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He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.
-Psalm 23:2
When I was a kid I used to love to water ski. Unlike snow skiing, I was actually pretty good at it.
I remember the first time I ever tried. My dad helped me get situated in the water and stayed in there with me. When I was ready he signaled for the boat to takeoff. That way if I couldn’t get up, he would be right there when I fell. I stood up the very first time and loved every minute of it.
Overtime, as I became more advanced, I would cross over the wake near the side of the boat. Once you learn to maneuver over the bumpy wake, the water on the other side is like glass. It feels smooth and still.
Last week I reread Psalm 23. Out of all 150 Psalms, this might be the most notable. We often hear it at funerals because of its ability to comfort through grief.
The following words caught my attention: He leads us beside still waters. When I read it, I recognized two significant points.
- In order to be led anywhere, we must follow.
- It’s more than likely we will have to jump a bumpy wake, but where He leads awaits stillness in its purest form.
More than ever I want to be led by God. I have a yearning to know who He is, and my desire is to get to know the deepest parts of Him. However, I’m completely aware that to do that I must choose to follow Him wherever He chooses to lead me.
Following Him means grabbing tightly to His will and letting go of mine. And we all know it’s never easy to jump the wake.
But there’s more. The very next verse in this chapter says…
He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.
-Psalm 23:3
Friend, He will restore your soul to complete stillness when you follow where He leads. You will most likely have to jump the wake, and it will be difficult, but as you follow Him He will be right there with you in the water, just like my daddy was when I was learning to water ski.
And even as you’re using every ounce of faith you can muster to jump the wake, there will be inexplicable stillness. It won’t make sense, but that’s the beauty of God; He is mysterious and awe inspiring.
My prayer is that you will allow Him to lead you wherever He pleases. That you will be brave enough to jump the wake and experience the still, smooth water of His peace.
You can be restored!
Have a beautiful weekend.
Love,
Jennifer
PS: If you’ve missed any of my October series, The Struggle to Live a Still Life, click here and scroll down for previous posts. If you subscribe to the blog via email, I will send you my eBook, Mercy Waits, FREE!
