He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Psalm 23:2-3
Did you enjoy taking a nap as a child? As a girl growing up in a small Middle Eastern town, the afternoon naps were very much part of my culture. In midday, people would go home to have lunch and take a little nap. During summers when we were with my grandparents, the same order still existed. However, the older kids (the teenagers) were not required to take a nap. They had the option to go out and play while everyone else was taking a nap.
As a 4 or 5-year-old taking a nap was not a problem especially if I could lie down right next to my Mom and play with her hair. However, when I was around 9 or 10 years old, napping looked like a punishment to my cousins and me. In our minds, only little people were required to take naps. The fact that we wondered what the older kids were doing wasn’t helpful either. When we put our heads down to nap, we hoped that it would be a short one, so as not to miss out on too much fun! If/when we managed to take a nap, we always felt refreshed and rejuvenated. Then we would rush down the stairs to find out what we missed while we were asleep. Most of the time, to our relief nothing had changed from the earlier hour!
Similarly, we wrestle to find rest for our souls. It’s interesting that the scripture tells us “He makes me to lie down in green pastures.” Sheep are fearful animals, so it is difficult for them to relax. The shepherd’s presence can help them to feel more secure. In the same way, when we know our shepherd is close to us, we can rest in His presence and enjoy what He has blessed us with for that day.
Jesus is our Great Shepherd, and He has good things to share with us who follow Him. It is His desire to restore and refresh our souls. We will not miss anything by resting; rather, we will gain fresh perspective and strength.The Lord knows that when our souls are restored, we can handle life and circumstances better. We can see things clearly and feel the strength of God.
Lord, thank you for the provision of restoring our souls. We don’t want to resist resting today. Help us to appreciate it and allow you to refresh and restore our burdened and restless souls.