“Refresh My Soul”

refresh my soul
 
 
by Dona Hake
 
 
 
  Today I will be sharing from Psalm 23:2 (AMP) “He makes me lie down in [fresh, tender] green pastures; He leads me beside the still and restful waters.”
 

This Psalm is probably one of the most favorite and most memorized over the years. The other day I was reading it, and my heart has returned to share with you what the Lord has impressed upon my heart. I would dare to say that anyone would love to say that their heart and mind is surrounded and totally permeated with God’s peace and rest. Along with a heart and mind at rest, I believe He desires that we be good stewards of our bodies in the area of rest that we experience good health.

I love when people share what they have learned from the Lord through their experiences. It is so valuable when we can share the wisdom we attain with one another. Today I will share with you what the Lord recently spoke to my heart relative to leading me through a sickness I am recovering from. It has been a few weeks where I knew my body was dealing with something. Last Monday while I was quietly walking about my backyard with Aasha, He gently impressed upon my heart that I needed to commit my body to rest. May I emphasize ~He gently impressed upon my heart~. He did not command me…it was a gentle leading. The Lord never forces us to do a thing….”period…end of paragraph!!!”

I have to say that resting and doing nothing for me is a struggle. I am an achiever, and I do not stop until I am exhausted. I continue to learn that just going about doing things my own way can get me in trouble. You see, we can confess that He leads us to quiet places, green pastures, and still waters, but that does not always mean we obediently follow. My friend, I must tell you, this can get us in trouble!

After being diagnosed with pneumonia a few days ago, I can say that I am glad that I was obedient to do all that I knew to do. My body is healing up and strength is welling up from within, and I praise Him for it! Over the past few days I have experienced rest like never before, and it has been so amazing. I want to add to this that we need to be so thankful for our bodies, and God desires that we take care of them. Sometimes we can be overdoing it, and not respecting the fact that God has indeed created us to work and produce but he also desires we receive proper rest, We must obey that fact or we can end up paying for it. Our shepherd knows the “green pastures” and “quiet waters” that will restore us. We reach those places only by obediently following Him.

I hope this has blessed you today. As the old saying goes, “We live and we learn, and we learn and we live.” I praise Him for this experience and wisdom of a greater understanding of proper body rest.