The Lord is my shepherd,
I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside quiet waters.
He restores my soul;
He guides me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I fear no evil, for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You have anointed my head with oil;
My cup overflows.
Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life,
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Yesterday the Lord gave me new courage by perfectly weaving together some important, complex threads I had committed into His hand some time ago. Today I began the day almost giddy with revived hope and faith about other vital threads that are still waiting to be attended to. It turns out giddiness isn't a very productive feeling. It's more the mood you want when you're heading off on vacation, not the one you need when you have serious plodding to do. Before long, my perspective had become virtually as flat and grey as today's November skies. I'm tired of digging and re-digging in what seems to be the same spot, Lord.
I drew aside to meet with the Lord, and soon Psalm 23 came to my mind. Then it hit me. The 23rd Psalm is the world's most known and beloved psalm because God wanted us all to know it. He planted seeds in it. It's not "He lets me lie down in green pastures," it's "He makes me lie down in green pastures," because not only is He the Shepherd, He is the green pasture. We need to almost literally fall down upon Him, regularly, learning to rest in Him and feed upon Him. We have to stop long enough and often enough to deeply feed and drink spiritually. This is how He restores and comforts us. This is how He reveals His will to us. This is how He shapes us into His righteous image. This is how He honors us. This is how He teaches us not to fear.
P.S. One of the ways I keep Psalm 23 firmly tucked away in my mind is by singing it. Here's a lovely choral version by the Highland Harmony Singers.