Shepherd of Her Soul: A 7-Day Plan From Psalm 23Sample

Your Shepherd Gives You What You Need

I’ve lived through seasons when everything has been rush-rush, hurry-hurry, stress-stress, until my soul has felt parched. Have you ever felt that way?

The second part of Psalm 23:2 NIV says, "He leads me beside quiet waters." This gives us a beautiful metaphor about what sheep need to quench their thirst.

A modern-day sheep rancher says, “Sheep prefer to drink still water as opposed to water from a moving stream.” Sheep need water that’s quiet in order to be able to quench their thirst. They don’t want to drink from raging rivers or stand on shores with crashing waves.

We also need still places to be refreshed. Our schedules may feel like a tsunami is coming toward us, yet our Shepherd says that he has quiet waters for us to drink from instead. It seems it’s easier for humans and sheep to receive what they need when there’s not a rush.

We may think our souls have to settle for a quick sip, that God’s priority is for us to cover as much ground as we can in as little time as we can. But his true invitation is for us to slow down, drink deep, and take all the time we need.

This is the miracle and mystery: Jesus leads his sheep not to an external source to satisfy their thirst, but to himself. He says, "Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink" (John 7:37 NIV).

We live in a world where we so often hear, “Go faster, do more, get to the finish line.” What a relief to know we serve a God who instead simply says, “Anytime you’re thirsty, anytime you need to receive, slow down and come to me.”

Good Shepherd, you are the one who leads me with love and provides everything I need. Amen.

What is your soul thirsty for right now?