“He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul.” – Psalm 23:2-3a NKJV
Psalm 23 is likely the most beloved Psalm of all-time. The Psalm’s beautiful imagery has brought comfort to millions throughout the ages. Never have its tender promises been more relevant and important than they are right now.
He IS our Shepherd.
In Him, we have EVERYTHING we need.
He MAKES us lie down in green pastures.
He LEADS us beside still waters.
He RESTORES our souls.
It’s His word. It’s His promise. But sometimes the process doesn’t look anything like we might expect.
Many have been worn out and weary for a long time. What if the current challenges are actually a time of divine reset … a time of recalibration … a time of good old-fashioned rest?
What if this is how the Good Shepherd intends to restore our souls?
What if we just let Him do that? What if we surrendered to the process? What if we even embraced it?
That doesn’t mean we stop praying—and even contending—for breakthrough. But it does mean we need to let go of our ideas of what that will look like and when it will come. It means we need to yield to what God wants to do in us personally.
It means we need to not only let Him lead us beside still waters—but actually rest there.
I suspect there will be plenty of work to do on the other side of this season. The harvest is plentiful. We need to be prepared for the long haul. And to be prepared for the long haul, we need to KNOW how to work—and even war—from rest.
Could it be that, perhaps, a big part of learning to consistently “work from rest” comes from entering His rest again for ourselves?
If He is “making” you lie down right now—don’t resist. Embrace the process. As much as possible, enjoy the journey. Drink of the infinitely deep, unhurried waters of His presence.
He WILL restore your soul.
Jesus thank you for the unhurried beauty of Your presence. Thank You for faithfully leading us—even when the journey seems to take unexpected detours. I’m so grateful that it is often those very detours that lead us to the “oasis of peace” and “quiet brook of bliss” where you restore and revive our lives.* ~Amen
*See Psalm 23 in The Passion Translation
I hear Him saying: Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit
Cindy Powell 