Psalm 23:2-3a He lets me rest in green meadows;
he leads me beside peaceful streams.
3 He renews my strength.
As I travel the back roads of Oregon I notice something very interesting. This state has plenty of water and grass, the two things most necessary for the raising of sheep. And that explains why there are so many sheep here. Flocks and flocks of sheep, along with so many other forms of animal. It makes my job almost fun Notice that in our verse for today we see God letting us rest in green meadows. In other words we have all that we need for our souls. So much so that we can rest without having to struggle for that nourishment. We also are led beside peaceful streams. I must say that I have seen more of them since coming to Oregon than I have seen in my whole life and I have traveled throughout Central and South America as well as most of Europe. That is not to say that those places do not have these things, it is just that Oregon seems to have more of them throughout the state. In thinking of these verses even today, Oregon gave me mental pictures of just what the psalmist was describing.
In a spiritual sense this is what God offers us. A quiet nourishment for our inner person. Our souls can have the rest that it needs if we simply, by faith, appropriate it. The Bible promises us these things but we need to activate our faith if we want to benefit from them. They do not come naturally. The natural man is restless. He, or she, will always struggle with life. Life is hard. We know that. Life does not get easier as we mature. In fact life can get more and more difficult as we go along but the rest we need is always right there for us when we need it.
So how do we appropriate this rest? Is it though prayer? Do we simple ask God and He gives it? Is it something that we thinks about, meditate on, and it is available? Well prayer is a great help but it is not the final answer unless it must be because we do not have access to the tool we really need. The real answer is the Word of God. It is the Bible that gives us the rest we need. The living words therein, coupled with prayer to God our Father, is the solution to the rest problem. God can speak to your inner spirit though His word; He can touch you deep inside where no one else can reach. By believing the things that God tells us in His book, we can relax and know that He is in control no matter what our outer circumstances are and we can rest in Him.
We have direct access to the God of all creation through His word the Bible. His power resides there and can be poured into your soul by reading its words. When you open your Bible, you open the mouth of God. He will speak to you through its pages and He will give you the rest you desperately need by simply reading it. If you then go so far as to dig into it and study it, there is no telling what will happen. It has inspired many men and women to bring about great change in our world by studying the Bible. Just by reading Theo's 'Devos each week will bring thoughts to your mind that will aid in your spiritual growth and bring you closer to the rest He wants you to have.
I have seen hundreds of sheep over the last few weeks resting in the pastures of Oregon. I can only wish that more Christians would find that kind of rest for there own lives in the turbulent pastures where they live.
May God bless you this week.
Theo
Dear Small Group Leader (or soon to be Facilitator)
Please allow everyone in your group to answer the Quick Question. It will get things started on the right foot, encouraging quieter ones to open up. Please do not require everyone to answer every question. They may not be ready to share yet. Also please allow at least 5-10 minutes at the end of your study so as many as would like to can respond to the REFLECTION question. This may be the most important time in your small group study. Thank You
SMALL GROUP BIBLE STUDY
Please Read: Psalm 23
QUICK QUESTION: When is it most difficult for you to rest?
List the nouns used in this Psalm.
List the adjectives.
List the verbs.
Discuss the reason why those parts of speech are used. How do they impact the meaning of the Psalm?
REFLECTION: How can the group best pray for your peace and rest this week?
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