Hello my dear friends.....greetings to you this day. Here is a question for you to consider: how is your soul doing? As I journey with the Lord I have experienced life's ups and downs. And along the way my soul has become dry, damaged, and depleted of vibrancy. How about you?
Today's Psalms of Discipleship gives great encouragement to folks like us. The Shepherd of the 23rd Psalm is more than willing and able to repair what has been damaged. He does restore my soul.
Restored and being restored, day by day, moment by moment,
Denny
PS. Thanks to all of you who have purchased your copy of Psalms of Discipleship: Growing in Grace. The first printing run is almost sold out. Order your copy now of Psalms of Discipleship: Growing in Grace for only $15.99 (a $4 savings!). If you would like to have a devotional book that also serves as a spiritual life journal as well as a unique 21 point Bible study and personal assessment on grace, follow this link to my website,
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Psalms of Discipleship—Principle #44
Life Principles For Those Who Choose To Follow Jesus And Live The Discipled Life
Key Scripture: He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness For His name's sake. Psalm 23:3
Core Value: Grace
The term “dead men walking” can describe the person who is only a shell of themselves: existing, surviving, but hardly experiencing a full and vibrant life. Anyone who has walked with the Lord for any amount of time can testify that life can be hard, challenging, and at times, down right exhausting. One’s soul does become battered, damaged, and severely fatigued. And that is what happens on “good” days. Fortunately, there is One who not only “gets” what we are going through, He desires to help. What we cannot do (restoration of the soul), the Shepherd does. This is called grace.
Cloud and Townsend offer their helpful perspective on the human need for grace and for the need to be heard (by those in our community and by God):
“To grow, we need things that we do not have and cannot provide, and we need to have a source of those things who looks favorably upon us and who does things for us for our own good.” Pg. 67
“As Hebrews 4:16 says, ‘Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.’ Grace teaches us that God is inclined to help us in our failure and that he sees our inability as part of reality and he is not mad at our weakness. In fact, he calls it a ‘blessed’ state, our being unable to do what we need to do (Matt. 5:3; 2 Cor. 12:9-10).” Pg. 69
“Jesus knows about our suffering through his own experience . . . Jesus put himself in a unique position by his suffering. If anyone can say about our situation, ‘I’ve been there,’ it is he.” Pg. 90
“One of the most important aspects to growth in our suffering is that we need to know that we are understood. This is what provides empathy for us. We cannot grow if we are all alone emotionally. Life is too difficult. But if we know that someone truly understands, we know that we are not alone with our feelings and thoughts, and we gain encouragement to persevere in our growth. We need to know that we are ‘heard’—on a human level from each other, and on a divine level from God . . .” Pg. 92
Cloud, Henry and Townsend, John. 2001. How people grow: what the Bible reveals about personal growth. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
Experiencing soul fatigue? The Lord will restore your soul.
Principle #44 & Personal Application: The quality disciple of Jesus Christ has an on-going testimony of receiving divine restoration and perfect guidance.
• It is only the grace of God that can restore the human soul. How does He restore us? He, and only He, can repair, restore, and redeem a damaged soul by His awesome healing power.
• It is only the grace of God that can guide the disciple of Jesus Christ in the paths of righteousness. How does He guide us? He does it like a Shepherd, a Good Shepherd who leads, guides, protects, provides, comforts and makes a way for us on the righteous paths of life.
• It is only the grace of God that blesses us and gives Him the glory—all of it. Why does He bless us? He does it for His name’s sake. It gives the Lord great joy to reveal His name to us as Jehovah Shalom—the Lord is our Peace; as El Shaddai, the All Sufficient One; as Jehovah Rapha, the Lord our Healer.
Reflect & Respond: Some Really Good Questions To Ponder…
What is it that has damaged my soul? What do I need (i.e., healing, renewal, encouragement) the Lord to do that will restore my soul?
As I read my Bible, where in God’s Word has He been speaking to me and what has He been saying that is giving me the Lord’s guidance of my life?
In the Bible, there are many names given to God. Which ones have been the most meaningful to me this past month?
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, You and only You can restore my soul. I have been wounded by sin and need Your healing touch in my life. May I always be teachable so that when I am guided by You, I will find myself on paths of righteousness for Your name’s sake.
The Essential Core Values Of The Quality Disciple Are…
Grace—Worship—Bible Study—Prayer—Community—Service—Evangelism
Denny Bates & Something New Christian Publishers © 2010 All rights reserved.
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