He Restores My Soul

HE RESTORES MY SOUL

PSALM 23:3

INTRODUCTION

A. HUMOR

1. A priest had been to the church bazaar where there had been wine and he had a couple of bottles in the back seat of his car. A cop pulled him over for swerving a little and saw the jugs in the back seat.

2. “Father, have you been drinking?” “Just water.” “What’s in these bottles?” “Water.” The cop opened one, smelled it, and said, “This is wine!” The priest exclaimed with amazement, “He’s done it again!”

B. TEXT

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. 3 He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Ps. 23:1-6

C. THESIS & TITLE

1. Verse 3 says that God “restores” our soul. This word means that He brings us back to a state of new strength, vigor and eternal perspective; He rebuilds and repairs our frayed nerves, worried mind, and worn-out bodies.

2. Without God’s restoration we’d quickly give in to discouragement, destructive attitudes, and temptations. We need to allow the Lord to restore us emotionally, mentally and spiritually. So tonight, we’re looking at how God “restores our souls.”

I. RESTORATION: GOD’S GIFT TO MANY ANIMALS

A. EXAMPLES OF AMAZING REGROWTH

Wouldn’t it be amazing to be able to regenerate a new limb or damaged organ after an injury? Imagine never having to get dentures because you could grow new teeth! Here’s a few examples of animals who can do just that.

1. The SALAMANDER is an amphibian with a tail and short legs. It’s cousin, the Axolotl, can regenerate organs, skin, limbs, or practically any body part.

2. SHARKS can regrow teeth throughout their lifetimes. The length of time it takes for a shark to regrow a tooth varies from a few days to a few months. If scientific researchers can determine how this process works, it could revolutionize dentistry.

3. STARFISH can not only grow a new limb, but these creatures can also grow a whole new body from the lost limb. Several new starfish can grow from pieces of the original one. Now, that’s amazing!

4. MEXICAN TETRA FISH The river-dwelling Mexican tetra is a fish that can regenerate heart tissue. Research shows that this fish can generate tissue with no scarring. Scientists hope that studying the Mexican tetra could lead to breakthroughs in the field of cardiovascular disease.

5. CHAMELEONS Although chameleons are best known for their color-changing ability, they are also able to regenerate. Chameleons can regrow their tails and limbs. They can also heal damaged nerves and skin during the regenerative process. https://scitechdaily.com/6-animals-that-can-regenerate-body-parts/

B. HUMAN REGROWTH IS POSSIBLE ALSO

1. In 1974, Cynthia Illingworth, an English physician specializing in emergency medicine, discovered that when children accidentally sever the finger-tip (down to the first joint), the best treatment is no treatment. Cleaned and covered with a bandage, the finger tip, including the nail, grows back. In 11 or 12 weeks the new finger tip usually looks as if nothing had happened to it.

2. There seem to be three requirements for regrowth: the patient must be under 12 years old, the cut must be above the crease of the first joint, and surgeons must keep hands off the injury. Any operation performed on the finger destroys its ability to grow back. The last condition is the hardest to accept, admits Dr. Michael Bleicher, a pediatric surgeon at Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York City. [Reader’s Digest, March, 1980]

3. I have heard numerous times of adults who had blockage in arteries and their body grew a new artery around the blockage. This has been confirmed by a Yale Study. https://news.yale.edu/2013/04/29/growing-new-arteries-bypassing-blocked-ones

II. THE PROBLEM OF SOUL-DEGENERATION

A. WAYS THE SOUL CAN BE AFFECTED

1. The same thing that can happen in the physical can also happen in the spiritual realm. When God says He’s willing to “restore our souls,” He’s tells us that ‘soul degeneration’ is a big problem, in fact, it’s a universal problem.

2. All humans were separated from communion with God because of the Fall; we all need to be restored to fellowship with Him. That’s why Jesus died – to reconnect us to the life of God that flows through Him.