Rest for the Sheep

“He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul.” Psalm 23:2-3

January 27, 2023

Rest Stops on interstate highways are a welcome sight for weary travelers. Sheep need rest. The shepherd leads the sheep to meadows and waters to provide them with rest in the heat of the day. Sheep do not lie down easily. Fears, hunger, flock disturbances, insects can be rest inhibitors to sheep. The Lord provides us who are His sheep with the nourishment of His Word (1 Pet. 2:2). “Blessed is he who hungers and thirsts after righteousness for he shall be filled.” God gives us rest so we can get up and move and be useful. Are you finding the needed strength to serve Christ according to the opportunities God gives? Rest is a soul-restoring blessing. David found strength in the exhausting challenges of avoiding Saul’s attempts on his life. It was a timely visit from his friend Jonathan that “strengthened his hand in God” (1 Sam. 23:16). God often works through fellow believers to restore our souls. Oh to be an instrument in God’s hands to revive the sorrowful or to give a helping hand to a repentant believer. Jesus made it possible for Peter to get up on his spiritual feet and get going again after he had denied the Savior (Matt. 26:72; Jn. 21:15-17). We are revived as the Lord, our Shepherd, guides us into and through the rest He gives by His instruction and comforting presence.
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