FINDING REST IN GOD

Psalms 23:3 “He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake”.

Can you remember the last time you drank cold water after being outside in the hot sun? Or maybe diving into a lake in the middle of summer? It feels good to be refreshed physically, and all of us have different ideas about how to get refreshed.

God’s Word tells us that God is like a Shepherd who takes care of us. He protects us from harm, and He makes sure we’re nourished.

One of the jobs of a shepherd is to provide the sheep with refreshment. This is why the writer of Psalm 23 says the Lord leads him into quiet places and lush spaces. Those things were refreshing to his soul.

Have you checked on your own soul lately?

Sometimes when God hasn’t refreshed us, we end up living in a hurry. We keep our souls and minds busy going from one thing to the next. We become anxious. After long enough, we begin to think something might be wrong with us.

In John 10:11, Jesus says that He is the Good Shepherd, and we are His sheep. This means that Jesus provides the right path that we should walk, spiritual protection and guidance through prayer, and also spiritual refreshment for our soul. When we spend time with Jesus, part of His job is to refresh us.

But in order to do that, we have to follow Him into those quiet spaces. We have to leave the noise and notifications of the world behind us and learn the slow pace of Jesus. We don’t have to hurry in our time with Him.

When we learn to quiet our souls by removing distractions, we can begin to enjoy simply being with Jesus. When we learn to enjoy Jesus, then He will do His job of refreshing our souls that are parched and weary without Him.

So take some time today without disruptions and spend time with Jesus. If you find that difficult, that is an indicator that your soul isn’t used to resting.

Your life will be so much healthier and more satisfying if you make it a daily habit to be refreshed by God.
Amen.