Psalm 1471,3 (NKJV) 1 Praise the LORD! For it is good to sing praises to our God; For it is pleasant, and praise is beautiful. 3 He heals the brokenhearted And binds up their wounds.
Psalm 19:7 (NKJV) The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul; The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple;
2 Corinthians 4:16 (NKJV) Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.
My ladies and I are reading "Quiet Confidence for a Woman's Heart" by Elizabeth George. This is a study of Psalm 23. In Chapter 5 Elizabeth George looks at Psalm 23:3 - "He restores my soul".
We have all experienced pain and sorrow. Psalm 23:3 tells us that God’s tender care goes into action with His promise to heal us, to restore our soul.
We meet “Jehovah-Rophe”, the LORD heals in Exodus 15. We find the children of Israel had no water to drink. They finally found some at Marah, but it was bitter and they could not drink it. Moses cried out to the Lord for help. The Lord showed Moses a tree which he threw into the bitter water and it was instantly made sweet. Exodus 15:26 “For I AM the LORD who heals you”.
Elizabeth George says of Exodus 15, “God’s people were dying of thirst with only bitter, poisonous water on hand. God took their physical need and turned it into a spiritual issue. Out of a bitter experience God revealed Himself in yet another sweet, comforting way, as Jehovah heals.”
To heal in the Old Testament often means to restore or to cure. Jehovah-Rophe “heals and restores those of His who are cast down.”
The author shares about “cast-down” which I found fascinating. I immediately thought of the verse that asks:
Psalm 42:5 (KJV) Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.
Sheep who are cast-down have turned over on its back and can’t get up by itself. For instance, a sheep will lie down on its side in a little hollow in the ground. Being in a hollow, the sheep’s center may shift, putting it on its back so that its feet are straight up. Despite its efforts, the sheep cannot get up.
Elizabeth George says “many women are broken in spirit and crushed in heart and soul. Indeed, the prospects of becoming cast down are high as each new dawn and every new corner looms, fully loaded with trouble. … Armed with the promises of healing restoration and confident in the presence of the Shepherd, you can walk through life with home and certainty. With the help of the Lord, you can handle life’s challenges and heartaches … What comfort your fainting heart has, knowing that in those stumbling times of discouragement and despair, of deletion and seeming defeat, the Shepherd will find you … restore and “fix” you … and follow you … until you are well on your way again.”
Two ways for health and healing are:
1. Feed on God’s Word. The LORD restores our soul. Psalm 19:7
2. Commune with the Shepherd in prayer. Find time to be with the Shepherd every day.
Here are two thought provoking questions the author asks at the end of Chapter 5. Take a moment and ask yourself this question:
1. In general, how do you respond to physical or emotional testing?
2. As you think about God’s promise in Psalm 23:3 to heal and restore your broken heart and crushed spirit and to bind up your wounds (Psalm 147:3) what better response will you give to testing in the future?
When I first started reading Chapter 5 (God is Your Healer), I thought it was more about physical healing. But as I read more of the chapter, along with the verse “He restores my soul”, I realized the healing was more for our inner man than our outer man. It is encouraging to know that God not only cares about our physical health, but also our spiritual health. He promises in Psalm 23:3a to strengthen us spiritually for the physical ups and downs that will come our way.
Last year I wrote a post entitled “Be Whole” that goes right along with this chapter. You can find it here:
Let’s pray. Father, we again thank You that You are our Great Shepherd and that You are our Jehovah Rophe, the LORD our healer. We thank You that not only do You heal us physically, but You also heal us emotionally and mentally as well. I pray, Father, for those ladies who are reading this who are going through a rough time in whatever way. I ask that You bring healing to their inner man, to them emotionally and mentally, that You strengthen them in great ways. I also ask, Father, that You speak peace into their lives and help them in every area. Thank You Father that You are the Great I Am! In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Blessings,
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