How often do you let God lead the way in what you are doing in your life, especially in the area of self care? Often times, self-care can be the last thing on the list of things to do for busy women. It also becomes almost a chore, a should do thing on the list. I strive to eat well, I strive to rest, I strive to meet with God, I strive to be quiet with Him. What if we let God lead the way?
In a Conversations with God group I was in this week, we looked at Psalm 23 and used the lectio divina method of letting God talk to us through that Scripture. Lectio divina, if you remember, is a sacred reading of scripture three times and letting God talk to you through those readings. Remember the first part of Psalm 23?
1 The Lord is my shepherd;
I have all that I need.
2 He lets me rest in green meadows;
he leads me beside peaceful streams.
3 He renews my strength.
He guides me along right paths,
bringing honor to his name. NLT
In reading those words this week, I was struck by all that God wants to do for me. It almost felt selfish to receive so much from Him. I am the one that is suppose to be doing the serving. Instead He was saying, “No, Nancy, I have things I want to do for you.”I don’t have to strive. How can I let God lead the way?
The Lord is My Shepherd
Notice in this passage God says He is my shepherd. That means you can trust him to lead and guide you in your daily living. Sheep know the shepherd’s voice and you can count on Him to lead and guide.
I was reminded of that in a prayer someone prayed for me this week that the Lord was my shepherd and He was going before me, making a path I could follow. The person who prayed that prayer for me was not in my group on Monday evening. I love it when God weaves those same messages together. I can trust God to be my shepherd.
I Have All That I Need
What an amazing statement that is. You can take great comfort in that statement as you look around at what has been provided to you. It might not be all you want at this time, but your needs are being met.
That was especially pertinent this week as I spent time with my brother in the hospital. His needs were more than met as he recovered from surgery. My needs were met as I felt people praying for us. Did I feel brain foggy? Yes. Stressed? No. I was at peace this week and I am grateful.
God will lead the way
He lets me, leads me renews me….What struck me about these next few verses is the word He. He is the one who is doing all the work, not me. The striving is not coming from any effort on my part, especially if I think about self-care and what I need to be doing.
He lets me rest in green meadows
How does that sound to you? Can you picture yourself resting in green meadows? Ahhh….. He is the one who is directing you how, when and where to rest in that beautiful, green, plush meadow. Imagine yourself in that green meadow, taking a walk with Jesus.
In my own imagination, that is where I go often to talk with Jesus, My meadow is a mountain meadow, surrounded by gorgeous Rocky Mountains, dotted with flowers. We meet there to walk and talk. By using my imagination to go to a particular place, it helps shut out other daily distractions and I can rest.
He leads me by peaceful streams
He is the one doing the leading, not something to do yourself. Can you imagine that? Or perhaps you want to actually go to a peaceful stream so you can see and hear the gurgling water that calms your spirit. Often times when near water, you can more easily let Him lead your thinking and quiet those chattering thoughts.
Quieting my thoughts is a challenge for me. I practice with short periods of time. I let my thoughts float by like leaves on a river. When I do, I am more easily quieted and at peace.
He renews my strength
Renewing is His doing, not yours. How does He renew your strength? If you have spent time resting in the meadow and letting your thoughts float down the river, you will feel more refreshed. It’s about letting go and leaning in to His presence to experience the peace that He provides.
I also think renewing is a day-to-day process. I know I can’t storehouse strength. I have to come back to Him each day for renewal. Without my breathe prayer, time in community praying and time alone with God, I would not have had the strength to keep up going to the hospital daily.
He guides me along right paths
You can count on Him to do the guiding when you focus on Him. What right path of self-care do you want Him to guide you on? Eating healthy? Exercise? Time with Him?
Take time to tell Him your desires. Start small. Let Him tell you where to start. He longs to do the guiding.
I realized when I listened to Him this week that I needed to let Him do more guiding along the right paths. What is it that I need to give up so I can make more time to listen to Him? I don’t have those answers yet. I felt Him saying to me, simplify, simplify and trust. Ask others to pray as well..
What about you?
What stood out to you in these few verses?
What striving do you need to give up?
Where will God lead the way?
I want to encourage you to take some time with Psalm 23 and read it over again several times. You can go to Biblegateway, as well and read it in several different versions. Each version will give you a slightly different aspect of this Psalm. By doing that, you may find different words resonating with you.
What desire is welling up in you as you read this Psalm? Where will God lead the way for you?
I can’t wait to hear how God will lead the way in your life.
Nancy Booth wants to create safe spaces for you, helping you find ways to have two-way conversations with God. She loves encouraging you to look for ways He is at work. Nancy is a spiritual director and writer. She would love to accompany you on your journey of discovery to hear and see more of the God who delights in you. Peace, hope and freedom could be yours Contact her today..