He Restores My Soul

August 5th, 2025
by Lance Waldie

Psalm 23:2-3 He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. 3 He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.

Having compared Yahweh to a shepherd, in v. 2 David compares himself to a sheep. Sheep are easily startled, so it was the shepherd’s task to calm them. Yet at times shepherds must use force to bring a sheep under control once they are startled. When one sheep becomes restless or afraid, their tense behavior can easily startle the other sheep. When this occurs, a shepherd will calm his sheep, by force if necessary. In so doing the shepherd would “make them lie down in green pastures”—at times forcefully lying on top of the sheep until it was calm and set at peace.

The second half of v. 2 says that God, “leads me beside still waters”—literally, waters that have been stilled. Since rushing water startles sheep, the shepherd, upon leading his flock to streams of water, dams up a portion of the flow to create a quiet and still water for the sheep to drink. Modern day shepherds report that sheep will actually die of thirst in front of a flowing river of water because they dare not drink from the rapid flow. It is therefore the shepherd’s job to calm the water in order to hydrate the sheep. Otherwise, the sheep would perish.

In v. 3 David says that God “restores my soul.” Soul here refers to life. This is the imagery of one who is dying of thirst, who finds a drink from a cool river, and has their life restored to them. This too was the job of the shepherd, and David parallels it to Yahweh, the One who shepherds His people like a flock of sheep. When God’s sheep are weary, He restores their life. Just as one who runs a marathon or works outdoors in the heat of the day is restored by drinking the cool flowing water of life, so God restores the life of those who thirst for Him (cf. Matt. 5:6).

The second half of v. 3 describes where God leads His people in comparison to where a shepherd leads his flock. A good shepherd leads his flock to fertile pastures and peaceful waters in order to restore their lives for the sake of his reputation as one who cares for his flock. As such, he guides them away from harsh paths to make their travel more pleasant. In the same way, God leads His children down paths of righteousness for their sake and of His own reputation.

Sadly, God’s people tend to stray from His path. A sheep who strays, however, is not led by God to do so. James 1:13-14 says as much: Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. God leads His sheep down good paths in the same way the shepherd leads his sheep on level and straight paths. The temptations in life that draw us away from the straight and narrow are our own undoing, so we can blame no one but ourselves when this occurs. God’s leading His people down straight paths are for “His name’s sake” and for His reputation. In the same way that David led his flock down level paths, God leads His people down the right path so that He might bring glory to Himself.

Food For Thought
How many times have you been so bent out shape over your life’s circumstances? Has God grabbed you yet, as it were, and gotten your attention to show you that He is in charge, like a shepherd does a sheep? Sometimes He lovingly does that, leading us to a peaceful place and calming our worrisome minds. Be assured that God is leading you down the path He ordained for you long ago. He is the Good Shepherd, and though you may not like the path you’re on, God is in charge and sovereign over all things. In David’s shepherding days there were many paths along the countryside that led to nowhere, but wise sheep followed their shepherd. They knew that he knew where he was going. The shepherd’s reputation was at stake, and so it is with God. Christ is our Shepherd, and the path He leads us down is for our good and for His glory.