Rest with the Shepherd

Prayer: Awesome God, may Your name be exalted in my heart and on my lips today. May Your love pour through me onto others, that the world may know You are God. Use this time in study and prayer to correct my thinking, align my will with Yours, and bring glory to Your name. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

Read: Psalm 23:1-6
http://www.esvbible.org/Psalm 23:1-6

Think about It: One of the most oft read passages of the Bible is Psalm 23. Even those who don’t really walk in the Christian faith have probably heard it somewhere in their lives. There is a reason this short 6 verse Psalm is a favorite – it is perfect in its composition, its imagery, and its message. Many of those reading this devotional probably didn’t even have to go and look up the reading for today as you already have it deeply embedded in your memory!     It is a gift to be immediately soaked in the Scripture when the words of this psalm pour through a troubled mind.

While entire books have been written about these six verses we will settle today on examining the place of rest for the weary in the message of this Psalm. No aspect of our lives is left untouched in terms of resting in the Lord in these words.
  • The psalm begins and ends with spiritual restfulness. With the Lord as my protector and provider, dwelling with Him I can relax and worry over nothing. (vs. 1 & 6)
  • The Shepherd provides physical restfulness; a place to rest, food to eat, water to drink. (vs. 2)
  • The Shepherd gives intellectual restfulness. If I follow Him, He will lead me on the correct path. I need never wonder which is the right way to go, for He is always there leading me along the way. (vs. 3)
  • Emotional restfulness is mine as the Shepherd calms all my fears. He provides comfort and strength when I am in emotional pain. (vs. 4)
  • The Shepherd even provides social restfulness as I interact with others (even my enemies) in peace and assurance that He is there within those relationships. (vs. 5)
     What more could we need? Sheep are interesting creatures. They are not very bright (as farm animals go), they tend to wander off, they are easily     frightened and when they get lost or into trouble, they cannot save themselves. Of course we can honestly say that all of those characteristics can apply to us at different times as well. Knowing this about us, God sent the perfect Shepherd to care for His flock. While the sheep display the less than desirable characteristics above, the Shepherd is strong, capable, loving, gentle, kind, and will sacrifice all for His sheep. No wonder we love this Psalm!

Prayer: “To You, O Lord, I call; my Rock. Hear the voice of my pleas for    mercy, when I cry to You for help, when I lift up my hands toward Your most holy sanctuary. Blessed be the Lord! For He has heard the voice of my pleas for mercy. The Lord is my strength and my shield; in Him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to Him. The Lord is the strength of His people; He is the saving refuge of His anointed. Oh, save Your people and bless Your heritage! Be our Shepherd and carry us forever. [Psalm 28 selected verse]

My thanks to Marva Dawn for the ideas about restfulness in Psalm 23.

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