Green Pastures, Part II

Picking back up again in Psalm 23, we come to verse 3, a continuation of the perfect picture of rest that verses 1 & 2 speak of. Verse 3 states, “…he restores my soul.” When we rest in Him, He gently “restores our soul,” our very being. When we are running around busily trying to survive the daily “rat race,” it is impossible to feel restored. Only when we quietly rest our minds and bodies, reflecting on who He is can we “recharge” so that we can accomplish the task He put us on earth to do.

The same time the Lord told me back in 2012 to rest, I was working three part time jobs as a single parent. Two of the jobs were quite demanding; the other job was more relaxing and repetitive, being much easier work. I always felt like I was going high speed and when I got home each night, fixed dinner, cleaned up, did laundry, assisted with homework, washed dishes, spent some time with the boys and did my devotions, I practically poured myself into bed, exhausted. During the day, however, I felt like Superwoman and enjoyed the fact I got so much accomplished every day.

The three jobs went on for 3-1/2 years until the doctor I worked for retired. Perfect timing, I believe, because the Lord knew I could not keep going at that pace much longer. Even when I lost two of these three jobs due to his retirement (the job I was left with was only p.r.n., as needed, with no guarantee of hours), I still found it hard to rest although circumstances made it much easier now, so I asked the Lord to help me rest. It was eight long months before I found another steady job with guaranteed hours. Even then, my hours were cut from about 45 a week to 30 a week and I had to take a huge pay cut. While I complained at first about the lack of hours and fretted about how I was possibly going to pay my living expenses on such a huge decrease in pay, I was beginning to feel more rested. I literally felt like God was restoring me physically and emotionally from the inside out and after a while, I learned to enjoy where the Lord had me although underemployed with a significant drop in pay.

He began a series of physical healings in my body over the next two years, as I worked this one 30-hour-a-week job. First it was problems with quickly progressing weakness in my legs, then some moderate to severe spinal problems (that caused extreme stiffness and moderate to severe chronic pain) that he healed instantly and miraculously. Then He healed my chronic asthma, leaving me no longer dependent on my asthma medication and twice daily inhaler! Although I still have Multiple Sclerosis and not all of my spine problems are gone, I feel much better than it did two years ago! Not only has he restored my soul of the weariness and heaviness that came with running the “rat race,” He has begun to restore my body as well! There is nobody else on earth who can do this permanently like He can. Praise Jehova Roi (My shepherd, the God who sees)!