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He Restores My Soul

This morning I am feasting on the Word of God, savoring every nuance, drinking deeply of the truth God speaks.  I'm letting Him fill me up to overflowing with hope, peace and love as I soak in Psalm 23.  Even though I've heard these words many times, they are fresh and new today.

I shall not want.


We live in a fast-paced consumer-driven society.  There is always something more, something better and our hunger seems to never be satisfied.  I think we have a tendency to be compulsively busy, getting antsy if there isn't something to occupy our minds or our hands.  This sitting at home business is boring and maybe it's just me, but I find myself itching to go somewhere, do something, or else I'm working at all hours of the day.  If I'm not working, I'm looking for a book to read or a show to watch - empty time and space in our days can seem vacuous.  Do we know what it means to not want?  Do we know how to settle down and just sit?  When we come to God and give him our anxieties and inner struggles, we can rest, slow down, and listen to His voice.    He calls us to BE STILL, to be a peace with quiet and to not want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures.


This one hit me personally because I'm trying hard to not let food be the thing that fills my empty spaces and I love to munch.  If I were surrounded by Willy Wonka's chocolate fountain and edible paradise, could I just lie down and be satisfied without wanting to nibble on everything that looks so delicious?  God makes it possible to rest and be FULL even when delicacies are surrounding us.  This is a beautiful image of being completely satisfied in God and His love, feeling no need for anything else even when we are surrounded by it.

He leads me beside quiet waters.  He restores my soul.


A little kayak ride this week, some gazing upon our ponds and a view of the glass surface of the lake were enough to restore my soul!  When things have been stormy and chaotic, God provides a quiet interlude to be restored.  Amen?

He guides me in paths of righteousness for His name's sake.


We've been talking about pursuing holiness at church lately as we've studied 1 Peter.  My kids have been sincerely pursuing God's word and desiring to follow Him in their lives - what a blessing!  I pray that they will be guided in paths of righteousness on a regular basis and God has answered that prayer in a mighty way this week.  My son got a job for the summer doing manual labor and enjoyed the work and the people he worked with for the first couple of weeks and he was happy to be making money for himself.  He and his dad were talking about how to maintain purity and honor God with his life when surrounded by worldly influences and he took this seriously.  So, when something happened at work that was in strong opposition to his conscience, he made the decision to quit.  He said I can't stay committed to my values if I'm going to be around these behaviors.  And he made the hard decision to quit his job - I'm so incredibly proud of him.  That's what it looks like to have God guide you in a path of righteousness!

Psalm 23 verses 4-6 apply to so many challenges we face in life, but definitely in the midst of a pandemic.  Take some time today to savor these words even though you've heard them a million times before, may God whisper in your ear today, 

Be still, I'm with you, and I'm going to take care of you.  



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