Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Restore My Soul



Restore My Soul
By Carri Pratt

I have read the word ‘restore’ many times in my daily Bible readings assuming God was encouraging me to hang in there so He could restore me financially and make me into a great success once more. 
 
However, I did not really get it until I read Jeremiah 29:13-14 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.” 

This verse totally altered my perspective.  As I understand this verse, God loves me so much that He will “exile” me or send me into a desert period in my life to wander around, much like the Israelites, until I finally “seek Him with all of my heart”.  Finally, I get it.  Restoration is not about my finances, but about my soul and my relationship with God. 

I realized that to seek Him with “all my heart” was much more than reading a few verses from the Bible once in a while.  It required a daily meeting with God reading His word, listening for His voice and seeking discernment.  It requires a change in lifestyle to one that truly would please Him.  It is about becoming like Jesus Christ in our attitude toward others.

It is incredible that the Almighty God of the universe is seeking a relationship with me.  Psalm 23 makes so much more sense to me now, “…He leads me beside quiet waters, He restores my soul.”

The best part is that I can always look forward to a restored relationship with God, through Jesus Christ, because He promises that when I seek Him, He will bring me back from exile.  He is faithful to fulfill His promise.  I already feel like I have traveled hundreds of miles back towards Him.  Life is a journey.  We all have daily choices to make.  My choice will be to seek Him with all of my heart and to be thankful for all He is to me.

Challenge:  Ask yourself if you are seeking God with all of your heart and allow God to guide you into making appropriate life changes.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Great article!!