Bruce Collins, Evangelist

The personal website of Bruce Collins

His name is Jesus and we call Him Lord.

Meditation for the week of February 24, 2013

Psalms 23:3  He restores my soul!

You coffee drinkers know how great that first cup of good coffee tastes in the morning.  Some of you know how great a cold Coke or Pepsi tastes on a hot summer day.  Or perhaps you have been refreshed by a cup of really clear cold water out of a mountain stream while hiking.  Maybe you remember what it is like to get up refreshed and rejuvenated after a really good night’s sleep.  I think that is what David was trying to describe when he uses the word “restore”.  His soul was refreshed, revived, and rejuvenated. 

When David speaks of his soul, he is talking about more than his body.  I think he is referring to his mind and how it has been restored.  What was the cause of David’s refreshed thinking?   I think it was the victory that he had experienced in fighting the enemy, Goliath.  That tall, uncircumcised Philistine had been taken down with a sling and one smooth stone.  I like to think of the valley of the shadow of death as the valley of Elah where Goliath was taunting the Israelites and where David realized that the Philistine was defying the armies of the living God.  The Philistine had been taunting the Israelites for forty days and they were dismayed and afraid.  But David trusted in God.  He did not trust Saul’s armor. Saul wouldn’t engage the battle but seemed to know how David should engage it.  David simply trusted in God and used the ability that God had developed in Him while he was tending sheep.  He took down the giant with one of those five smooth stones and he had four left over in case the four close relatives of Goliath decided to take up the battle (2 Samuel 21:22).  David never expected to miss and he didn’t.

Now coming away in victory, he sings about His shepherd.  And he says, “He restores my soul.”  There are a lot of other blessings in this Psalm but to have our souls refreshed after winning a battle with an uncircumcised Philistine is one great blessing.  Likely the uncircumcised Philistine pictures the flesh.  The enemy is tall and tests us until we are afraid and dismayed.  Then when we realize we can’t win the battle the Lord reminds us that He has One like David who will win the battle for us.  His name is Jesus and we call Him Lord. 

But David was a man like us and He was rejoicing after being used of the Lord in this way.  There is nothing like the taste of victory over the enemy to help us feel refreshed.  We may wonder before the battle if we are going to die in the battle.  We may get to the point where we are willing to die if that is the only way to be faithful.   Esther got to this point when she said, “If I perish, I perish (Esther 4:16)!”  But David had defended the honor of the Living God and God had used him in a great victory.  He was refreshed.  I love the last words of this Psalm.  They are the confident words of one who has trusted in God and who has been victorious because of that.  These are the words of David, but  I hope they are our words as well:

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

Bruce Collins

3 Comments »

Comment by St Dismas

March 2, 2013 @ 1:17 am

Did you hear the true story about the women in Lake City Florida who chanted “Jesus” to a would be robber who came in with a gun and demanded they give him their money? At first they thought it was a prank but he showed them the gun. Then they changed their minds and all started chanting the name of Jesus and he got scared and ran out of the house. He was later arrested. This is a real story not some Christian made up story. It made local news and was reported just as it happened. So what do you guys think about religion now? Power in the name of Jesus or do you think something else happened? I would love to hear some opinions.

Comment by bruce

March 5, 2013 @ 5:03 pm

I had not heard about this but I certainly believe the Lord would be able to do more if we had more confidence in Him and less in ourselves and our ability to defend and care for ourselves.

Comment by exporaped

March 11, 2013 @ 3:51 am

Oh my goodness! an incredible post dude. Thank you Having said that I am experiencing issue with ur rss . Do not know why Unable to subscribe to it. Is there anybody acquiring identical rss challenge? Everyone who knows kindly respond. Thnkx

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