Do you ever feel like your life is a non-stop sprint and stress is your constant companion? Many people do these days (especially this time of year!), maybe even most people. Books about and strategies to manage stress abound, so why are we still so stressed out? Maybe we haven’t looked for solutions where God wants us to look … in His Word. Specifically, in the 23rd Psalm. You may know it. The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want ….
Dr. Jack Graham in his book, Breaking Free from Stress, suggests the 23rd Psalm is a perfect solution. Psalm 23:2-3: He makes me lie down in green pastures: He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul: he leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. These verses of Psalm 23 describe a place of rest, refreshment, and restoration. Sounds pretty good, huh?! What’s interesting about Psalm 23:2 is that David, the author of Psalm 23, says, “He makes me lie down in green pastures ….” Not He suggests. Not He invites. But He makes. Stopping to rest and refresh isn’t something many of us are good at. We’re so afraid of falling behind that we often blow through warning signals that it’s time to find a green pasture, don’t we? God will often start with subtle warning signs that it’s time to slow down…unchecked anxiety, heart palpitations, digestive disturbances, headaches, other aches and pains, insomnia. If we ignore those, God can put us flat on our backs to make us rest and listen to what He’s trying to tell us. I’m sure you can relate. Let’s become better listeners and pasture seekers.
The second part of Psalm 23:2 is “He leads me beside the still waters.” Could you use a refreshing drink right now? Does it feel like your life’s stream is rushing by so fast and with so much turbulence that you can’t find any “still waters”? God knew we would be difficult cases, so He gave us a commandment to honor the Sabbath rest. We have six days to work, but the seventh day is God’s intended rest and refresh day. It’s the day He wants us to drink His Living Water by focusing on our relationship with Him. When we actually honor that commandment, we come away encouraged and restored – mind, body, and spirit. We also learn that thirsting after temporal happiness will never satisfy our souls like thirsting after righteousness can (Psalm 23:3). When we seek God’s abundance instead of earthly abundance, we are truly fulfilled and parched no more.
