Led to Good Places

"He makes me lie down in green pastures and leads me beside still waters."  Psalm 23:2 

Dear People of St. David's,

I pray that you are well and that you are enjoying some rest these days with a greater sense of God's presence in your life and a little less fear and worry.

When reading Psalm 23, the above passage usually passes me by. It doesn't strike me as all that important.  Probably, because in my humanity, I think that it is through my own power that any "green pasture" or "still waters" I come across are my doing and not God's. Now, when we live a good life and try our best, there are moments when we find ourselves in the right place, with a sense of peace-whether it is over a job well done or a good outcome. Those could be significant moments in life from graduation to landing a new job to helping a child with their studies so they can succeed. There's a peace and a contentment and a goodness about those moments that help us to cherish our lives all the more.

But if you're like me, my best efforts and intelligence don't always lead me to green pastures and still waters. Mostly, my work simply leads to more work. Sometimes my efforts to find still waters become so overly scheduled that I am more tired when I come home than when I left. Maybe it's because I rarely have my work-play dynamic in good balance or maybe it's because I'm the one who's trying to lead and not allowing God to lead.

The promise that God offers us is that He will lead us to green pastures and still waters. That's the intention of a good shepherd who guides the sheep to the places where they can be fed and where they can find peace and rest. The shepherd cares for the sheep as part of the "job description" - as part of the shepherd's plan. It gives the shepherd pleasure to see that the sheep are fed and are at peace. So it is with God and us. God is willing to guide us to green pastures and to still waters when we allow God to lead, when we stop for a moment in the midst of a decision or in our planning to invite God into our thinking, our discernment about our lives. Too often we go our own way and miss the gentle nudge of God. But if we will listen and trust that God is who God says He is, then we can release some of our control over our lives and be led to those places that make life so worthwhile.

So, as you're going about your day today and every day, take a moment and invite the Lord, the Good Shepherd to have a say in the direction you are going so that God can lead you where you really want to go.


Grace and Peace,
 
WFA