Friday

He restores my soul. We might take a deep gasp at these words. You mean to tell me that from time to time our soul needs restoring. This part of this Psalm reflects the condition of a sheep when it goes cast. A cast sheep lying flat on its back with all four feet in the air struggling to upright itself, is certainly a pitiful sight. If he remains in that condition he will most assuredly die. The hireling would leave it there, but the Great Shepherd will come and lift it up and set it on its feet again. This is a perfect picture of what happens to the elect sheep in their lives from time to time. They get so entangled with the affairs of this world and the fears and anxieties of life that they simply fall over and quit standing against the wiles of the devil. This will always happen when they stop walking by faith and they look around at what they think is reality. At such a time they begin to struggle in the flesh and to take matters in their own hands only to find all of their efforts to no avail. Is this a hopeless state? Are they at last to perish? Left unto themselves the answer to both questions is yes. Oh bless is holy Name, The Great Shepherd will not suffer them to remain in this condition. He will restore their souls to their high and lofty position to which the wings of faith carry them. David writing in another place addressed his own soul asking it; Why are you cast down oh my soul? And he answered as only an elect sheep can-Hope you in God. The Great Shepherd is the restorer of my soul in times of helplessness and He never fails to do so.