“He restoreth my soul: He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.” -Psalm 23:3.When I read shepherd Phillip Keller’s explanation of what it means for a shepherd to bring a fallen sheep that is “cast” back into mobility again, I had a new perception of what it means to have the Lord restore my soul. It does not mean that I have lost my salvation, but rather that I am “cast down.” We read in Psalm 42:11 words that help us know how a believer is in this sad state of spiritual decline: “Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise Him who is the health of my countenance, and my God.” Sheep like to find inclines in the earth, little hollow places, to lie down and rest. But because they are not sure-footed, it is often hard for them to get up from these hollowed-out places. A shepherd is always on the lookout for any sheep, especially his pregnant ewes, who get in this position and cannot help themselves up. The sheep will perish if the shepherd does not assist, and that right quickly after a sheep is “cast down”. After the sheep is restored, gets its bearings, he is again led to the green grass for feeding and the refreshing water to assuage thirst.
What a beautiful picture of the Lord restoring the “cast down” Christian! Although we would like to remain on the mountaintop (as Peter, James and John wished to do when they saw Jesus Christ transfigured before their eyes [Matthew 17:1-8]), we must face our valleys, too. There the going can sometimes be rough-shod and laden with pitfalls. We can, like the sheep, be cast down and discouraged. Our answer to these times in our lives is tied up in four powerful words: “Hope thou in God.” One scripture adds to another in helping us to live on paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Consider: “Lead me in Thy truth, and teach me; for Thou art the God of my salvation; on Thee do I wait all the day” (Psalm 25:5). And yet another assurance: “All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep His covenant and His testimonies.” (Psalm 25:10). We need to bear in mind the main reason for the Good Shepherd breaking the bonds of heaven and coming to earth. It was because we, His sheep, had gone astray into paths of iniquity. He came so that He could purchase us back and restore our fellowship with God. He alone can restore the “cast down” soul and He alone can lead us in paths of righteousness. Like a shepherd brands his sheep, so God has his ownership mark on us. Our calling is to vigilantly follow the Good Shepherd who will provide all our wants, lead us to green pastures, take us to refreshing streams, and continually, day by day, restore our cast-down souls. By restoration, we bring glory to the Good Shepherd. Selah!
c Ethelene Dyer Jones; Saturday, June 5, 2010
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