He will give you rest.
There is nothing more exhausting than an emotional day. It seems as though emotions can drain the energy right out of your body, more so than hard work will. Where physical work will make you weary and tired, emotions will wring you out until you are limp and don’t have the energy to stand up straight. I wonder why that is? It almost seems as though work will make your muscles and joints tired, emotions make those tired, but almost every molecule in your body seems to be drained of energy also. I believe that is the kind of weariness that the 23rd Psalm is talking about. David says that he knows the Lord is his shepherd, and like a good shepherd’s sheep, he will have no want of nourishment. The Shepherd makes him lie down in a green pasture, beside the still water. Picture this in your mind; you have no want, you are lying on a beautiful piece of grass and what you see is still water. Just lying in a place like that will restore your soul, because the Shepherd knows what is needed. Because David trusted the Shepherd he did not fear wherever the Shepherd would lead him, whether it was in a calm green pastures or the valley of the shadow of death. David felt no evil would befall him, he felt safe and secure, because he knew the Shepherd would protect him. David knew he was truly blessed and by following the Shepherd, he would know goodness and mercy for all the days of his life, and then dwell in the house of the Lord forever. When you stop and consider the 23rd Psalm line by line you understand that David had great peace within him. In many other places in the Bible the Lord has promised that if we call on him, trust in him, and wait on him, he will give us rest. This rest is not just a superficial rest, but a soul restoring rest which we all need.
Today was an emotionally draining day, as days are when you deal with the death of a loved one. But it was also a day of hope and promise because this was not a final goodbye but a temporary parting until we meet again. Remember the last line of the 23rd Psalm is: Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever. The promise of forever is given to all who call upon the name of the Lord and are saved, and then guaranteed eternal life. So our souls can find rest in the knowledge, that we will meet our loved one again in heaven someday.
The Bible tells us that God will make all things beautiful in His time, and He can make good things come out of tragedy. I believe that’s why David was led to a calm still body of water and made lay down in a green pasture. God speaks to us in a still small voice, and to hear we must be still. I am sure people today would be physically refreshed by lying down and being quiet. But their soul would find rest and restoration by listening to God’s still small voice with instructions of how he wants to give us rest. We are told to wait upon the Lord, that means don’t be impatient, and don’t expect the answer the minute you ask a question. God, being the good Shepherd, knows what we need, in the Bible verse it says, that he maketh me to lie down, because sometimes we never know when to stop. But when he says stop and rest, and trust me, that is exactly what we need to do. If we listen, our strength both physically and spiritually, will be renewed.
As parents we often have to tell our children to rest, take a nap, have a quiet time. It is because we know what they need in order for the young bodies to recuperate from a day’s hard play, or school. As we want our children to listen to us in this regard, we also need to listen to our heavenly father, and rest in his care in order to recuperate both body and soul.
We as authors, often have our heroes and heroines working so hard they rarely have time to stop to rest. I’m sure this scenario is drawn from our own hectic life, and we need to take a lesson from our writings, and give ourselves time to rest. One of the best ways to restore yourself is by reading the Word of God. Something to think about!
The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.
Zephaniah 3:17
Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
Matthew 11:28-30
And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.
Exodus 33:14
It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep.
Psalms 127:2
For I have satiated the weary soul, and I have replenished every sorrowful soul.
Jeremiah 31:25
I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety.
Psalms 4:8
But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
Isaiah 40:31