“He restores my soul.” Psalm 23:3

Years ago, my mother bought a love seat and chair at an auction. The furniture had been stored in a barn for decades. The upholstery was chewed by mice, cobwebs covered the woodwork, and it was peppered with bird poop. My dad drove the truck to pick up mom’s purchase, but only under cover of night so no one would see him hauling pieces of junk home.

Mom spent hours in the basement removing the build-up of grime, stripping down the layers of varnish, and tearing off the tattered cushions. Then, she brought it back to its former glory, she brought it back to life, she restored its soul.

We’ve been covered with a grimy build-up of bad news this week.
We’ve piled on layers of “I’m ok, we’re ok, this is going to be ok” veneer.
Our emotions might be a bit tattered and frayed.
We need a time-out for restoration.

The word “restore” in Hebrew means “to fetch home again”.
Let’s let the Spirit fetch us back home to the Shepherd.

Sundays were created to be restorative —
whether its a run-of-the-mill Sunday
or a-nation-in-crisis Sunday.

When David wrote the 23rd Psalm, he didn’t ask God to restore his kingdom, or his wealth, or his relationship with his son. David asked his Shepherd to take care of his soul, his deepest self, his heart.

We don’t know what the coming week will bring, but we all will be better equipped to handle it if we do some soul care today. Read some scripture, sing a hymn, confess a sin, intercede for others, pray for a miracle, pray for a revival, journal your thoughts, give thanks, be restored.

“You will find rest for your souls.” Matthew 11:29

In the eye of the storm He remains in control.
In the middle of the war, He guards my soul.