SCRIPTURE:
“He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He refreshes my soul.”
Psalms 23:2–3
OBSERVATION:
From this iconic verse comes a familiar word that I’ve somehow missed until now, refresh. David doesn’t say God simply gives instructions or stands at a distance. He makes me lie down. He leads me. He refreshes me. There is intentional care here. A shepherd knows when his sheep are exhausted, anxious, or wandering. Sheep won’t lie down unless they feel safe. They won’t drink unless their lead to the water. The Shepherd provides both the environment and the restoration, the refreshing.
Refresh isn’t passive. It’s purposeful. As we talked about with the brothers this past Tuesday, it’s intentional. It implies that something is drained and needs renewal, recalibration, restoration.
APPLICATION:
When my computer gets bogged down and starts running slow, I refresh it. Same with my other electrical devices. Sometimes I close applications. Sometimes I reboot. Sometimes it needs a full system update. The same has to be true for my life.
When I’m been bogged down, anxious, emotionally stretched, spiritually tired, I need to recognize the signs for a refreshing. Simply resting won’t help. I need to look to the Shepherd who is faithful to lay me down in green pastures, lead me to still waters and refreshes my soul. I’ve tried refreshing myself on my own, but those actions only offer temporary relief. I’m not in need of relief, I’m in need of a refresh.
Only the Shepherd can truly refresh my soul.
True refreshment isn’t escape. It’s surrender (there’s that word again!). It’s allowing myself to be led and admitting I can’t sustain myself on skill, performance, or people-pleasing. It’s recognizing that I don’t even know when I need to lie down, but my Shepherd does. Sometimes He makes me rest because I wouldn’t choose it on my own. If I’m running slow, maybe it’s not because I need to try harder. Maybe it’s because I need to follow closer.
PRAYER:
Jesus, You are my Shepherd. You leave me without want. You see when I’m empty before I even recognize it myself. Refresh my mind, my heart, and my soul. Close the tabs that shouldn’t be open in my life. Shut down the striving. Update what is outdated in me. Reset what has become corrupted. Amen
