Read: Psalm 23
He restores my soul. (v. 3)
On August 22, 2006, I gave up alcohol in what would be one of the most major life transitions and disorienting times of my life. I had been at the bottom of my darkest valley, and I felt lost. During difficult life seasons, and even in the face of death, it’s easy to lose sight of our paths and wander away, to be drawn in the wrong direction and face danger, where we need someone to draw us back into safety. Fortunately, God can restore us; he can return us when we go astray.
In Psalm 23, David says of God, “He restores my soul” (v. 3), restoration given through grace and God’s loving discipline. When we’re down, discouraged, or depleted and we turn to God, God lifts us up. When we stray from him, he brings us back to him in “paths of righteousness” (v. 3). Paths is plural because it includes every area of our lives. And to walk in paths of righteousness, we must first become new, refreshed, and on a path leading straight to God.
God is there to guide us when we’re lost. However, it takes time—sometimes our whole lives. Over time, God shapes our thinking, molds our emotions, and directs us with wisdom and love until we’re drawn to the right path. So, we should learn to do as David: pray continually for the work of God in our hearts and minds. We are his sheep: he will always restore and guide us, now and into eternity with him, and we’ll never be lost.
As you pray, ask God to restore you to the paths of righteousness.
About the Author
Ariana D. Den Bleyker is a Pittsburgh native currently residing in New York’s Hudson Valley. She is the author of two devotional poetry collections,To Be Held by the LightandWaking in the Light. She is an ordained deacon in the Reformed Church of America.
