RETURN TO THE PATH
Psalm 23:3 KJV
[3] “He restoreth my soul: He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.”
Today, I’m using the King James Version of this wonderful foundation stone to try to capture its real meaning. The Hebrew word “shub” has the root meaning of “return”, often translated “repent” or “restore”. This word is used in many contexts in Scripture. However, in David’s psalm, he celebrates the Good Shepherd’s work in his inner being, constantly bringing him back from the treacherous wilderness of sin to thinking, choosing, and doing life God’s way.
The meaning of repent, in Hebrew thought, is to return to the path. The children of Israel’s wandering in the wilderness helps us to understand this journey through life. We are all born into an unknown way. The path ahead is marked by signposts that help us to keep on track. When we wander from the path, we are lost and in danger of dying without God’s protection and provision of food and water. To repent means to return to the way of life God has shown us in His Word.
The signposts that show us the way are God’s instructions that teach us how to live. He has given us His Word and His Spirit to guide us through every dark valley and over every obstacle until we reach our heavenly destination.
Sin, essentially unbelief that results in disobedience, is a dangerous wilderness full of poisonous creatures that are intent on devouring us. Unless we stay on the path, we will perish in our unbelief, our choice to disregard God’s instructions and go our own way.
When we wander away from the path, when we trespass into dangerous places, the Shepherd will rescue us and to lead us back to safety. As God’s children, we have His promise that He will finish what He started. He will protect us from sin and its consequences but…there is a condition.
Only as we submit to Jesus as Lord and subject our will to His will can He keep us safe and on the way to His eternal presence. If we deviate from His way, we must “shub”, return to His path by changing our minds about Him, us, and our relationship with Him. Yes, we call Jesus “Lord” but even this confession means nothing without willing submission to Him in all things.
We must build this “stone” into our foundation if we want the solid rock of His instructions under our feet. His promise to restore our souls, like the “reset” key on our computer, will quickly put us back into fellowship with Him and on the way to His home in glory of we choose to walk in humble submission to His will. He will restore when we return, a very necessary reassurance to keep us following Jesus all the way to glory.
1 John 1:6-9 NIV
[6] “If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. [7] But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. [8] If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. [9] If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
So, life is full of foolish wandering but, He will restore, patiently and whenever we “return”, forsaking our way for His until we reach the destination He promises.