He Restores My Soul|23rd Psalm

He Restores My Soul

Do you like to collect things?

I’ll admit, I don’t collect anything. I figure if I collect it, it will collect dust. Sounds like work. I’m not going there. That’s what I
was caught off guard, several years ago, when ... the elephants started coming. Every time I turned around, another
elephant was marching into my life. Stuffed elephants, elephant earrings, an elephant belt. I wasn’t looking for
elephants. Elephants were looking for me!

Well, I've been a Christian long enough to know that maybe, just maybe, God was trying to tell me something through this
parade of elephants.   My first thought was: Go easy on the Oreos. But I knew that a God of love would never send a
message like that! Then I heard the story of how elephants are brought into captivity. Have you ever been to a circus and
observed a giant elephant with a small rope around its ankle? Did you ever stop to think, Hey, wait a minute. I’m no
zoologist. But there is no way that dinky little rope can hold back that giant elephant! So why is it standing there looking
stupid?

Here's how it works. First, they capture a baby elephant. They place a heavy chain around its ankle and stake the chain into
the ground. Day after day, hour after hour, the baby elephant struggles to escape. Because deep inside, he knows he was
born for freedom. But his efforts are in vain. He simply cannot break free from the grip of that powerful chain. Eventually he
gives up entirely. He resolves in his mind that there is no possible way he can escape that chain. So he relinquishes forever
the struggle to be free.

When his captors realize they’ve GOT him, they remove the chain—so they can use it on some other unsuspecting elephant
– and replace it with a dinky little rope. But since the elephant never stops to examine the TRUTH about his situation, he
continues to live his entire life in bondage to something that LITERALLY has no power to control him, except the power that
he is choosing to give it in his own mind. If that elephant ever opened his eyes to the truth, he could break free instantly. It
happens every once in a while. Not too often, though.   All it would take is one little step of faith, but since the elephant
doesn’t believe that, he doesn’t even try.

And so there he stands. For ten, twenty, thirty years or more. Under the control of the one who ONCE held him captive all
those years ago. Controlled by something that literally has no power to control him, except the power he chooses to give it.

When I first heard this story, a voice cried out within me, Donna, that's you! You are the big dumb animal. You are the one
who is allowing your life to be controlled by things that literally have no power to control you, except the power that you--in
your own twisted little mind--are choosing to give them.

So many of us are just like that Elephant. We THINK we’re still in bondage; we FEEL trapped, so we never CHOOSE to even
attempt to live any other way.

Galatians 5:1: “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free, stand firm then and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a
yoke of slavery.” Gal 5:1

Let's imagine that you are with me at one of my conferences and a woman walks up on stage, okay?

Let me introduce you to friend, Bobbie. Like the rest of us, she is a sinner.   Remember, God doesn’t grade on a curve. If
you break one law, you’re guilty.   A car thief can’t say, “Well, at least I didn’t kill anybody” and expect to walk free. No, he’s
guilty of the crime he’s committed. Several years ago, Bobbie’s mom called and told her husband, “Tell her I’m not home.”
Now, that DISHONORED her mother. And doesn’t the 4th commandment say, “Honor thy father and mother.” Okay, so she’
s broken 1 of the Big 10. So Bobbie is guilty.

Since anyone who sins is a slave to sin, not only is she guity, guilty, guilty, she is in chains. .

Jesus, by contrast, lived a perfect sinless life. So he is not guilty. If she asks him to, Jesus takes her “guilty” verdict and
transfers his “not guilty” verdict to her. Her sin is no longer held against her and she is free to go on with the rest of her life.
More importantly, she is granted entrance into heaven. This legal transaction is an established fact. It’s a one-time
event. When my 13-old Leah was a little girl, she used to ask Jesus into her heart every single day. It went on for like a
YEAR. I finally said, “Leah, I think he’s in there.” But mommy, how can I know for sure. “We believe, by faith.”   Maybe we
have some grown ups here tonight who need to understand—it’s a done deal. You may not always FEEL like it is. But it is.

BTW, there is no other way to get rid of that “not guilty” verdict. No amount of church work or volunteering or special prayers
will get rid of it. You must exchange your verdict with Jesus.

