Soul Restoration

“Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, even as your soul prospers.”  (3 John 2)

This morning, I began to listen to Beni Johnson share a recent message in which she started with the above verse.  The latter half of it struck me – “…even as your soul prospers,” and it stayed with me. Our souls comprise our mind, will, and emotions. As I let this verse rest deeply in my heart, I began to realize anew that the changes that have been occurring in every area of my health and the ways that God has been opening doors for Brian and me recently have come directly out of our souls prospering as God has been restoring them within us.

When we were born, we were innocent, unmarred by sin – that of our own or that of others against us. However, over time, our souls become beaten up by the storms of life, including storms of our own making. We become marred, tattered, broken. We forget that we have positions as sons and daughters of the King; that we’re dearly beloved and we’ll one day walk with Him on streets of gold.

I began to think about the treasures I’ve found in garage sales. They were once beautiful and wanted, maybe even kept in a place of honor in the person’s home. Over time, they were used, banged up, and became worn. Now, they’ve been set aside, forgotten, deemed as useless or unneeded. How often do we feel that way about ourselves?

Yet, I’ve laid hold of these “finds” with delight, knowing what they can become with just a little bit of restorative effort. After the work has been completed, I’ve displayed them proudly, used them with joy, and made sure that they were kept in good condition. If I look at that piece that I love and notice that something has become broken, I take the time to fix it again, bringing additional restoration where needed.

Psalm 23:3 begins with, “He restores my soul…” The word “restore” means to repair or renovate so as to return it to its original condition” or to “return (someone or something) to a former condition, place or position.” 

A former condition…place…or position…

He sees us in our broken condition and as Someone with an eye for beauty beneath the surface, He chooses us, lifting us out of the pile of worthless rubble we toss ourselves into. He smiles, knowing what we will become as we are restored, brought back to our original condition, made new. He returns us to our positions as sons and daughters as we walk with Him in the place of His presence. He continues to delight in us simply being with Him, caring for us daily, mending new areas as needed and He does it all with such great love for us, deeply desiring that we would prosper in all things and be in health in every way.

It all begins with our souls.