Reasons To Worship He Restores My Soul How

Reasons To Worship: He Restores My Soul! How Does He RESTORE MY/OUR Soul?

What are the ESSENTIALS for Restoring the Soul? Is it more activities, hubbub, noise, thirsty people? Obviously Not!

Psalm 23 gives us a better idea: n “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures (solitude); He leads me beside quiet waters (silence). He restores my soul” (vv. 1 -3 a). n Do you sense the quietness and attentiveness of this scene? – The Shepherd tenderly cares for His sheep, helping them to lie down in “green pastures. ” – He offers a cool drink beside “quiet waters. ” n What is the result? It is in silence, in solitude, that God comes to restore us to Himself and to restore our soul.

Psalm 46: 10 gives us the same idea: n Psalm 46: 10 --“Be still (cease striving), and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. ” n Be still/cease striving is the Hebrew word “Raphah. ” – – – n n The root is to “sink” or “relax. ” Raphah suggests relying on God’s strength instead of ours. Stop doing what you are doing and look to God, what He is doing and who He is. “. . . learn from Him. . . ”--Matt. 11: 28 -30. When we are still we see what He is doing and who He is. The result is, we will praise and exalt Him. How can we learn the discipline of “stillness? ”

Silence and solitude provide Sabbaths for us; ways of resting with the purpose of drawing near to God. t. The first is a Sabbath of the mouth. t. The second is a Sabbath of involvements.

Silence, as significant as it is, sometimes strikes us as unimportant, uncomfortable, even threatening; n So we rush to fill up the spaces with our words/actions. n Being changed by God is not a matter of trying harder, it is the result of training wisely, and all good training involves some silence. n

What does silence create for us? It n n n n makes room for listening gives us the freedom to observe allows time to think provides space to feel lets us broaden our awareness opens us to the entry of peace offers those who wisely choose it “a quiet place in which they are at home with themselves. . . in touch with God. . . ”

Biblical Perspectives on Silence n “Guard your steps when you go to the house of the Lord. Go near to listen rather than offer the sacrifice of fools who do not know that they do wrong” --Ecclesiastes 5: 1 -2. (See also Hab. 2: 20; Zeph. 1: 7; Zech. 2: 13. ) n Sometimes it is only when our mouths are closed and our minds are quiet that we can begin to grasp God's immense greatness. (See Exodus 14: 11 a, 12 b. ) n Moses to Israelites: “Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of the Lord which He will accomplish for you today. . . The Lord will fight for you while you keep silent”--Exodus 14: 13 a, 14.

There are so many times when silence is especially appropriate. . For example: 1. After we have had a busy day/season and our soul needs to be restored--Psalm 23: 3. 2. When we want to provide our soul with the opportunity to ponder God’s greatness. 3. When we want to hear and see what God is saying and doing!

Shhh. . . Stop and let this soak in “If we refuse to provide pockets of silence in our lives, we will always flounder in a fog, wondering who God is and what He's doing. We will remain shallow. But if we deliberately fashion protracted periods of silence, we will grow deeper in an increasing awareness of the real presence of God. ” Charles Swindoll

Quote by Mother Teresa “We need to find God, and He cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature—trees, flowers, grass—grows in silence. . . We need silence to be able to touch souls. ”

A second way to restore our soul is through: Solitude, like its partner silence, rewards us with a depth seldom found through other means. n However, solitude may be one of the most difficult disciplines to practice, because so many of us are afraid to be alone. n

When we stop fussing and start trusting, we will be able to see that God is more deeply at work in our lives than we ever imagined. – Proverbs 4: 23 --“Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life. ” – Proverbs 13: 3 --“The one who guards his mouth preserves his life; the one who opens wide his lips comes to ruin. ” (See also 10: 19; 15: 28; 17: 28; 21: 23. ) n A lot of things in our hearts we should be careful about sharing with another person, e. g. , special words from the Lord, our deepest dreams, thoughts, hopes. n Sometimes these words/dreams/hopes are so precious, they deserve to be kept safe by the guardian of silence.

What does solitude (this sabbath of involvements), have to offer us? What does solitude create? n n n n Solitude allows us to rest Solitude gets us away from the constant push and pull of others' demands, interruptions, schedules and expectations In solitude, we filter out the nonessentials We discover our own thoughts We find our own pace We rest and regroup We recall the meaning of our unique call We hone and clarify what we value We gain perspective We reinforce our focus We reacquaint ourselves with our dreams We become more attentive to God Solitude is the remedy for the busyness that charms

Biblical Perspectives on Solitude n Even Jesus needed solitude--Mark 1: 21 -34. "The whole city had gathered at the door”--v. 33! n In the midst of the pressure of everyone's needs, Jesus still took the time to be alone. “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed”--v. 35 NIV. n He knew He could not minister to others from a scattered, fragmented, unfocused heart. n Alone with the Father, His purposes and strength could be refreshed. (Sometimes it is hard to hear God in a crowd. )

What do we do when we practice solitude? n n In brief periods of solitude. For example, at night: – Be still and know that He is God. – Acknowledge Jesus’ presence. – Debrief at night, i. e. , review your day. What did the day say to you; what are you worried about; stressed over; angry about? Bring people/items to God in prayer. – End with thanksgiving and reminders of the character/ attributes of God--loving, sovereign, joyful, gracious… In extended periods of solitude (see “How to Spend a Day with God” - Eagle Flight Seminar).

Summary n Silence and solitude, our twin means of God-directed rest and insight, offer us essential moments of sanity and a deeper knowledge of God amidst the craziness of life. n Since silence and solitude are gateways to depth, it's worth every effort to make these spiritual health habits happen.