If we go back to our analogy of the elephant. If you have NOT made this exchange, you are still in chains and you are not
going anywhere……at least not anywhere you’d WANT to go. But if you have been party to this legal transaction, the chains
have been removed. Jesus has set you free.

One day, Bobbi will stand before God. And the Bible says, since she was declared NOT GUILTY”, she will be instantly
transformed into the likeness of Jesus. Never to sin or suffer again. Won’t that be a great day?

Now Bobbi will walk off this stage never to sin again………

How many of you honestly believe she will never, ever sin again? What’s the problem? Jesus broke the chains. He set her
free from the POWER of sin. Just like he set you and me FREE from the POWER of sin. So why do we keep on sinning?
That’s the question! What is the answer?   In between those 2 instantaneous events—the day of our salvation—and the day
we stand before God in heaven-----we are stuck here on planet earth. A sin-infested jungle.   Even though we are no longer
in chains---the dinky little rope remains!   Remember: the rope represents living your life controlled by things that have no
power to control you EXCEPT THE POWER YOU CHOOSE TO GIVE THEM.   And since you are a human being living in a sin-
infested jungle--it is INEVITABLE that you will choose—to one degree or another—to live your life controlled by the demands
of what you think, feel and choose.

Now, Christians tend to respond to the cross in two very different ways. I want to paint the extremes and then, we want to find
a HAPPY MEDIUM somewhere in the middle.

At one extreme you have Legalism. Legalists look at the cross and think, “Too simple. It needs a little more umph.   Let’s
add something to it.” So they add a bunch of manmade RULES about what you can and cannot do, what you can wear and
what you can watch, how to fix your hair—or how NOT fix your hair, as the case may be. Then they hunt through the OT,
picking and choosing which laws and rituals they want to abide by—which completely misses the point of the
cross. So even though Jesus set their spirits free, they live their whole life enslaved to their list of rules & regulations.

Are Legalistic Christians happy?

I don’t know. They don’t SEEM very happy. In fact, they seem MAD all the time. They certainly do a remarkable job of making
everyone around them unhappy. Several weeks ago, I was chatting with a new acquaintance—not a Christian, but
apparently his brother is a very legalistic Christian. This man and his wife agreed to babysit his brother’s children for a few
days and he said it was just MISERABLE, because no matter how they tried to entertain these kids, “We’re not allowed to do
that. We’re not allowed to go there. We’re not allowed to buy that.” It wasn’t like this man was trying to get the children
to do something wicked or criminal, just typical kids stuff. But they had a RULE for everything. They forgot the most
important rule, which is “Be GRACIOUS when you are a guest in someone else’s house.” The man said he’d
never been so happy to see a group of children leave.

I used to be EXTREMELY legalistic. Extremely legalistic. I was also extremely PRIDEFUL and very miserable. I’m much
happier now that I’ve found a happy medium.

I like the way Charles Spurgeon put it, “Love God and do whatever you want.”   Of course, people take that to the other
extreme. What I would call “License”   or to use an archaic term, licentiousness. Worldiness, if you will. Such
Christians look at the cross and think, “Cool. I pray the prayer and I’m good to go. I can just do whatever I want cause I’m
going to heaven anyway.” I can watch R-rated movies. I can steal office supplies from my employer. I can cheat on my
taxes. I can gossip my head off in the name of sharing “prayer requests.” I can do whatever I want. God will still love me.

That’s true. God’s love for you is absolutely unconditional. You didn’t earn his love……and there’s nothing you can do that
would make God stop loving you.

That’s not at issue. Are “licentious” Christians happy?

No. They’re wracked with guilt and an uneasy feeling that, even though they’re “getting away with something” because
Jesus is their “free ticket to heaven”– deep inside, a part of them knows, “I’m meant for higher living.” Their SPIRIT groans in
the face of all that sin.

We need to find a HAPPY medium.   We are not under law but under grace.

What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live
in it any longer? Romans 6:1-2

The happy medium is found in 1 Corinthians 6:12: `Everything is permissible for me'--but not everything is beneficial.
`Everything is permissible for me'--but I will not be mastered by anything"

I am free to watch trashy television shows, but are they beneficial to me? Does my doing so line up with Philippians 4:8:
"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is
admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--THINK about such things"?

I am free to smoke, drink, and eat Oreos all day long. But are these things beneficial? Do they line up with 1 Corinthians 6:19-
20: "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are
not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body"?

