If we try to walk the path of righteousness alone, we will find ourselves going downhill. In Psalm 23, David clearly announces that the Good Shepherd restores or renews his soul. And where does it lead? Up the route of righteousness. David traveled that route from the time he tended his father’s sheep until he rested on his deathbed. That’s not to say that David avoided unwise detours along the path, but by God’s grace he always responded when his Good Shepherd restored his soul.
What’s the condition of your soul? Your can’t restore it yourself. Only the Holy Spirit, working through God’s Word, can restore our souls. The results are always the same: He returns us to the road of righteousness where we serve our Shepherd in all that we do—until we “detour†and find ourselves needing restoration again. The Shepherd believes in keeping a capital RE in restore!
Have you wondered why the Good Shepherd does all this for us? We know we’re undeserving and beyond earning His care. David says that God guides us up the path of righteousness “for His name’s sake.†For years, phrases like “for Christ’s sake†puzzled me. Has it perplexed you too?
All our righteousness comes from God for Christ’s sake. He resisted all temptation—for our sake. He agonized on the cross and died—for our sake. And by His godly power He came to life again—for our sake. God would never waste all that work. He restores our soul and leads us to follow His will for the sake of Jesus Christ, who gave His live for us.
Waste not. Want not. That’s why we’re never in need—for Christ’s sake.
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