He refreshes my soul
When we are faced with a tragedy, going through a dark period of grief, reeling from an unexpected crisis, or striving to find some normalcy in the midst of a pandemic–there is One who can help.
Last week I began a blog series focused on Psalm 23. The author of this message of trust and hope is David, a shepherd, slayer of giants, and king of Israel. He used his experiences as a shepherd to pen a psalm which brings assurance, peace, and comfort to the hurting.
This week, this blog message brings us to Verse 2:
He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. Psalm 23:2
Dr. Charles L. Allen* explains how these words relate to the sheep and shepherd:
I thought about how the shepherd starts the sheep grazing about four o’clock in the morning. The sheep walk steadily to graze; they are never still. By ten o’clock, the sun is beaming down and the sheep are hot, tired, and thirsty. The wise shepherd knows that the sheep must not drink when it is hot, neither when its stomach is filled with undigested grass. So the shepherd makes the sheep lie down in green pastures.”
God’s Psychiatry, Healing for your Troubled Heart, p. 22-23
The shepherd is wise. He knows when the sheep need to rest.
There are times when God calls us to rest, too.
Five years ago, after I retired from my full-time job as a college professor and administrator, I sought out a number of volunteer opportunities to fill this new void in my life. I loved my job and had a difficult time adjusting. I was busy with a number of church projects, teaching part time, hosting meetings and feeding large groups of people.
Of course, as most of us know (even if we don’t accept it), filling a void in our lives with “busy work” doesn’t solve the problem. But I was in for a rude awakening to that fact. When leading, Peaches, my biggest horse, our dog spooked her and she ran over me. (Did I mention she is BIG?) As I lay on the ground looking at the sky, I was grateful to be conscious and breathing. I struggled to my feet, put her in the pasture and limped into the house. Within hours my leg swelled to more than twice its normal size. In my stubbornness, I tried to keep going–work through the pain. After cooking and hosting a meal for forty people two days later, being on my feet, and washing lots of dishes, I swallowed my pride and went to the emergency room. Turns out I had sustained a ruptured bursa in my knee and was on crutches for six weeks to allow healing.
God sometimes brings us to a resting place.
God made me rest. Lying on the sofa for weeks gave me ample opportunity to analyze my stubborn pride and contemplate that “busy-ness” is not always the cure for a yearning heart.
Dr. Allen has some wisdom on that issue, too:
Sometimes God puts us on our backs in order to give us a chance to look up: ‘He maketh me to lie down.’”
God’s Psychiatry: Healing for Your Troubled Heart, p. 23
The cure for a yearning heart lies in the hands of our Lord.
He leads me beside quiet waters.
Dr. Allen describes sheep as timid creatures and poor swimmers. Thus, they are frightened by moving waters. They fear being swept away. The shepherd does not mock their fears, but seeks still waters for his flock.
God does not mock our fears. He knows our limitations and weaknesses. He does not force us to go where we cannot safely go. God does not encourage “busy-ness” as a cure for insecurities or as an effort to please Him.
One of the finest ways to relieve a tension in your life is to picture still water clearly in your mind. Maybe a little lake nestling among some pine. Maybe a tiny, cool spring on some hillside. Maybe a calm sea with gentle, rippling waves. After the picture becomes clear, then start repeating and believing, ‘He leadeth me beside the still waters.'”
Dr. Charles L. Allen, p. 25
He restores my soul.
Sometimes even the most faithful of us slip away from God’s grace and love. David did after he became king. He got busy, felt his independence, and relished his power. He sinned against God and man and felt the burden of guilt. (2 Samuel, Chapters 11 and 12)
There are other things that pull us away from God. Tragedy, sorrow, and pain can turn us inward; we begin to doubt God’s love for us. Our faith is tested if we suffer from job loss, economic downturn, a troubled marriage, or loss of a loved one. We may feel that God ignored our prayers or didn’t care enough to answer.
Sometime the hardships of life squeeze the spirit out of us. We feel God has deserted us. Our lives are empty and hopeless.
But God…
The Bible tells that God made the first man ‘and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul’ (Gen 2:7). And God has the power and the willingness to breathe a new breath and life into one who has lost.”
Dr. Charles L. Allen, p. 27
Jesus is our shepherd
“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me–just as the Father knows me and I know the Father–and I lay down my life for the sheep.” John 10:14-15
Jesus grants us rest
“Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. Matthew 11:28-30
Our Lord restores our soul
Prayer: Father, there are times when we all feel lost and empty. Our faith wavers and we doubt your love for us, but You, God, are our salvation. Just as you breathed life into Adam, your Holy Spirit fills us now, and the Light and Love of Jesus our Savior never departs from us. Jesus is our shepherd–He loves us and protects us. Father, we pray that you will guide us to rest in the green pastures you choose for us, that you will lead us beside those still waters, and you will grant us restoration for our souls.
