It’s great to read devotional thoughts from Erica Botha this week! If you’d like to learn a bit more about her, just stop by the contributors page.
Psalm 23 is often quoted and especially at funerals. This year at junior camp Psalm 23 verse 3a came to mind, “He restoreth my soul:” I’ve often thought of this as an end-of-life verse, and yet I felt my soul being renewed.
Junior camp is for the kids, but I have to say that it’s so refreshing despite trapsing around a wonderful camp when the sun is blazing. I had a wonderful group of campers, an amazing co-counselor, and fabulous junior counselors. The messages, although geared toward kids, spoke life into my soul. I was renewed as I enjoyed activities with campers and worshipped with campers and camp staff.
God can use circumstances we don’t expect to restore our souls and to rejuvenate our faith. The Psalmist asked God to restore the joy of his salvation in Psalm 51:12. It’s so easy to get burnt out in life. Perhaps you’re working in a ministry, you’re a parent, wife, or working in a secular field.
In so many different ways, we can get run-down and lose our zeal, our energy for worshipping and serving God. We grow weary, and before we know it, we’ve lost the joy that we once had. Maybe we keep serving at church in the areas we always have, but not with the same heart or enthusiasm. God is able to restore the joy of our salvation and renew our souls when we’re weary.
Psalm 51:10 addresses an area where we need God to help us, “Create in me a clean heart, O God: And renew a right spirit within me.” We have to clean out the yuck, sin, or even things that aren’t bad, but aren’t best, in our lives.
Ask God to help you see the sin that needs to be pruned out of your life or the things that are distracting you from putting God first. The Psalmist often pours out his heart to God, and we have the privilege of doing the same. We can be real with God and tell Him how we are feeling.
Pray for God’s wisdom and discernment about where you should be serving. Overcommitment often leads to burnout. Maybe in this new season of life He wants to move you in a different direction. Maybe He’ill renew your energy and enthusiasm for where you’re currently serving.
The Christian life is a continuum of growth. Sometimes we hit a plateau, and we might even feel like we’ve been there for a while. Keep going! We never know when God is going to use something big or small to touch our hearts, show we are loved, and renew our souls.
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