Psalm 23 - "The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever."
I got upset when I read this. Don't worry, it wasn't the whole chapter; it was only five words. "He makes me lie down." Might I rephrase this? "He forces me to be still."
As lazy as I am, I realize that I'm not very good at just "being." I relish efficiency, and most times being still is just not something that I do. On the flip side, I see the need to realize that God's power enables me to find comfort in "being." In my state of abiding in Him, I can finally see myself and see something. No longer is my reflection an image of decay in the absence of good - a lack of beauty, faith, hope, and love. But instead, there's a person who's cherished, held, cared for, loved, understood, and ultimately His. It's a relief to not have to see the lack of what could be, but conversely be able to see what's already there - what is being.
And with that, I have to be thankful that He would force me to be still to understand the sovereignty of His plan of having me "abide" in Him - to understand that He is not a part of me, but that I am a part of Him, and apart from Him, I can do nothing.
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