Restoration of the Soul

In this dry and weary land in which we live, in this world of noise and stress, we often need renewal in our inner being.  Where do you turn when your soul needs to be refreshed?  I like how the old hymn we sing puts it: “But when my soul needs manna from above, where could I go but to the Lord?”1 There is a great truth here.  Only the Lord can renew and restore our souls.  There is no other true source of inner renewal.

David knew this truth.  Listen to his words in Psalm 23: “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.  He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul.” (Psalm 23:1-3 NASB95) The word “restore” here can mean that God brings our soul back when we stray from Him, as a shepherd brings back a wandering sheep.  It can also mean that God brings back liveliness and vitality to our inner being2.  Biblically speaking, both senses are true and certainly needed.

Listen to the words of David in Psalm 63: “O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly; My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You, in a dry and weary land where there is no water.” (Psalm 63:1 NASB95) David found himself in a dry and weary land, both literally and figuratively speaking.  I’m sure we have felt the same at times.  The world we live in can be harsh and dry and can sap the vitality right out of us.  But we, like David, can find refreshment from God.  As David ponders the power, the glory, and the love of God in this Psalm, and as he turns to worship God, he exclaims, “My soul is satisfied as with marrow and fatness, and my mouth offers praises with joyful lips.” (Psalm 63:5 NASB95) David found deep, inner satisfaction from contemplating God and His goodness.

In Psalm 19:7, David writes, “The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul…” (Psalm 19:7 NASB95) The word of God can restore our soul.  It can bring us back to the right path when we stray. It can reach into our hearts and give us an inner liveliness again.

Where do you turn when your soul needs renewal?  Where could we go but to the Lord?  As we worship God today and hear His word, may He grant renewal for our souls!

—Scott Colvin

  1. “Where Could I Go?” Lyrics by J.B. Coats
  2. Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament (HALOT)

This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 10th, 2025 at 12:35 pm and is filed under Psalm 19, Psalm 23, Psalm 63, renewal, restoration, spiritual dryness. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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