Do any of these, and a thousand other things we are "free" to do, line up with Colossians 3:2? Set your MINDS on things
above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your
life, appears, then you also will appear with him in GLORY.

From now until the day we appear with him in GLORY, we have one primary PURPOSE. We’re meant to GLORIFY God. Do
you know what the word Glorify literally means. It means to give an accurate reflection. Our task here on earth is to show the
world an accurate reflection of what God is like.   To show them, through our lives WHO God is.   God has made it possible
for us to enjoy heaven in heaven, but he has also made it possible for us to give the world an accurate reflection of who he is
by enjoying a little bit of heaven down here on earth. He does that by RESTORING your soul. When we speak of the soul we
are referring to your mind, your will and your emotions. In other words, what you think, what you choose to do, and how you
feel. What you think, choose and feel.

David wrote in Psalm 23,   “He restores my SOUL.   He didn’t say, “He burdens me down with rules and regulations.” He
said, “He restores my soul.” He didn’t say, “he turns me lose to get into all kinds of trouble.” He said, “He restores my soul”

Psalm 23:3 says: “He restores my SOUL.         He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.”

God restores our soul, so that we can LIVE RIGHT for his name’s sake. What is his name? His reputation. What’s at stake
in your life is NOT your eternal destiny. That’s settled at the cross. What’s at stake is God’s reputation.

Whether or not YOUR LIFE will give the world an accurate picture of the God who so freely gave his life for you. Listen to the
way the Amplified Bible expounds Ps 23:3.

He refreshes and restores my life (my self); he leads me in the paths of righteousness (uprightness and right standing with
Him—NOT FOR MY EARNING IT, but for His name’s sake.)

I love the words that Elizabeth spoke to Mary, the mother of Jesus. She said: Blessed [happy, to be envied] is she who has
believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!”

And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.   Luke 1:45-47

How many of us need God to restore our minds. The pollution, the garbage that our society—especially the media spews
out. Our culture is like a raw sewer.   I need God to restore my mind. Make it pure and clean again. Jesus, restore
my soul.

How many of us need God to restore our WILL. Our determination to live the way we know we ought to live. the greatest
power any human can possess—through the enabling of the Holy Spirit—is the power to do what you ought to do, when and
how you ought to do it, whether or not you feeeel like it. So many people today, even Christians, are weak-willed. Funny, we
call a child who wants his own way “strong-willed.”   That’s not strong-willed. Anyone can pitch a fit when life doesn’t go their
way. A strong will says, “Not my will, by THY will be done.” That’s strength. But we can’t have that kind of strength unless
God restores our will. Jesus, restore my soul.

How many of us need God to restore our emotions. Oh, the damage that’s been done to women in our culture. The abuse.
The neglect. The hurt. So many women in turmoil. Depression, anxiety, bitterness. Emotional pressure of always feeling
you’re not good enough. “I’m too fat. I’m too old. I don’t look like the women on the cover of the magazines. I’m a failure as
a mom.”   Our emotions are haywire. Oh, Jesus, restore my emotions. Heal me and I will be healed. Restore my soul.

Whether you like to admit it or not, who you are right now is largely the sum
of the daily choices you’ve been making for many years. Now you might argue
that OTHER PEOPLE’s choices have shaped your life….but I would argue that YOUR
REPONSE to other people’s choices is what has shaped your life. So the ball is
still in your court. The good news is, as you begin to make different choices,
God will restore your soul.    God’s command, “Choose ye this day,” applies to
the people you allow into your life, into your home, onto your TV and computer
screens. It applies to the way you spend your time, the food you put into your
mouth and the way you spend your money. God sets the choices before you, but
you must make the right one.

Throughout scripture, God tells us exactly what we need to do and how we need
to live IF we want to enjoy his best for our lives. He will love us
UNCONDITIONALLY whether or not we choose wisely; but he will not alter the
logical consequences of our choices.

Like everyone else in America, I read the prayer of Jabez. But I must admit, I
became very frustrated when I didn't receive any dramatic answers to my
prayer. I asked God to expand my territory and the only
thing that seemed to expand was the size of my thighs.

