Restore Me O Lord
Restore Me O, Lord!
Recently, I found myself in need of a little restoration. Anybody else? Maybe we should start a television series about women who need to be restored. They are tired, hurt and a little damaged. Then they spend a few weeks getting a makeover and ta da they are vibrant, glowing and filled with purpose and passion. Do you think people would watch? They would if the makeover included a new hairstyle, weight loss and a new wardrobe. But what if the title of the show was “Restore Me O, Lord!”
That doesn’t seem quiet as exciting, does it? Well, not to the world anyway. But, what about to us – those of us who claim, the Lord is MY shepherd? What could be more exciting than watching and hearing testimonies about how someone had been stuck in the mire – recognized their stuckness (my made-up word) and decided to let go and step into the fullness of surrender to her Lord and Savior? She knocked her hurt off the throne of her heart and placed God back where He belongs. She forgave others – even herself. She set down her baggage and grabbed ahold of the truth of God’s word. She was reminded… God is good all the time; He is Immanuel – God with us; even when she doesn’t know what to pray – the Holy Spirit moans on her behalf; and she can count it all joy because God will use her hard days to grow her and perfect her. Then we see her after she has stepped out of this period of restoration and she is vibrant and ready to live the abundant life Jesus came to offer her. Yes! I would totally watch that show.
We love to hear inspiring testimonies, but why just listen to others when we can live out our own? We don’t have to watch other people be restored, we can experience God’s restoration for our self. We can boldly live out the abundant life that Jesus came to offer us, but… and there is a but… we must choose to do what God is asking us to do. We must trust Him with all our heart, seek Him first, love Him with our all and obey His word. We must drop everything else and run to Him. He is waiting and He is faithful. He will restore all that the locusts have eaten.
In Psalm 51, we find David stuck. He had been tempted and failed the test. He realized that He had sinned against the Lord and he repented, cried out for mercy and asked for forgiveness. We, too, lose sight of God and we find ourselves focusing on something that is not ours. Our struggle may not be the same as David’s, but other selfish desires, hurts and needs. The point is God is no longer first and foremost in our life. If He is not first – we need restoring – just like David did when he cried…
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me by Your generous Spirit. Psalm 51:12
A few years ago, I was a part of a group of women who met for Bible study with prisoners at a state prison. We were studying Psalm 23 and I asked if anyone would like to read it aloud. The woman in the circle who appeared the most hardened, angry and unhappy to be there, volunteered. She began to read and then paused. After she read the words, “He restoreth my soul” three times in a row, she looked up and said, “That is what I need, right there.” And today as I type and as you read – that is what WE need, right there - for Him to restore our soul.
The Lord is our shepherd - not was or may be, but is. He is our protector and our provider. He is all that we need. He makes us lie down in green pastures because we have nothing to fear – so we can rest in Him. He leads us beside still waters so we are safe and can be calm. He restores our soul, refreshing us with His quiet voice and His gentle touch. For this reason, the sheep know the Shepherd and are known by Him. In John 10:14-15, Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father, and I lay down my life for the sheep.”
Restoration takes place when we take everything to God in prayer and leave it with Him to handle. It happens when we place our hope in God and God alone. We experience it when we recognize we have been crucified with Christ and it is no longer we who live – but Christ who lives in us. Our life is no longer about me, my feelings and getting my way. My life is all about Him, living His way, doing His will, and embracing the abundant life that Jesus came to offer us.
Restored.
The next time you sense you need a little restoration, don’t take so long – hurry, scurry, run as fast as you can to the Great Restorer. He will be waiting.
Hi there! I am so thankful you are here. Let’s be an encouragement to one another to live the abundant life Jesus came to offer us. Let’s keep reminding each other to put Him first in our life.
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