Beside still waters

The Lord is my shepherd,
I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me besides still waters.
He restores my soul;
He guides me in the paths of righteousness
For His name's sake.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of  death,
I fear no evil;  for Thou art with me;
Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me.
Thou dost prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
Thou has anointed my head with oil;
My cup overflows.

Surely goodness and mercy will follow me
all the days of my life,
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Psalms 23

You just read it, now read it again slowly, savoring each word.  Stop,  reflect and  
meditate upon the words that jump out at you today. Breathe the words in.  Reread it.


What beautiful words. They are His words, words meant to strengthen and comfort, words meant to be our daily bread, our sustenance.   Just as a physical body cannot live long without nourishment, a soul cannot live long without nourishment either.  We need the daily nourishment of God’s word, which is living and active (Hebrews 4:12) and able to perform its work within you. (I Thessalonians 2:13)


 Please forgive my getting personal with you here, but are you being nourished in God’s word?  Are you  savoring His words, today and every day?


I ask this because I am beginning to prepare for a talk on Living Victoriously in Christ, and what I keep coming back to, is the Word of God.  It is the  key, it is vital , it is what grows or nourishes our faith.  And it is our faith that gives us the victory to overcome this world and the trials life brings as we journey here.  (1 John 5:4)


 I observed a mamma bird recently.  She was very busy.  She went and got the food
for her young, chewed it for them, then regurgitated it out for them to eat.  Are we like those baby birds, who expect the preacher or the teacher to gather the word, chew it for us, then spit it out to us in the sermon or the lesson?  If we are, will we ever fly?  Will we ever live victoriously in spite of our trials?  Or will be always be dependent upon someone else for our spiritual nourishment and therefore flounder about spiritually.


 I have a passion for you young moms out there.  You too, like the mama bird, are busy  tending your nest. Their needs come before your own.  Just like the mamma bird, you prepare their food first, feed them first, before you ever think to sit down and feed yourself.  And you get worn out.  I read a post on social media just yesterday from a young mom wishing for life to slow down.  I wish I could tell you it will, very soon, but the truth is, while they are in your nest, under your care, it won’t slow down, not for a while. Not until you bid them farewell , and send them out into the world.  

I also have a passion for all you women out there, those who tend to the needs of others, aging parents, ill spouses.  And for those who labor in the world of work and find themselves often in the lion’s den, and are exhausted by the demands on your time and energy, physically and spiritually.

You young moms, I know, it’s never really ‘still’ , except in the early early morning or late at night, both times when sleep is what you need and crave.  You caregivers, planning is not something you can do anymore, you are under the influence of a disease in a loved one, and the disease often dictates your day and minutes.  You that labor in the world of work, at home or in the world, your day goes by in a flash, and you wonder how you made it through.  Quiet and stillness are elusive.  
 
I know, because, I have been where you are, I have been a young mom, a caregiver to a sick parent, and in the throws of a job that demanded so much of my energy. (Thankfully not all at the same time!)  I didn’t always find the still waters, mostly because I did not make it a priority.  But I will tell you this, from experience, when I did find the still waters, and let the word of God refresh me,  I felt at peace, no matter what the chaos around me. 

 
So to all you women I say,


                                                Make it a priority in your life every day
                                      Find the still waters, and let Him restore you soul.
                                     Let the words of life,  the word of God nourish you.



The noise of this world will always crowd out the stillness of God.  That is why you have to search for it, you have to find it.  Make a time each day and turn off the devices, stop and reflect upon and breathe in His word. It is the ONLY thing that will refresh you.  Steal
moments each day just for yourself, and make those moments about basking in His love for you, and His desire to lead and nourish you.
                             
I pray you will diligently seek the still waters today and every day. I pray you will be refreshed by the word of God, and that you realize just how much your cup overflows. 

 And if you glance behind you, you just might see mercy and goodness following you ;)