IF YOUR SOUL IS BROKEN, GOD RESTORES YOU
Base Text: Ruth 4:13-15
INTRODUCTION
Human beings often fail to understand their true situation because the veil that blinds their soul prevents them from seeing their need for God. The soul of man has been corrupted by wickedness from generation to generation; an accumulation of chains forms like a cursed inheritance of destruction, ruin, misery, and pain, sinking deeper into darkness every single day.
We blame God for the pain, we point the finger at others when things go wrong, but we never accept that we are responsible for our own suffering. Every bad decision and every step away from God are the reasons why we find ourselves broken, empty, sick, and with our souls torn apart on the verge of condemnation.
1. FROM JOY TO PAIN
The biblical story of the book of Ruth tells of a woman whose name, Naomi, meant “pleasant” or “joyful,” but who became a “bitter” woman.
(Ruth 1:19-21) "So the two women went on until they came to Bethlehem. When they arrived in Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them, and the women exclaimed, ‘Can this be Naomi?’ ‘Don’t call me Naomi,’ she told them. ‘Call me Mara, because the Almighty has made my life very bitter. I went away full, but the Lord has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi? The Lord has afflicted me; the Almighty has brought misfortune upon me.’"
- Naomi made a decision: To leave “Bethlehem” (House of Bread) to supposedly find happiness in “Moab,” where she longed for a new life.
- Consequences: But this decision implied moving away from God, disobedience, leading to “the destruction of her family.” Her husband and sons died, causing immense pain.
- The result: She felt she had no future, she was in disgrace, all her plans ended, and she fell into deep sadness.
This story repeats itself every day. Man walked away from God, choosing to live under Satan's deception. Man was created to be with God but chose evil. Every day, people choose to live further away from God rather than closer to Him, even knowing His Word. The rush, anxiety, worries, and busyness pull us away from God, and the result will always be the same: profound emptiness, extreme exhaustion, and bitterness of soul.
2. THE NEED TO BE RESTORED
(Romans 3:23) "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Isaiah 53:6) "We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way"
- Man without God, without the contemplation of His presence, is literally lost, shattered, sick, and “in bitterness of soul.” This situation is compared to the “pain a father or mother feels when they lose a child.”
- Death causes pain. “Naomi lost her husband and her two sons” and “she blamed God.” This feeling is what people constantly experience in one way or another.
- Resentful people blame God, blame the system, or blame the rich for their misfortunes. The poor man believes he is poor because the rich have everything, but no one recognizes their own condition caused by disobedience.
Man's problem is NOT solved with:
- Advice from humans.
- Motivation (this is fleeting and temporary). Some take the Word this way, just to motivate themselves. But I'm not here to motivate you; I'm here to make you realize that you need to be restored.
- Discipline: You need something much deeper called “redemption.”
What does it mean to be restored?
- Our base verse (Ruth 4:15) says: "He will renew your life [restorer of your soul]".
- In Hebrew, it is (Shuv), which means “to return,” “to go back,” “to return to the point of origin.” It’s not just “fixing or mending,” because God doesn't apply patches or band-aids; He “heals,” He “cures.”
- Human nature lives in constant deterioration and bitterness; the genuine desire is to return to the “original state.” That is the purpose of salvation: to restore us to how we were designed. But not everyone desires this, because man often prefers “condemnation.”
- What are you doing in church? You are here to wait for that day when, through the process of seeking and divine contemplation, you are completely restored.
- David knew this and said in Psalm 23: “The Lord is my Shepherd, I lack nothing”. He wasn't talking about economics; he was talking about what his soul needed: guidance, provision, and mental and physical healing.
- To be restored is to learn to live not as I want, but under “divine guidance,” understanding that sin corrupts my soul. (Psalm 23:3: "He refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake").
3. TO BE RESTORED IS TO BE “REDEEMED”
Another word used in Hebrew is RAPHA, which means “to heal, cure, repair what is damaged,” and this only exists in one form: REDEMPTION.
- The central message of the Bible is the Redemption of man through the Savior, the Son of God, who came as Isaiah 53:4 says, to heal, set free, and break the yokes. He paid a price again to recover what was lost.
- Without Jesus, it is impossible to be restored. Joy only returns to a man when he finds Jesus.
- Going back to our story of Naomi (who had lost everything), through her daughter-in-law Ruth and a distant relative named Boaz (who marries Ruth), a child is born to them and is named Obed.
- They hand this child to Naomi and prophesy to her: “He will be the restorer of your soul”. That is, you thought you had no future or promises left, but through this child, you will have a future and a name.
(Ruth 4:15-17) "He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. For your daughter-in-law, who loves you and who is better to you than seven sons, has given him birth. Then Naomi took the child in her arms and cared for him. The women living there said, ‘Naomi has a son!’ And they named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David."
- Through this lineage came the SAVIOR OF THE WORLD.
CONCLUSION
God is an expert at restoring the old, the damaged, restoring generations, giving promises, purpose, and life. “If you seek Him, you will have purpose,” “your children will have a purpose in life.”
(Isaiah 58:8-12) "Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. Then you will call, and the Lord will answer... The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings."
💡 Keep learning: We invite you to explore our complete guide on Inner and Emotional Healing to go deeper into what the Bible teaches about soul restoration, depression, and anxiety.