“All true rest begins with Jesus, as all the comfort of the sheep is provided for by their shepherd.”True rest, how lovely that sounds! We’re not gonna find that anywhere else, but in following Jesus and trusting him to be the shepherd that will lead us to where we need to be. We won't find rest along the paths we forcefully forge for ourselves; those just lead to exhaustion and dissatisfaction. This year I'm wanting to learn more and more about what it looks like to follow Jesus' voice closely and to walk in step with the Spirit.
“I shall not want”This is the exact opposite of the consumerism that the world throws at us daily. It tells us that we do want, that we need to want, that we want more. But I so want (lol excuse the irony) to be able to say like Paul that I am content no matter the circumstances, all because I have Jesus and he is always more than enough.
“He restores my soul”There are days where my soul feels so exhausted and worn out, and days when I’ve messed up that it feels so broken. The Tenth Avenue North song covers this so well:
I'm tired, I'm worn
My heart is heavy
From the work it takes
To keep on breathing
I've made mistakes
I've let my hope fail
My soul feels crushed
By the weight of this world
Life can be hard and tiring and soul draining. But my beautiful Jesus restores my soul. As the song goes on to say, we will see redemption win and our God can and will mend a heart that's frail and torn, He, and only he, can make me whole again (unlike what that classic Atomic Kittens' song says).
“Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death”It’s interesting how it’s ‘walk’. I know when I’m out in the dark and feeling unsafe, I want to run and flee. But this speaks of a calmness and an unnatural peace when walking through danger. That’s what happens when we walk with Jesus. Even in the midst of the storm, we can rest in him, because he is with us and will comfort us.
“You prepare a table for me in the presence of my enemies”This is also something that doesn’t quite make sense -- if there are enemies around, it means there is likely a battle raging, and that’s not the time to be holding a banquet. But with God, we can trust that he will win the war, so we can partake of his table, we can sit down and rest and watch as he claims the victory.
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