Stress is robbing us of our rest and the lack of rest is increasing our stress and we are caught in this vicious cycle of physical, emotional and spiritual fatigue that never seems to end. But the good news is, the Lord is your shepherd, and He promises to give you rest. Close your eyes and get that imagery in your mind. You are a sheep. You have been walking all day. You are tired, thirsty and hungry. All of a sudden, you are lying in thick green grass, under the shade of a tree, beside the still waters of a stream that is flowing right beside you, resting easy. No matter where you are, and no matter what you are going through, that green grass, those still waters are right in front of you. You can enjoy them every day and rest easy. In the beautiful stanza of this beautiful psalm, we are told that if we follow the shepherd, we will find the rest we are looking for in these green pastures and still waters.
Topics: Stress, Rest in Jesus
God knew about the benefits of music to help us deal with stress, to be healthier, happier and even holier, which may explain why the largest and longest book in the Bible is a book of songs. They are called psalms, and we are going to dive deep into these psalms as we are currently walking through some of the deepest, darkest, national stress of our lifetimes. Over the next several weeks, we are going to listen to a song that God gave to a shepherd named, David., which I believe could be called “God’s greatest hit.” It is the 23rd Psalm, and it is probably the best-known chapter in the entire Bible. Of the 150 psalms in this collection, the 23rd Psalm is the most popular and best known. It is only 118 words in English, but it is probably the most familiar 118 words in the hundreds of thousands of words that are found in the Bible. I can tell you as I’ve gone back and read this psalm over and over and over, it does make you feel good. It does lower your stress level. You realize there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and these important truths do bring the sunshine from out behind the clouds.
