GET TOGETHER- HE RESTORES DAMAGED GOODS
Ps 23:3 He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. (NKJV)
Perhaps we have all used the phrase, or had it used about us at some time in our lives “he or she is damaged goods.” To be honest we all have been damaged in some way and we all need our souls restored: Ro 3:23” for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (NKJV) All of us have either been damaged by our own sin, or by someone else’s sin. When this happens we often incur some emotional wounds, and not only are we effected spiritually, but psychologically was well.
King David as the Bible tells us was a man after God’s own heart “Ac 13:22 “And when He had removed him, He raised up for them David as king, to whom also He gave testimony and said, ‘I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will.” He was a great military leader. He was a great King. And yet he knew that he was damaged goods and needed soul restoration.
If you look at his life he experienced rejection and jealousy by his own brothers. He fought hand to hand combat in a lot of wars. He was used by God to do a mighty miracle when he defeated the Philistine giant Goliath and saved the armies of Israel. Jonathon a friend that was as close as a brother was killed in battle. King Saul a King that he was loyal to tried to kill him on numerous occasions. He had several wives, children that did terrible things to each other. He was hailed as a hero and booed out of town by some of the same people. He committed adultery and then had the husband of the woman that he committed adultery with murdered. His own son Absalom led a rebellion against him. David wept and mourned when he found out that Absalom had been killed in battle. One time his troops at Ziklag had lost confidence in him and wanted to kill him. You haven’t heard the half of it. So when we think about someone who was damaged goods we can look at David.
On the other hand, when we need someone to look at that knew where to go to for his soul to be restored and get the damage repaired we can look at David. The Hebrew term for restore here is shuwb, shoob. It means to restore, to bring back, and it can also mean to repair.
First isn’t it great that our broken relationship with our Heavenly father can be restored through faith in the blood of Jesus Christ? Ro 5:9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. (NKJV) Also isn’t it great that when our emotions have been wounded to the point we either can’t cry anymore, or we have been hurt in such a way that all we can do is cry that there is One who can restore our soul in such a way that we can now as the scriptures tell us in Ro 12:15 “Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep?” (NKJV) Now we are healed and we can laugh when it is time to laugh and cry when it is time to cry. And there will always be those times when we need to cry and when we need to laugh. David’s son Solomon wrote about that in Ec 3:4 “A time to weep, And a time to laugh; A time to mourn, And a time to dance.”
Part of soul restoration is knowing that you have been forgiven. We can look at the things that David had been forgiven of and know that the Lord Jesus stands ready to forgive us. Another vital part of soul restoration is forgiving and releasing those who may have hurt us in some way. Jesus told us how to do this in “Lu 11:4a And forgive us our sins, For we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us” David could have drank the poison of unforgiveness when he got the news that King Saul had been killed. He could have said well he had it coming! He could have listed all of the things that Saul had done to him. But he had forgiven King Saul. He also loved God and Israel to much to hold one of God’s anointed in unforgiveness (This didn’t excuse what Saul had done). The scriptures help us to see the heart of a restored soul. 2Sa 1:11 ¶ Therefore David took hold of his own clothes and tore them, and so did all the men who were with him.12 And they mourned and wept and fasted until evening for Saul and for Jonathan his son, for the people of the LORD and for the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword. 2Sa 1:19 “The beauty of Israel is slain on your high places! How the mighty have fallen! (NKJV)
Today as you read this let me ask you something that I have to ask myself quiet often. Is there someone that you are holding in unforgiveness? Let them go. What they did was not right, but God doesn’t want you to drink the poison. That person that you are holding in unforgiveness could be you. Perhaps when you read of some of the things that David had done it brought to your mind some of your sins that you regret that you have committed and you have repented of them. God has forgiven you if you have asked Him. Don’t hold yourself in unforgiveness any longer. He wants to restore your soul. He stands ready to repair and restore us in such a way that we are no longer damaged goods, but we are repaired, restored, and put back in better condition than we originally were in. forgive others and forgive yourself. Then we are ready to be led into paths of righteousness for His name sake.
Let Us Pray
Lord Jesus we thank You that you restore our souls. You also lead us into paths of righteousness. Help us to forgive those who have wronged us. Help us to receive the forgiveness that You have granted to us and not hold ourselves in unforgiveness. Restore the souls of all that we may have wounded and those who have wounded us. Help us to walk in complete restoration.
In Jesus Name
Amen
May you walk as a child of God with a restored soul!
Your friend/Kinfolk
Preston
