The Lord is my best friend and my shepherd. I always have more than enough. He offers a resting place for me in his luxurious love. His tracks take me to an oasis of peace, the quiet brook of bliss. That’s where he restores and revives my life. He opens before me pathways to God’s pleasure and leads me along in his footsteps of righteousness so that I can bring honor to his name. Psalm 23:1-3 Passion
Are you struggling to overcome a traumatic life event? Have you experienced betrayal from someone you trusted? Does it seem as though your life has been upended, leaving you at a loss as to what to do? Are you struggling to find the way to move forward in life, but feel like your breath has been knocked out of you? Be encouraged. When life attempts to break you, God will restore you!
Brokenness has become a way of life in many cultures. Even if we haven’t experienced trauma ourselves, we are all surrounded by people who have suffered deeply in some form, at some point in time. Too many lives continue to be stymied as a result of trauma inflicted upon them when they were children. Others may have gone through a difficult divorce or the death of a spouse, child or other family member. How do we come back from these kinds of suffering? How do we deal with loss and continue to live our best lives? At this point, let me say, “It isn’t easy.” But it can be done.
When life’s setbacks happen, you need restoration. Restoration is the act of restoring-the return of something back to its original intention, condition or health. It usually means to give or receive something back that has been taken away or lost. Restoration renews your vision. It removes the darkness of despair and helps you to see the bright future God has planned for you.
Brokenness extinguishes the light of creativity within you because when there is brokenness in your soul, you see everything through its cracked lens. Worst of all, you can’t see the good future God has planned for you. You can only see the brokenness. You can’t experience the joy of life since your emotions are filled with trauma. Brokenness robs you of faith and hope. It casts you into a pit of depression that almost seems impossible to emerge from. Take heart- there is a way of escape from the pit. Your escape? Let God restore your soul.
When pain and brokenness overwhelm, some people resort to self-medication. They feel abandoned and desperately alone, so they use drugs, alcohol, food or anything else they can find to deaden their pain. Your answer? Allow God into the pain of your lonely heart so that He can restore your soul. Your soul is the seat of your emotions, and when trauma occurs, your soul experiences brokenness. Your brokenness skews everything until you don’t know where to turn. But God is waiting patiently for you to invite Him in, with His loving hands, to heal your soul’s wounds.
In Psalm 23, David sang, “He restores my soul.” Prayerfully consider these keys to help you experience the restoration and the wholeness that God is longing to give you.
Remember that you serve the King of the Universe, who is longing for deeper intimacy with you. God has planned a good future for you and is committed to seeing you live into it. No matter what has happened in your past, your life lies ahead of you, not behind you. In the midst of your pain, don’t be afraid to call out to God, to tell Him everything. God is always waiting, listening for your voice. Not only is God listening for your voice, He responds to your voice! Worship is a key that will bring you into deeper intimacy with Him.
Remember that brokenness does not have to be the end of your story. What the enemy plans against you to destroy you, God will use to make you more effective in overcoming every plot and plan of hell that has been set against you. Don’t let brokenness define the rest of your life. You can be restored. You have been broken long enough, and it’s time to stand up again. All of Heaven is with you to help you overcome brokenness. Let the brokenness from yesterday make you make you stronger for your future!
Remember the power of faith. Faith is your key to knowing that God will not forsake you. He is there with you when it most feels like you are standing alone, and He will never leave you. Though you may feel as if everyone has left you, God is committed to you and is always there. God is a Good Father, who never leaves His children! Remember!
Remember that you have a resting place in God’s luxurious love. Never forget the fact that God’s love for you is extravagant. In the most difficult moments, allow His love to fill you again. God’s love brings you to the place of peace, which is wholeness. This is the place where God revives you. In God’s extravagant love is restoration.
Remember that as God restores your soul, He creates a pathway to His goodness, leading you through His footsteps of righteousness. As your soul is restored, you bring honor to God’s name. Your setback was simply a set-up to fashion you into a holy instrument in the hand of the Lord.
Remember that prayer works. Don’t stop praying. Keep believing, keep seeking God’s face. He will respond. When God responds, He prepares a table for you in the presence of your enemies. What was meant to defeat you makes you stronger, bringing you to the King’s table.
Remember to be courageous. Don’t let fear take you over. Refuse to give into it, no matter how anxious and afraid you’re feeling. Fear is the opposite of faith. Prayer and worship will help you overcome fear. The comfort of God’s love helps you to overcome fear. Find friends who can support you, praying for you and encouraging you as you are being restored.
When your soul is restored you are powerful, vibrant and unstoppable. It is from this place, the place of the restored soul, that your creativity, passion and purpose will come alive again. God will be with you each step of the journey. Let’s go!
