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1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

2 He makes me lie down in green pastures;

he leads me beside still waters;

3 he restores my soul.

He leads me in right paths

for his name’s sake.

4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley,

I fear no evil,

for you are with me;

your rod and your staff,

they comfort me.

5 You prepare a table before me

in the presence of my enemies;

you anoint my head with oil;

my cup overflows.

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me

all the days of my life,

and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord

my whole life long.

 

Most of us are pretty good at staying busy. There is always another email to answer, another appointment to make, another project around the house, another practice to attend, or another item waiting on the to-do list. Yet Psalm 23 gives us a very different picture of the good life. The Good Shepherd leads the sheep beside still waters. He restores their souls.

Throughout our Seventh Day sermon series, Pastor Bev and I have been exploring God's gift of rest. Biblical rest isn't laziness, and it isn't simply doing nothing. Rest is an act of trust. When we stop, we acknowledge that the world continues without our constant effort. We remember that God is God and we are not. Perhaps that is why the Shepherd sometimes needs to make us lie down. Left to ourselves, we can convince ourselves that everything depends upon us. Sabbath reminds us that it doesn't.

Where might God be leading you toward green pastures or still waters? Maybe it means putting the phone down, leaving some work unfinished, taking a walk, or sitting quietly with someone you love. Jesus doesn't only care about what you accomplish. The Shepherd cares about your soul. And sometimes one of the most faithful things we can do is stop long enough to let God restore it.

Let us pray: Good Shepherd, we confess that we often hurry past the green pastures and still waters you place before us. Teach us to trust you enough to stop. Quiet the voices that tell us everything depends upon us. Lead us into your gift of Sabbath, restore what has become weary within us, and help us live each day knowing that you are our Shepherd and we have all that we truly need. Amen.

 

Pastor Steve Cauley

pastorsteve@livinglord.org