The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.
He restores my soul.
The Lord is my shepherd, therefore I have everything that I could ever need. I lack nothing. There is not one thing I think I need that he has not already thought of! I do not have to try harder to meet my own needs if I am trusting my Shepherd. He is my enough. I do not have to be enough for everyone.everytime.everywhere. He is filled with more-than-enoughness. It’s who He is.
My Shepherd takes pleasure in giving me rest. He leads me to lush meadows of the soul. He refreshes me beside peaceful streams of the spirit. He knows my frailty and provides the perfect rest. Sometimes He knows the way better than I do (usually. always). I might as well stop resisting because He has already made the way of rest. He provides for it. I complicate the idea—no need to make rest something it is not—-simply be.
He renews my strength, and oh, how I long to be renewed. I need new strength, that His would become my own. The journey feels long at times, but the Shepherd supplies my strength. How often I try to muster enough of my own, digging deep into my own supply, and end up tapping out. But the Lord renews my supply.
I can return to him to renew my supply by submitting to His rest. There is no need to carve out my own path because he will always lead me along the best one. Even when the path goes along the deepest valley floor, when threats loom in dark places, he will be with me, beside me. No need to fear!
My Shepherd never packs fear in his satchel. Fear is not his way. The way of my Shepherd is filled with goodness and unfailing love. I am so confident in my Savior’s love that he pauses on the journey to set up a feast before me! Even when my enemies surround me—their voices echo in the night—he stills my trembling heart. He lays out a banquet in my honor and anoints me with healing oil. Then he lavishes me with gifts of grace.
His goodness never ends! He keeps refilling my cup so that I never run dry. I want to spend every day basking in his love light, bathing in His presence. Rest is the place where his love pursues me, his mercy finds me, and his grace restores me. Rest is where I find Him.
Restore
Read the verse of the day: PSALM 23:3
Look up today’s verse and read it in context of the chapter. Have a pen and paper ready. We will work through five steps.
- Write down the Bible verse.
- Find the key word and circle it.
- Look up the definition of the word (notice how it is used in context).
- If you are reading from a different translation of the Bible, which word is used instead?
- Underline where you find a promise. Find the heart of this verse and mark it with a heart shape.
(Click here for How to Use a Word Study.)
Meditation
What does this verse reveal about God’s heart? How does this truth refresh your soul? Turn this into your prayer today.
Please leave a comment below to share something that touched you in today’s devotional.
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