In The Wondering, He Beckons Me | Psalm 23
In the wondering, he beckons me.
Psalm 23.
More times than not, I find myself lost; Searching for rest, joy, hope, peace, and fulfillment in places other than Jesus. I run to coffee when I am feeling tired and low. I run to Netflix and shopping when I am bored. I run to friends when I want to feel seen, loved, and validated. I run to driving when I am feeling overwhelmed or sped up, and I run to food when I want to feel comforted. But where is Jesus?
When I took the other week off of work to travel for vacation, I didn’t know what to expect. I most definitely did not know that trip would be canceled and instead, I would be taking that time off to rest. Except I did not know what true rest looked like. I thought the ultimate definition of rest was sitting beachside with a cool drink in hand and a good book to read. And sure, that can be a form of rest, but true lasting rest can only be found in Jesus. And I learned that when He beckoned me that week and as He continues to beckon me daily.
Today I want to talk about Psalm 23. Psalm 23 is an amazing place to start when better trying to understand God’s design for rest. Please take a moment to read it before continuing.
The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want.
How amazing is it that David knew the role the Lord played in His life? Just as David was a shepherd over his sheep, he saw the Lord as his shepherd and we can too!
A shepherd leads, guides, cares for, and watches over his sheep. He takes ownership of them and makes sure they have everything they need when they need it. It is such a beautiful picture when you see yourself as one of God’s beloved sheep.
Here are other places in the Bible where we see God as the shepherd and us as the sheep.
Isaiah 40:10-11
Mark 6:34
Revelation 7:17
Psalm 100:3
Psalm 79:13
He makes me, He leads me, He restores me.
He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.[a]
He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness[b]
for his name's sake.
Here, David is describing God’s character while showing us how we are given rest. God is a leader. He leads us beside still waters and he leads us in the paths of righteousness. He is a restorer. He restores our souls. We can come to Him for rest and trust that He will lead and guide us; Not because of anything we have ever done; Not because we have checked something off a list but simply for his name’s sake.
This rest and restoration of our soul is a gift.
I will fear no evil!!! Saying not today to anxiety.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,[c]
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
I love these verses because to me they symbolize that David had fears, worries, and anxieties but that he was comforting his soul by putting his hope in Jesus. We can do the same. Fears, worries, and anxieties are going to arise. Jesus said in this world we will have trouble so we can count on it. But we get to cling to Jesus and experience the peace found in that relationship. We do not have to fear! We are led by a good shepherd, by a good father.
My Cup Overflows!
You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
How awesome is it that God prepares such a table for us! I have mentioned this previously, but Jesus says that in this world we will have trouble. As a follower of Christ, we will have enemies as the Lord himself had enemies, but God takes his time to carefully prepare a table for us so that we may sit and commune with him. It is in that communing that we are filled up and our cup overflows!
Surely goodness and mercy
Surely[d] goodness and mercy[e] shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell[f] in the house of the Lord
forever.[g]
Surely. Surely goodness and mercy will follow us all the days of our lives!
“Goodness and mercy follow him always—all the days of his life —the black days as well as the bright days, the days of fasting as well as the days of feasting, the dreary days of winter as well as the bright days of summer.” - Spurgeon
This should cause us to rejoice and want to spend the rest of our days (dwell) in the house of the Lord forever.
Encouragement
I do not know about you but I feel full after reading this sweet Psalm. I hope you leave today knowing that true rest is found in God and that you can come to him confidently in need without fear, knowing your needs will be met.
