Journal Entry ~ 07/06/18

He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.  - Psalm 23:3

How does He restore my soul?  By making me lie down in green pastures and by leading me to still waters where I find rest. When I surrender to the still waters, I find God keeps me going and gives me a pure enjoyment of life. He restores to me a peaceful contentment in all that I have and a complete satisfaction in the life He has given me. As I lie in those green pastures, I feel His strength and His comfort surround me. 

We discover true rest for our souls when we meditate on who He is and what He has done.  We find restoration for our souls when we compare the problems we face to the One who created us and saved us. The supernatural peace we enjoy in His presence comes from remembering the grace and mercy He showed us when we were deeply broken and separated from Him. If He saved us from our greatest trial, then He will save us from whatever we will face in this life. 

He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name sake. It’s important to note that David remarks He leads us after He has made us lie down in green pastures and to His Word. When our souls are restored, or filled with His Word, that’s when He can lead us. So many seek His wisdom, yet are not willing to spend daily time restoring their soul in His Word. It is through this time spent in green pastures and by still waters that the Spirit that He created to dwell in us is restored and strengthened.

We have hundreds of little decisions we make every single day. Some of those decisions are easy to make, some more challenging. The wisdom for some decisions can be found in scripture, but sometimes, it’s not so clear. This is where the Spirit steps in. The Bible alone is not enough to guide us through every decision, but the Spirit that is strengthened as we spend time in His Word, is enough to motivate and move us on paths of righteousness.  For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. - Romans 8:14. When we are led by the Spirit, we are led by God. We strengthen the voice of the Spirit by spending daily time in His Word. They work together to transform our minds and change our hearts, and when they do, we are drawn to the paths of righteousness. 

It’s important to note that right here in the middle of a psalm we all know for restoring our hearts to the peace He offers is the reminder that He leads us for His name sake. It’s all for Him. Our central focus and purpose should be for Him. We exist to glorify Him. He is sovereign over all. And when we forget that, chaos takes over our lives - fear and anger build, peace and harmony dissipate. If we are a child of God, we can count on the fact that He will go after us as a Shepherd goes after His sheep and He will bring us back to the green pastures and still waters for one purpose - to remind us of this one beautiful truth: it’s all for Him. 


Press on ~ you are loved 💗

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