Psalm 23 is probably the most well known of all the psalms. Many of us associate it with the comfort we seek after the loss of a loved one, as it is a text we most often hear at funerals. And that is an appropriate use of the psalm; but that is not its only use. It’s a psalm that is about restoring our weary souls. Listen to - don’t just read, but listen to - the opening two verses:
“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul.”
He restores my soul… And how does our Shepherd Lord lead us through that process of restoration? He makes me lie down. He leads me beside still waters. Restoring our souls, at least in part, as about stillness.
Now, I know that being still is much easier said than done in our culture - which is why we have to be especially intentional about doing it. We have to incorporate times of stillness into our daily and weekly lives so that we can simply breathe in the restorative goodness of the life and love and God we’ve been gifted. And when we do that consistently and habitually, our restored souls can deal with the busyness of life without becoming hurried and harried.
There is a difference between being busy and being hurried. John Ortberg puts it this way: “Being busy is an outward condition, a condition of the body. It occurs when we have many things to do. Busyness is inevitable in modern culture... There are limits to how much busyness we can tolerate, so we wisely find ways to slow down whenever we can. We take vacations, we sit in a La-Z-Boy with a good book, we enjoy a leisurely meal with friends. By itself, busyness is not lethal. Being hurried is an inner condition, a condition of the soul. It means to be so preoccupied with myself and my life that I am unable to be fully present with God, with myself, and with other people. I am unable to occupy this present moment. Busyness migrates to hurry when we let it squeeze God out of our lives... I cannot rest in God with a hurried soul.”
I love the distinction Ortberg makes here. Busyness is sometimes beyond our control; but hurriedness is how we handle our busyness on the inside. It’s a challenge, but you can lead a busy life and still have a life of restfulness. Being still and resting in God is not just about stopping our outward activity, although that does help. But even more importantly, restoring our souls is about stilling our multi-tasking minds and hearts long enough to rest in the One Who is With Us and In Us.
Lie down… on the inside.
Daily prayer: God, I set before You my busyness - everything that makes me scattered and hurried. Make me lie down.