He Restores My Soul

Having just returned from vacation, my house looks a little worse for wear! There is no doubt that I own a dog when I see the “hair-tumbleweeds” rolling about on the tile floor! The cobwebs in the corners and the spiders waiting to catch fruit-flies gross me out! I spent over an hour just vacuuming the carpets and the cobwebs. The floors will be washed and the laundry caught up by the end of my day. The pile of mail will be sorted and clothes from the suitcases will be put away. Then I will be able to relax and get to the other work in my office!
Sometimes my soul feels just the same way. There are cobwebs of un-confessed sin and tumbleweeds of impure thoughts. The complacency in my pursuit of God and taking up my cross daily tends to fall to the floor like so much dirty laundry. That’s when I know that I need to sit quietly with God, in the Word, in prayer, confessing sins, and enjoying His presence. Celebrating the joy of His love and mercy quickly restores order to my sloppy soul and I can relax and rest in Him. I am more attuned to the small still voice directing my actions through the day. Meditating on the different scripture that I am studying and trying to apply to my life helps me to put away the “folded laundry” of my thought life and helps me to adjust my focus on Him. Then the peace that passes understanding “washes the floor” of my heart and restores order to my life. Once again I am tuned in to where God is working in the world around me and I join Him as He is directing me to use my gifts for the furthering of His kingdom. Psalm 23 becomes a living action as He “restores my soul.”