Appendix Quotes and Sources Used

Defeating Hurry Sickness n n n A newspaper from Tacoma carried the story of Tattoo, the basset hound. Tattoo didn’t intend to go for an evening run; the owner shut his leash in the car door and took off for a drive. Tattoo had no choice. A motorcycle officer named Terry Filbert noticed a passing vehicle with something that appeared to be dragging behind it. As he passed the vehicle, he saw Tattoo. Officer Filbert finally chased the car to a stop, and Tattoo was rescued; but not before the dog reached a speed of twenty to thirty miles per hour and rolled several times. He has not asked to go out for an evening walk for a long time. There is too much Tattoo behavior going on in American society. There are too many people who spend their days going from one task to another (without any break, reflection, or rest--kind of dragged along by their schedules and activities). It is time to enter… (into). . . another way to live”--The Life You’ve Always Wanted, John Ortberg, Zondervan, 1997. It is important we cure hurry sickness and learn to restore our spiritual lives/our souls.

Streams In the Desert (L. B. Cowman, edited by James Reimann, Zondervan, 1997, pp. 188 -189): “I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD. . . Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage”-Psalm 27: 13 -14 NASB. Do not despair! Oh, how great the temptation is to despair at times! Our soul becomes depressed and disheartened, and our faith staggers under the severe trials and testing that come into our lives, especially during times of bereavement and suffering. We may come to the place where we say, “I cannot bear this any longer. I am close to despair under these circumstances God has allowed. He tells me not to despair, but what am I supposed to do when I am at this point? ” What have you done in the past when you felt weak physically? You could not do anything. You ceased from doing. In your weakness, you leaned on the shoulder of a strong loved one. You leaned completely on someone else and rested, becoming still, and trusting in another's strength.

Streams In The Desert (continued): It is the same when you are tempted to despair under spiritual afflictions. Once you have come close to the point of despair, God's message is not, “Be strong and courageous”--Josh. 1: 6, for He knows that your strength and courage have run away. Instead, He says sweetly, “Be still, and know that I am God”--Ps. 46: 10. Hudson Taylor was so weak and feeble in the last few months of his life that he told a friend, “I am so weak I cannot write. I cannot read my Bible. I cannot even pray. All I can do is lie still in the arms of God as a little child, trusting Him. ” This wonderful man of God, who had great spiritual power, came to the point of physical suffering and weakness where all he could do was lie still and trust. That is all God asks of you as His dear child. When you become weak through the fierce fires of affliction, do not try to “be strong. ” Just “be still, and know that [He is] God. ” And know that He will sustain you and bring you through the fire. God reserves His best medicine for our times of deepest despair. Be strong and take heart--Psalm 27: 14.

n n Author Henri Nouwen observes the problem this has caused: Over the last few decades we have been inundated by a torrent of words. Wherever we go we are surrounded by words: words softly whispered, loudly proclaimed, or angrily screamed; words spoken, recited, or sung; words on records, in books, on walls, or in the sky; words in many sounds, many colors, or many forms; words to be heard, read, seen, or glanced at; words which flicker off and on, move slowly, dance, jump, or wiggle. Words, words! They form the floor, the walls, and the ceiling of our existence. . . Recently I was driving through Los Angeles, and suddenly I had the strange sensation of driving through a huge dictionary. Wherever I looked there words trying to take my eyes from the road. They said, "Use me, take me, buy me, drink me, smell me, touch me, kiss me, sleep with me. " In such a world, who can maintain respect for words? . . . The result of this is that the main function of the word, which is communication, is no longer realized. The word no longer communicates, no longer fosters communion, no longer creates community, and therefore, no longer gives life. 1 1. Henri J. M. Nouwen, The Way of the Heart (New York, N. Y. : Random House, Ballantine Books, 1981), pp. 31 -32.

n We need to find God, and He cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature—trees, flowers, grass— grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence. . . We need silence to be able to touch souls. Mother Teresa, as quoted in The Columbia Dictionary of Quotations (New York, N. Y. : Columbia University Press, 1993). From Microsoft Bookshelf @) 1987 -1994 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. n Silence, as Mother Teresa observed, benefits more than the one being silent. It is a means to the end of ministering to others. How can we keep the flame of ministry burning without the fuel that silence provides? And how can we carry Living Water to others, if we don't stop first at the well to refresh our own souls? Have you stopped at the well lately? You may be surprised at how much more impact you'll have in the lives of others if you'll alternate times of Christian activity with interludes of silence. Charles Swindoll, Intimacy With the Almighty, Insight For Living, 1996.

n n Anne Morrow Lindbergh has crystallized our dilemma. “How one hates to think of oneself as alone. How one avoids it. It seems to imply rejection or unpopularity. An early wallflower panic still clings to the word…We seem so frightened today of being alone that we never let it happen. Even if family, friends and movies should fail, there is still the radio or television to fill up the void. Women, who used to complain of loneliness, need never be alone anymore. We can do our housework with soap-opera heroes at our side. Even daydreaming was more creative than this; it demanded something of oneself and it fed the inner life. Now, instead of planting our solitude with our own dream blossoms, we choke the space with continuous music, chatter and companionship to which we do not even listen. It is simply there to fill the vacuum. When the noise stops there is no inner music to take its place. We must relearn to be alone. Anne Morrow Lindbergh, Gift from the Sea, 20 th anniversary edition (New York, N. Y: Random House, Vintage Books, 1975), pp. 41 -42.