * * * *

freshman year in college, we had to take a strengths finder assessment. my top strength, restorative. at first, i thought this was a crazy strength for me because i can be so apathetic. but over the past few years, i've seen how God has uniquely created me to love, and even yearn for, restoration. and i think this is why i'm a nurse. i get to come along side people and help facilitate physical, emotional, spiritual, and mental restoration. and i think this is one reason why God has burdened my heart so deeply for the lost. i long to see those who don't know the Lord, who are separated from Him, to be restored to Him forever.

but sometimes, i forget how much i crave restoration in my own life. i love when broken friendships are restored; i love when conflicts have resolution; i love when music ends with some sort of resolution. but there was an element of restoration that i neglected: i love when i live in the reality that Mighty God and Loving Father has restored our relationship through the death and resurrection of His Son.

the last few months have been rough, (i know, not as rough as others when it comes down to it), but i think what made it so difficult is that i wasn't living day to day in the reality of my restored soul. God has restored me. me, the most wretched sinner, the whore, the prideful one. He has chosen to restore me!

He restores my soul