How God will lead us to get our life back (Psalm 23, Part 2)

By Dean Collins

“I want my life back...”

When the pandemic hit, it wasn’t long before everyone started asking when things would be normal again. We were all reacting to the early recommendations of how to stay safe from the virus. I can remember my first trip to the grocery store after we were all sheltered in place. Don’t touch your face kept running through my head. Don’t breathe if you are near anyone. Hand sanitizer every other aisle. And then when I got home, I unloaded the groceries in the garage and wiped packages with antibacterial wipes before I brought them in the house.

I soon let go of that routine, partly because we learned much of it didn’t accomplish anything but make us paranoid. The other reason was because we were determined to take our life back.

Life can be better

If we are honest, long before the pandemic, some (maybe many) of us were thinking or feeling and maybe saying to a friend or to God, “I want my life back.” Part of getting your life back connects to what you believe stole or took your life in the first place. The urge to have your life back comes from a realization that life can be better than it is now. And that is absolutely true according to David in Psalm 23.

John Goldingay’s translation of Psalm 23:3 reads this way: “He turns my life back. He guides me in faithful tracks for the sake of his name.”

David knew what we’ve all discovered. Life can sometimes get off track. And sometimes it is something subtle that is changed or, to be honest, something we changed that gets us off track. Before we notice, we are suddenly far away from safety. We had no idea that one decision would result in things now feeling out of control.

But the reality is that things are out of control sometimes. There are cascading consequences to our decisions and actions, and we find ourselves unable to fix the mess and get ourselves together and our life back. The comeback can start where David’s psalm opens: “The Lord is my shepherd.“ I resign from self-shepherding. I need and I want a good shepherd to lead me.

Ready for restoration

After resting in the green grass by the quiet water as the shepherd instructs, we are ready for restoration. We can’t do the restoration unassisted. Remember, it was our self-determination that got us into this mess. We need help. This isn’t a DIY project; this requires someone who knows the better, the best way forward. The one who knew us even before our own mother knew us is available for the job. He can restore our very soul. You may need someone to assist, but they can’t do the work of restoration, either. God is not only creator; he is the master of restoration.

The way of restoration involves taking the next right step. But it works only if we take the step, as David described, on the paths of righteousness. Steps that don’t lead to righteousness will always result in less life and more mess. If restoration is to stick, then righteousness must be the path. Righteousness and selfishness can’t reside together. If we insist that our path and our plan is the best, then the soul cannot be restored.

The only path

Jesus, who was with the Father at creation, said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” He came to earth and took our sins to the cross. Then he rose from the dead to conquer death and initiate the great restoration that is the way forward, the best path, the only path to righteousness and to restoration.

Verse 3 ends with David’s calling our attention to why we follow the path of righteousness all the way to the shores of restoration. It’s for the sake of his name. Remember we said that selfish and righteous can’t reside together? Only God can get the glory for this work of restoration he offers. Yes, we can all celebrate together when one of us gets their life back. But let’s never forget who gets the glory. David would write in Psalm 115, “Not to us, not to us oh Lord, but to your name give glory.” And here again in this verse is the reminder; glory is because of God’s love and God’s faithfulness, not because of our human achievement.

We can have our lives back! And it can happen even today. Maybe the best way to get started is to simply pray your way through Psalm 23.

Psalm 23:3
”He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake” (ESV).
”He turns my life back. He guides me in faithful tracks for the sake of his name” (The First Testament).

Your time with God’s Word
‭‭Psalm‬ ‭115:1‬; Philippians‬ ‭2:13; ‭‭Psalm‬ ‭23:1-6 ‭ESV‬‬

This is the second of five devotions based on Psalm 23 , appearing here now on Saturdays
Some readers will remember today’s devotion, adapted from one first posted in March of 2021.

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Photos by Dan Gribbin and by Randy Laybourne on Unsplash