Psalm 23

I really must do my blog more often! Since the last blog I have had the pleasure of meeting my friend Lilmiss - was really cool to finally get to meet her in person. We had a really nice meal in what we later found out to be quite a rough pub. Lilmiss bought me a macaroon which was yummy. I actually ate it in the car on the way home. Just one little message for you though Lilmiss... give peas a chance lol.

Tonight I have been reading and thinking about Psalm 23. It's so familiar and it's easy to miss things in the familiar. There are lots of hymn versions of it that I have often played in church, especially at funeral services. But today I saw something new in it.

First it's a list of things that God is or does. He is a shepherd, looking after us - his sheep. He cares for us and doesn't want us to be in need of anything, whatever that need might be. He makes us... not asks us or persuades us...but makes us lie down in green pastures. Thinking about what green pastures might mean I came up with a place where we are safe and secure. He leads us beside the quiet waters...isn't that where everyone wants to be?

Then it says "...He resores my soul" - and those four words really spoke to me. As I drove home from work I was listening to Joyce Meyer and she was talking about being bold and asking God for things and not being afraid of asking for too much. I asked God to heal my mind and emotions because I have been facing some emotional battles recently. I know that there are things in my past that cause them and I know that I have insecurities that I don't want to have any more. So I asked God to sort them out. Then tonight I find these four words..."He restores my soul." Soul has been described to me as mind, will and emotions. So if God restores my soul then He restores my mind, my will and my emotions! I even looked up the word "restore" to check...it means to "return to its original condition", to "return to life", to "repair". So what those four words were saying to me was that God can and is repairing my mind and emotions - parts of me that have been damaged by things in the past. He's putting them back the way they should be. And there I was asking for something when God has already promised to do it.

It reminded me of a speaker at church a few months ago where he talked about God's promises and petrol pumps. When you take your car to the petrol station you need petrol and there is lots there. But none of it goes into your car unless you put the nozzle into your petrol tank and connect the source to where it has to go. In the same way, the speaker explained, we need to be connected to what God has for us and wants us to have... and the way that happens is through a promise.

So I've found the promise. God will restore my mind, my will and my emotions. Looks like I will have to read the rest of Psalm 23 tomorrow - I need to stop here for a while to say thank you!