One day, I was driving in my car, banging on the steering wheel as I cried out
with the words of Esau. "Bless me! Bless me, too, Father." And God
whispered, "My child, it would be a whole lot easier to bless you if you would
be obedient." I stopped banging the steering wheel and looked up.   Behold----
The Dairy Queen! So I started thinking about the Dairy Queen. I imagined a
couple scenarios.

Scenario #1: I'm driving along with my two little girls in the back seat. They
are kicking and screaming at each other. She’s looking at me. She’s breathing
my air. Can I pull into the DQ at that moment and give them a reward? I mean,
just as a responsible parent, is that a wise thing to do? Of course not.

You’d be surprised how many women get that one wrong. The correct answer is No.

Scenario #2: The kids and I have been out running errands all day, and they
have been perfect little girls. They’re in the back seat singing, “There’s no
mother like our mother like no mother we know.”    I think we’re getting some
ice cream.

Do I love them any more? No. It has nothing to do with whether or not I love
them. In fact, the reason I wouldn’t buy them ice cream when they were acting
like lunatics is because I DO love them. I love them too much to encourage
behavior that’s ultimately going to destroy them.

The only reason they get the ice cream in Scenario #2 is because they have put
themselves in a position where it is easy for me to bless them.

One of the saddest verses in the Bible is Heb 12:16-17.
See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single
meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son. Afterward, as you know,
when he wanted to inherit this blessing, he was rejected. He could bring about
no change of mind, though he sought the blessing with tears.

Esau thought he could live for the moment, controlled by what he “felt like” at
the moment……. and not pay a price for it.   So many of us live like Esau. Phil
3:19 describes us this way: Their god is their stomach.

We live our lives controlled by the demands of our wants and desires. What I
want right now. That’s all I care about. Yes, we are free to make our own
choices, but let us never forget: first we make our choices, then our choices
make us. Invariably those verses in Scripture that proclaim our freedom
simultaneously warn us about the principle of Sowing and Reaping

If we want:                                Then we must:

Power                                         Pray

Peace                                         Trust

Wisdom                                        Study God’s Word

Emotional Healing                         Forgive others and repent of sin

Joy                                        Be grateful

Health                                         Care for our body

Financial security                        Tithe

Victory over sin                        Establish accountability

Abundant life                                 Walk in obedience

You see, God’s love is unconditional but his promises are reserved for those
who choose to be obedient. Again, God’s love is unconditional, but his
promises are reserved for those who CHOOSE to be obedient.

God has set our SPIRIT free –that’s an established fact. A done deal. But if
we want him to restore our soul, we’re going to have to cooperate with him.
Chuck Swindoll once observed: “We reap what we sow, forgiveness
notwithstanding.” The good news is this. As you begin to Sow differently.
You’ll Reap differently!

As you allow the Holy Spirit to renew your mind and strengthen your will, your
life will gradually begin to improve. Not overnight, but it will happen.

Sisters, I’m not here to pitch a pity party. But in order for me to glorify
God—to portray an ACCURATE REFLECTION of the God we serve-- there are some
things about my life I feel compelled to share. When God saw that I had come
to the end of myself…….and was ready to cooperate with him as he began doing a
serious work of restoring my soul, he led me to my current church, Word of
Grace. I am so thankful.    God also directed me to someone who specialized in
helping women recover from the specific trauma I had endured—a professional
who’d spent 20 years working with women like me. He told me “I was the most
severe case he’d ever seen.” I don’t say that for dramatic effect. But I’m
telling you: I was an absolute wreck. Physically, emotionally, mentally, in
every way--I was a wreck. I don’t say that to illicit your pity. I don’t WANT
your pity.

In fact, I don’t want anything. The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. Or
Donna’s translation. The lord is my shepherd, I’m not missing out on
anything. I share this ONLY because I want you to know that if God can restore
ME, there is hope for every single woman reading this today.

He is leading me beside still waters. He’s making me to lie down in green
pastures. He is setting a table before me in the presence of mine enemies.
Where are our enemies by the way? Are they up in heaven? No, they’re right
here on earth, aren’t that? God says he will prepare a table—a symbol of his
abundant provision, of his absolute care for you—he will prepare a table before
you in the presence of your enemies. And the whole world will see what God can
do when he RESTORES your soul. But you’ve got to cooperate with him. You’ve
got to think different thoughts. And you’ve got to make different choices.
God will handle the rest.