Rest, relax, and trust God

Good morning everyone,Our theme for this month: “Selfcare”

Our Bible verse for today: “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul.” Psalm 23:1-3 (NIV)

Our thought for today: “Rest, relax, and trust God”

I love the way King David began Psalm 23 – with words of rest and restoration. God is his shepherd and the first thing David tells us about his shepherd is that the shepherd leads him to rest. It’s a tranquil picture of calmness and serenity.

But the point David makes first, and as a prelude to the part about resting, is that God as the shepherd is also the provider, therefore, “I shall not be in want” and therefore “I can simply lie down in green pastures and rest beside quiet waters as my soul is restored. In other words, “God has this.” And since He does, David can slow down and he can even stop for a while.

Interestingly, in the Bible Jesus is never depicted as being in a hurry. Also, there are no instances of Him urging His disciples or us to be in a hurry either. Instead, as Psalm 23 so beautifully depicts, we are to follow Him, at His pace, and trust that when we are resting, He is still protecting and providing.

But this is a tough concept for many of us to believe and embrace. We believe we have so much to do that we can’t stop nor can we even slow down. Instead, we have to rush to get this thing done so we can then rush to get the next thing done. As author and pastor John Ortberg playfully wrote, many of us act as if the Psalm says, “The Lord is my shepherd, therefore I gotta run faster.” But good shepherds don’t run. They walk and they lead their sheep at a relaxed pace. That’s what Jesus does with us and it’s what David was depicting in the beginning verses of Psalm 23.

We need to slow down. We live life at a frantic pace that isn’t good for us (or for those around us). Instead, we need to be intentional about choosing a simpler, slower, unhurried life that nourishes our soul rather than drains it, and which allows us to fully focus on the things in life that truly matter most.

In the days to come, I will share with you some of the very wise insights contained in John Mark Comer’s excellent book, “The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry.” For now, as written by John Ortberg in the introduction to that book, “Take a deep breath. Put your cell phone away. Let your heart slow down. Let God take care of the world.”

God bless,
Pastor Jim

(If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00 – in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

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