He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
“As we continue in Psalm 23, notice that these first 3 verses describe what the Good Shepherd is doing for us. He is the one working and we are the ones receiving the blessings from his work. He leads us for “his name’s sake” meaning according to his character, his holiness, and his loving kindness. Following him leads us down the righteous path. Staying close to him brings restoration, refreshment, and revitalization to our souls. Today I am praying that you trust the Good Shepherd with the next step down the path of righteousness and that his presence revives your soul!”
This was the text I sent out to my weekly prayer text list (if you’d like to be on it text me at 330-322-3232). I began a weekly text to my small group of youth group guys over a decade ago. I then added my new small group of guys. Then I added a few people I was trying to encourage. During the pandemic year of 2020, I added the entire youth group and all the youth group parents. I also included my family. Occasionally I will include the option to opt out of the texts by simply texting “STOP” but very few have canceled. I am grateful for the opportunity to see the individual names and pray for the people on my list. Each week I look up a Bible verse and try to develop a meaningful devotional thought that is short enough for a text. I also like to think of an application prayer to include. These are expressions of my personal devotions that I share with others.
I am thankful for what God led me to see in Psalm 23:3 in this text. Even as I was preparing the lesson for tonight, stopping and reading this reminded me of the important truth that our Good Shepherd is the one who works, and we receive his blessings. When we follow the Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ, we can be certain that he will fulfill what he promises for “his name’s sake.” He is YHWH, the faithful covenant-keeping God, and he cannot fail. So far we have talked about Jesus being our shepherd who ensures we will lack for nothing, we will have enough, our daily provision, and he gives us the Holy Spirit, the Living Waters.
Following Christ is an invitation to have your soul restored.
What do you think “restores my soul” means? The Hebrew word literally means to “put back together.” Pause and think about that truth.
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Do you remember the nursery rhyme “Humpty Dumpty”? “Humpty Dumpty sat on the wall, Humpty Dumpty had a great fall, All the kings horses and all the kings men, could not put Humpty Dumpty together again.” By Mother Goose.
Whatever the real story is behind the creation of this rhyme, it presents us with a good illustration of the effects of sin. When Adam and Eve rebelled against God in the Garden, all of humanity became “Humpty Dumpty having a great fall.” Relationship with the Creator was broken, and the image of God was tarnished. Despite all of man’s efforts and even the earthly kings’ resources, we cannot repair our brokenness caused by sin. We need a Savior.
Yet our Good Shepherd “restores our soul!” He brings forgiveness and turns us around and puts us back together. When we place our faith in Jesus Christ and follow him as sheep follows her shepherd, we receive restoration of our souls. He is in the act of putting us back together (2 Cor. 5:17).
Following Christ is an invitation to walk in the Light.
He leads me in paths of righteousness…
I recall the prophet Jeremiah’s proclamation: Jeremiah 6:16
Thus says the LORD: “Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it and find rest for your souls.
Do you hear the call to walk the righteous paths here? It is the good way. It is God’s way. When you follow the shepherd, you will receive what? Rest for your soul.
If I told you that there was something simple you could do beginning today to bring more rest in your life, to calm your anxieties, to alleviate depression, and to give you more hope, would you do it? Of course, you would say yes. If it was the simple thing to do was to take a pill twice a day for those benefits, would you do it? Of course. You’re an American and we love to pop pills.
Here is the truth, you can have those benefits for real, if you avoid social media for a whole week. Studies show that avoiding social media for a week will demonstrate a noticeable reduction in stress, anxiety, and depression. Yet every time I tell the students to avoid it they respond the same way the Israelites did to Jeremiah,
But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’ (Jer. 6:16).
God called them to follow the Good Shepherd and receive the benefits of his loving kindness and the refused. Where is your heart today? Are you willing to follow his ancient paths, the paths of righteousness?
Our Good Shepherd, Jesus, said it this way,
“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28–30).
There is no downside for following Jesus. Yes it may seem costly because he wants you to rely on him for your daily needs and he wants to lead you away from the earthly comforts that so easily distract you from his loving kindness. But what you reap is far more than what you sacrifice.
“Restore my soul” also means forgiveness of sin. In John 8:1-11, a woman caught in adultery is brought to Jesus to be punished by stoning. This whole scenario was a setup to try to trick Jesus. However, the Good Shepherd surprised everyone by stating, “he without sin should cast the first stone.” Even the most self-righteous religious leaders had to admit they had sinned, and one by one they walked away. When Jesus talked with her, he saw her as a person and had compassion for her. He exhorts her to “go and sin no more.” Essentially, he sent her away on the “paths of righteousness.”
Immediately following this exchange, Jesus turns and says, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life” (John 8:12).
Following the Good Shepherd is to follow the Light of the world. As we walk in the light, he illuminates our steps.
David said it this way, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105). Like the green pastures, the light he provides is for the next step. He doesn’t show us the blueprints for our lives, or the 5-year plan, but he shows us enough to trust him and follow him.
His plan for us is to walk in the paths of righteousness and to forsake sin. The Bible gives us directions for walking on these ancient paths. “How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word” (Psalm 119:9). “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you” (Psalm 119:11). To follow the Good Shepherd, we need to hear his voice and commit it to memory by spending time in the Scriptures. Guard your life with the truths of Scripture. Memorize the Word in your inner self so that you will have it to use as your defense against sin in your time of need.
The Good Shepherd is leading you, caring for you, and restoring you to his original design, to be in a right relationship with him. Trust him. Listen to his voice. Follow.
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