It is common these days to see a lot of offers for the sale of refurbished items .  These items are mostly found in the electronic product category range but you can also find sales for refurbished cars, furniture and even homes.

Refurbished items are usually cheaper than the original items and it is common for sellers of such items to use terms like ‘almost new’ or graded like ‘Grade A, B’ and so on. Refurbished items with a very high grade are often more expensive because they look almost as new as the items shipped directly from the manufacturer. The lower the grade of the items however, the more blemish you’ll see due to the fact that they have been used for a while before being sent in for repairs and subsequently put up for sale.

There is a rise in the number of people going for cosmetic surgery these days. It used to be the preserve of the older generation who wanted to continue looking young even as they get older. But these days, even teenagers go for all kind of cosmetic changes to their body because they are not satisfied with the way they look. Cosmetic surgeons help these people achieve their desires as they take them through a process of physical refurbishment. It is a polishing of their physical structure. Which is why when the treatment is completed, they may like what they see but it does not change who they are.



Restoration is usually used as a synonym for refurbishment however, a closer understanding of how these words are carefully used in the market place will tell you that when sellers use these words, they mean different things.
By definition, To refurbish means, “To renovate, repair, redecorate or to revamp”. I discovered that the word “refurbish” is derived from the word “Furbish” which was borrowed into English in the 14th century from Anglo-French “furbiss” which means to “polish”.  Restoration however means “to put back into a former or original state.”

We can see from the definition above that there is major difference between the two words. While one is about making the item “look like new”, the other is returning the item to its original state.

In Psalm 23, David writes a song about his dependence on God and His confidence in God’s ability to care for and sustain him. In verse 3 which is the focus of this topic, He writes, “He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the path of righteousness for his name’s sake.” (KJV)
Why did David need his soul restored? Do we need our souls restored? Every single day of our lives we are faced with things that trouble us; things that make us anxious or weary. These things may be things that concern us directly or they may be things happening to others or could be ongoing events in the nations  of the world or perhaps even decisions made by governments where we live. All these things grind against our souls constantly.

 

If there is someone who understood the need to have a constant soul restoration, it was David. When he defeated Goliath and Saul became jealous of him, David needed his soul restored. When he learnt about the death of his friend Jonathan, he needed his soul restored. When he sinned against God and killed Uriah the Hittite to cover up his sin of adultery, David realised only one person could forgive and restore him. David was a shepherd boy.  He was able to use the analogy of a shepherd and his sheep to describe his relationship with God in Psalm 23. First he stated, “The Lord is my Shephered, I shall not want”. The Shephered always take the sheep to where they would find grass.

 
God wants us to have more than we need. When we follow Him, we can be sure that all our needs will be met. Where we struggle mostly is that we are more focused on what we want rather than what we need. In the process, like sheep often do sometimes, we get distracted. We leave the sheepfold and we wonder away. God, being the good shepherd that He is, leaves the other sheep and comes after us. Sometimes it takes a short time to bring us back but sometimes it takes a long time. By this time we have become weary and burdened as a result of the experiences that we have gone through.

 
The good news is that God doesn’t just bring us back broken and beaten. He restores our soul. Physically, we may carry the marks of our wanderings and the choices we made but God restores our souls to its original state. As Christians and children of God, we all go through different experiences in life and yet God is with each and everyone of us. As we surrender to Him, He  “leads us in the paths of righteousness”. Why? For His namesake. In other words, for the integrity of His holy name. When He take us through and we come out at the other side, He is waiting to restore our souls. If we stumble and fall, He is instantly by our side with His hands stretched out to lift us up.

 
Jesus didn’t think because he was God incarnate, he didn’t need to have his soul refreshed. How did you think Jesus must have felt when He went to His own country and the people began to question his teaching and even emphasising what they thought was the illegitimacy of His birth?  “Then He went out from there and came to His own country, and His disciples followed Him. And when the Sabbath had come, He began to teach in the synagogue. And many hearing Him were astonished, saying, “Where did this Man get these things? And what wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such mighty works are performed by His hands!  Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us?” So they were offended at Him.” (Mark 6: 1-3)  Did you notice that not once was his father mentioned? In John 12:27, we see Jesus publicly sharing his inner turmoil as he prepared for His death, “Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? save Me from this hour? But for this purpose I came to this hour”.

 
So if we need to be constantly restored, how do we go about it?

 
- Recognise that the Lord is our Shephered and that me meets our every need.

 
- We should not get too comfortable just receiving nourishment that God sends to us through the pastors and teachers. Discover what God wants you to do and do it. Be a channel of blessing to others!

- Sometimes we stumble and we fall. Don’t stay down and think, “I’ve failed, there is no way God can find me useful or trust me to do anything”. That is the lie of the devil. God wants to restore you but you need to want to be restored. Even refurbished items have to be taken to the factory to be repaired how much more the one who wants to be restored. When you repent of your sin, God is faithful to forgive and cleanse you from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1: 9) Note, it says, ‘all’ not some. Some translations quote “If we confess our sins, he forgives them and cleanses us from everything we've done wrong.”

 

- Seek God and prayer everyday. As we commune with Him daily, He does the work of restoration in us. When things are refurbished, it is because they are no longer working as they should or are not looking the way that will attract people to buy them. God does not just restore broken souls, He restores our souls daily so that our soul is constantly fresh and in pristine state.