He Restores My Soul

By Carol Elliott

This book is written to encourage the hopeless and broken and to tell at them that there is a better future and hope for healing.

The author looks at some of the issues many face in our modern age that can lead to stress, anxiety, and depression.

She suggests solutions. She looks at positive ways which we can each choose to help improve how we feel, think, and act.

For inspiration, she turns to scripture passages that promise to reveal Gods heart of love for the broken.

She shares her own story as a testimony that Gods word works when we apply it to our problems. He had restored her life, and she wants others to know and experience the peace and joy in knowing Jesus what brings.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse UK
• Release date: Jul 29, 2014
• ISBN: 9781496986023

Carol Elliott

The author was fostered and brought up in Holywood, County Down, in Northern Ireland. She became a Christian in 1980 and attended the Irish Baptist College in the 1980s. She graduated with a diploma in pastoral care and theology. Because she suffered from PTSD, due to being sexually abused, life was difficult. However, it was when she found a new hope in Jesus that she was able to not only say no to her abuser, but also start her journey of healing. She is married to Trevor, who has severe epilepsy. They have two teenage children, Esther and Caleb. Her story is told to encourage those who feel broken and hopeless.

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© 2014 Carol Elliott. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 07/26/2014

ISBN: 978-1-4969-8577-4 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4969-8602-3 (e)

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

CONTENTS

Introduction

Chapter One Dealing With The Burden Of Guilt

Chapter Two False Guilt Ruth Chapter Two

Chapter Three The Sorrows Of The Sad Soul

Chapter Four Hebrews: A Better Hope

Chapter Five A Choice For Joy In James Read James 1:2-8

Chapter Six The Letter From Prison

Chapter Seven The Journey

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INTRODUCTION

Psalm 23:1-3 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul.

Have you ever felt like an overturned elephant? There you are lying in the middle of the desert; without water, company or hope? You lie on your back unable to turn over onto your feet. This is metaphorical for depression or stress that seems never to leave.

At the moment you may be dealing with an assortment of issues and emotions that leave you drained and unable to cope with the daily demands of life. This could be short term or long term. It may be connected with physical or mental illness. It may stem from bereavement or from problems in family life. I am writing to you today to tell you that rescue is on the way. The Shepherd who cares for the sheep is here to restore our soul; even if you feel like an overturned elephant.

Let’s Change metaphors for a little while. Imagine you are a tree. You are a tall tree full of branches leaves, and fruit. Your roots go deep down into the ground. The trunk is your personality, your individual identity. The roots are your life experiences, the branches are the ways you relate to your surroundings. Four main trunks are cognitive, physical, spiritual and emotional. The fruit on these branches are the signs and symptoms of being healthy or unhealthy in these areas.

What goes into your life has an effect on what fruit is grown in your life. Scientifically it is the law of cause and effect. In this book, I will be looking at ways of dealing with the bad fruit on your tree.

Later on, I will be focussing on the metaphor of God as our Shepherd. But at the moment, I am going to focus on the gardening theme. We are trees and God is the gardener. In Psalm 1, those who love God are depicted as trees planted by the water. They bear fruit in season. Also we read in John 15, that Jesus is the vine and we are His branches. We bear fruit by being attached to Him.

When you feel bad, sad, depressed, negative, and any other label you can think of; the fruit of your emotions are telling you that there is something going on in the roots. You feel so bad, because something in life is not quite right. Those tears you shed and that out of control rage come from somewhere. The fruit in your life is revealing problems and issues that need to be dealt with in order to bring you back into balance and full emotional health.

I am a survivor who has been on a journey. I have experienced the ups and downs of stress and negative emotions. I write this book, because I know that my shepherd is restoring my soul and that He has brought peace to my confused heart. I write this book to share with you that there is hope.

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This needs labelled.

CHAPTER ONE

Dealing with the burden of guilt

Living with guilt can be heavy burden. But it is a burden that can be lifted.

I was on a career’s day, learning about positive thinking. On the main it was quite good. The guy talked about not being negative and being open to the possibility of good things happening in our lives. But then, he went a bit too far. His message for life was to create your own reality; and to be guided by whatever makes you feel good. He said that there is no place for negative feelings of any kind. When challenged about the role of the conscience; he boldly proclaimed that the conscience is redundant; because, there is no such thing as good or bad. To Him, morality was just a perception.

Later I wondered to myself, what he would have done if I picked up his lap top and walked off with it. It would make me feel good to take it. Would he then have said that I was doing something wrong? Then I pondered over his drive to the location. Did he drive in a manner keeping to road safety laws? Surely safety is a good idea. There is such a concept as right and wrong; good and evil.

What I am trying to point out here, is the reality of good and evil and our need to be informed by the conscience that we have crossed the line; we have thought, felt, spoken and acted in ways that are wrong. Our guilt is real, but it has been dealt with at the cross. Our guilty feelings may be unpleasant; but they are the fruit that reveal to us our separated state from God and our need for a Saviour.

Romans 8:1 Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Guilt can make us sick. The emotional strain has a knock on effect on our physical wellbeing, and puts stress on how we feel and think. We cannot enjoy life when we are dragged down by guilt. We can even subconsciously punish ourselves by engaging in destructive behaviour.

What is the answer to this guilt? It is to deal with our situation. The message of the gospel is that we, guilty sinners can be declared not guilty, when we put our trust in Jesus; the one who took our punishment on the cross. In Christ, the sinner is declared innocent in the sight of God. The guilt has been taken away. The price has been paid. Jesus on the cross was punished in our place.

Those who deny their guilt, live under its heavy burden. They may pretend that the guilt is not there; but it is. One day they will stand before a holy God. Until that day, it is just hidden, like the dirt brushed under the carpet.

If you have asked Jesus to be your Saviour; and you feel guilty for the past; there is no need. In Christ you are not condemned. It does not matter how bad it was; it is all gone. Jesus took it all away when you asked Him to be your Saviour and Lord. This is basic truth; yet, I believe it important to remind you at the start of this book; that in Christ, you are not condemned.

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A MESSAGE OF LOVE FROM THE SAVIOUR

I took your sins and your sorrows,

No longer for you to bear.

I give you joy for tomorrow,

No longer to be weighed down by care.

I took it all to the cross;

Your gain was earned through my loss.

Now rejoice my child,

The battle is won.

Victory and salvation have come,

To the orphan child, is now made into a son.

Yes, you need to say sorry and discontinue any wrong thoughts, attitudes and actions. Yes, you have to deal with the damage you may have caused to others. However,