Hey, all! Yes, the blog has sat untouched since October and I am sorry about that. I've had topics swirl around in my brain over the summer and today I finally wrote one out. :)
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I'm restless. My soul won't be still. I can't quiet the anxious turmoil within. I don't know why, but I can't read, listen to music, or make my mind focus on anything. My life is fantastic! Why am I unsettled?
I'm sure you've experienced what I'm talking about. Those times where you just want to block everything out and find solace. Where do you turn when your heart is unsettled and cannot be quieted?
To God, duh, Courtney. Well, yes, but what truth in His word have I overlooked that has led me to be anxious? What have I forgotten about Him?
My musings started when the first part of Psalm 23:3 grabbed my attention. This is a passage we're all familiar with and could probably quote in our sleep, but one day this phrase jumped out at me:
"He restoreth my soul."
This is a simple statement, but think about the power of it. "He restoreth my soul." It's a promise of healing and rest. A beautifully simple truth that we tend to ignore when trying to live life in our own strength.
Why can I not quiet my anxious heart on my own? Because it is God and God alone who restores the soul. Why am I most refreshed, most at peace, when I escape the distractions of this world and get alone with God? Because He restores my soul.
As I've dwelt on this truth off and on over the past months, I've recognized this truth in other verses in Psalms:
Psalm 62:2 "From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I." (emphasis added)
Because He restores my soul.
Psalm 42:11 "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." (emphasis added)
Because He restores my soul.
This restoration is to be a daily occurace. When we distance ourselves from the Giver of life and spend minimal time with Him, our souls are lacking. We deprive ourselves of what we as Christians hunger for most: a daily renewal from the One who sustains us. (Ps. 42:1; 63:1)
Dear reader, when your heart is discouraged, don't despair! God heals. God restores. He will strengthen you when you seek Him.
Because He restores my soul.
