He leads me beside the still waters – Psalm 23:2

As an older elementary school student I played basketball in a youth league in our town. Most of you won’t believe this, but I was on the Orange Team. I’m not kidding. ORANGE! Our team practiced each week either in a gymnasium or on an outdoor court at a local school. We ran and ran and ran and ran. After going through some of those running drills we ran and ran and ran some more. When practice was over we were not only tired, but were so thirsty. All we needed was just a cup of water to help cool us off and refresh us. No pun intended, but water was a hot commodity!

What do you do when you’re dry? How do you make sense of things when nothing makes sense? I think the Lord gives you some amazing insight in Psalm 23:2 as to how you might walk through those thirsty and dry times in your lives.

The Shepherd satisfies your thirst

Sheep are interesting animals. Like most animals, they often get thirsty and must have water to continue to live and function. They have two choices when extreme thirst invades. They can look to the shepherd for help in finding clean water or they can go out on their own and drink from dirty and polluted holes full of stagnant water.

People today are searching for all kinds of things to satisfy their thirst. Psalm 42:1 states, “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you oh God. My soul thirsts for You, O God, for the living God.”

I’ll ask again. Where are you searching for that satisfying water for your soul? Many people immerse themself with television, internet, and news that makes no sense. The Psalmist writes that our your should pant for God; you should thirst for the living God.  And not just on Sundays….

To me, Sunday is a bonus day because I get to worship the living God with my friends and family. Whaat a blessing.

The Shepherd calms your fears

Oftentimes shepherds will take their sheep out to graze early in the morning so that they can taste the clean and pure dew on the grass. This is one of the best ways Shepherds provide clean water. Another consideration is to ensure the sheep will face still waters. Why? Because sheep are fearful of running water. They enjoy the still water and their fear replaced with comfort.

Do you realize when the Shepherd provides for your thirst that He does so in a peaceful, quiet, and still kind of way that will truly satisfy your soul. He cares about your fears. Relax with the Shepherd who cares about your fears, relieves them, and fills your soul with the good stuff.

I am reminded of the interaction between Jesus and the Samaritan woman in John 4:13-14 where Jesus describes the kind of water he provides:

Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

Where is fear in eternal life with Jesus? There is no fear. Jesus provides and substitute for our fears. He replaces fear with hope.

The Orange Team…

All the practice, hard work, sweating, and dying of thirst produced a state championship team. It’s literally the only championship I ever won in anything. The coach pushed us so hard and made us work so hard. We were not only thirsty for water, but for a championship.

Here’s the lesson: Rest in the Lord as He refreshes you with those cool streams of water. Let Him worry about the fear. Let Him worry about providing. Let Him work out His plan in your life. I think you’ll be amazed at how much His word will satisfy your thirst for meaningful life.

Some Questions…

1. What are some things that you currently seek to provide enjoyment and satisfaction in your life?
2. How can you find time to relax and let the Lord provide the cool streams of water from His word?
3. What fears do you have and how can resting in the Lord erase those fears?