Read Psalm 23
1 The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
3 he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
for his name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk
through the darkest valley,[a]
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6 Surely your goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.
As a person who loves the outdoors, there is nothing like hiking to a remote location away from any noise of traffic, drone of machines, beeping gadgets, banging construction, roaring lawn mowers, empty voices on TV or radio, and just laying down on soft grass or cool sand and feeling the warmth of the sun against your skin, a gentle breeze on your face, the sound of water flowing over rocks in a stream or small waves washing the shore, and the calls of the various birds and scurrying of wildlife. A peace and calm that removes you from the hectic hustle and bustle of life; demands of work and family, the household chores, assignments and deadlines, conflicts, disappointments, anger or feelings of futility or loss.
Psalm 23 describes God calling YOU to this place; peace, comfort, security and hope that can be found in Him. When we come to him and rely on him and spend intimate time with Him, we can feel safe, despite the hard things we face in life. Like a child cuddled by their mother, kept warm by her warmth and secure in her arms, they can sleep soundly regardless of what is going on around them.
Jesus said to his disciples in Mark 6:31. “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”
By Andrew Griffiths (Gospel Community Vision Coordinator)
Reflection Questions:
- What is making your life busy, hard or sad?
- When your life is busy, hard, painful or full of stress, where do you go to find peace?
- How often do you go somewhere quiet, just to be with God?
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