God is just a prayer away.
*Dr. Charles L. Allen. God’s Psychiatry: Healing for Your Troubled Heart. Revell, Grand Rapids, 2015 (originally published in 1953).
Previous blogs in this series:
“Amen” Ms. Katherine! If I said it once, I said it 20 times. Your post so resonates with me. I didn’t have a “Peaches moment”, but had heart surgery in 2017 in which God finally made me listen to Him and write the book and begin the ministry He was calling me to for two years. What happens when we get “too busy for God?” He un-busies us. What a good, good Shepherd indeed my friend. Loved your post. Thank you!
Heart surgery! Oh, my, my friend–God really did get you attention! That’s one of the many wonderful characteristics of our Father–He never gives up on us. I’m so thankful that you listened to His call to serve. Thanks so much for your prayers and encouragement.
What a wonderful lesson to remember. Once we let go of our attempts to fix ourselves we finally find out what we needed all along and that was to rest in Jesus and let Him do the fixing. I love the comparison of the sheep resting because we are like those dumb sheep and we need the Shepherd not our own wisdom. Thank you, Katherine!
I have to admit, Barbara, that sometimes I behave exactly like those dumb sheep. Even worse, I know better! The sheep are at least smart enough to follow and obey their shepherd. And me? Well, I expect if we’re honest, we can all remember a time we went off in our own direction (without our Shepherd) and got lost. Wishing you a blessed week!
Katherine, you have such an amazing way with words as you weave biblical truth into your writing. I was looking forward to your second post on Psalm 23 and enjoyed it so much. Your photos and your descriptions teach us well. Thank you.
Thank you, Jeannie. We both know that when we write a message, we’re apprehensive about getting across the message that we feel God wants us to share. You seem to do it so easily and I struggle and agonize over every sentence. I expect; however, that you spend some anxious moments over your keyboard as well. I’m so grateful for your encouragement and wish you continued blessings in your ministry of hope.
Katherine, I felt restored just reading your words. I like the way you integrate Dr. Allen’s words, along with your personal experience, with the scripture. Powerful evidence.
Aren’t we blessed that God’s Word restores our souls? Psalm 23 and many other reassurances in God’s Word confirm His trustworthiness, steadfastness, and great love for us. It’s “Blessed Assurance.” Wishing you a wonderful week, my friend.
Thank you Katherine. We often hear and read Psalm 23 at funerals and see it as a Psalm of comfort for the dying or bereaved, but it is so much a Psalm of life. Thank you for sharing so many life gifts our Shepherd gives us in this post. Looking forward to the next installment..
Thank you, Marilyn. Like you, I had associated Psalm 23 more often with funerals. It was my grandmother’s favorite and my mother’s as well. But after I began to read the psalm several times a day as part of my healing process, I recognized (as you point out), that Psalm 23 is a psalm to guide our daily lives, too. We are so blessed to have these nourishing words of scripture to provide daily food for our souls.
Such great truth and encouragement in this post. Psalm 23 is one of those fountains that keeps giving! There is always more. I loved the part about still waters. “He doesn’t mock their fears.” This was a balm to my heart.
Me, too, Sylvia. We’re often taught to push through our fears or pretend they don’t exist. But we have a Savior, a Shepherd, and a loving God that is with us through all our trials. You said it perfectly, our trust in our Lord gifts us with a “balm for our hearts.”
I have been there too–where I felt that God had given me time and space to just rest–and where I didn’t have a choice about it. Wonderful accounting here of God’s care for us.
I’ve found that it is hard to find the right balance between our career, family, and service responsibilities and self-care. With all the goals and tasks we need/want to accomplish, it is a challenge for us to find “me time.” And we all desperately need that alone time for our time with God and our time to “refresh our souls.” Thank you for you feedback and encouragement, Nancy.
This subject is dear to my heart. I love what you share here. The Shepherd knows our need better than we do. So now to respond to the Shepherd’s voice to find rest in Him.
That’s the key point, Jeanne. Thank you for getting right to the heart of it. Listen and respond to the Shepherd’s voice. Sounds so simple, but yet we struggle sometimes. Thank you for sharing your insight.
Peaches wasn’t a very good horse that day! But I guess it was part of God’s plan for you to rest. Your post has given me some new and interesting information about sheep and reminded me of what a wonderful Shepherd we have who gives us rest and restores our souls. Thank you, Katherine!
No, she wasn’t very good that day, but usually she is very well behaved. Sort of like us, I guess, we have those days where we just aren’t quite as nice as we need to be! Kathy, I agree with you, that God uses whatever means necessary to get our attention. Perhaps I didn’t listen the first dozen or more times he sought my attention. I’m thankful that we get multiple chances!