August 2019 - LPNI

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August 2019

LNPI Devotion – August 2019

Restoring our Souls

This summer has been special for Dottie and me. For the first time in almost 40 years we are close to where we grew up: in Ft. Wayne, Indiana. Actually, we are living in our camper about an hour south of Ft. Wayne, in the midst of Amish farms. The campground itself was once an Amish farm.

How peaceful it is here! In the morning we hear roosters crowing. We watch horses and cows grazing. As we walk around the small lake, we watch geese gliding across the water. We hear the clip clop of horses pulling buggies down the asphalt roads. As I survey it all, it takes me back to my childhood, living on my grandfather’s farm north of Ft. Wayne. How different it all is from living in either Chicago or Houston as we have done for the past 30 years.

The words of the psalmist David come to mind: He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. (Psalms 23:2-3a ESV)

I must admit that my soul is restored when I am in such peaceful surroundings. But the psalmist David is speaking about more than just peaceful surroundings. He is speaking about the peace that is ours in a relationship with God.

David’s life was no different than many of ours. Do we feel harried? Does it seem like the work is never finished, the bills never stop arriving, and other people are never satisfied with what we try to do for them? Think of David, how King Saul continually tried to kill him! Think of facing Goliath and the armies who wanted to destroy David and his army!

Yet David found peace; he found rest for his soul in his relationship with God. David knew God was his Shepherd, so he was not in want of anything else. Nothing was missing from his life that could add quality or benefit to it.

Sometimes I have asked listeners this question in sermons: ‘If you only had Jesus and nothing else, would that be enough?’ I have always then paused to give people the opportunity to ponder that question. It’s a hard question for western Christians to consider. There have been and are many Christians in the world who have only Jesus and nothing or very little else.

What does peace or rest for our souls look like? Is it found in a peaceful setting? Is it found in engaging in a favorite pastime? I hope so. But most of all, I hope we all can answer that it is found in a relationship with Jesus, who, through his death and resurrection, has truly restored our souls so we can live in his peace now and in peace with him forever.

Rev. Dr. Steven D. Simon

Navarre, FL