Take A Breath
Peace. Rest. Quieting yourself and being still in God’s presence. Not thinking about the day ahead. Not worrying about the challenges of the day. Resting in God. Receiving peace from him.
In the 23rd Psalm, the best known Psalm that King David penned, he wrote,”He leads me beside the still waters.” And later, “He leads me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake”.
Are you struggling in your walk with God? Are you finding that the paths of righteousness that you are treading are rocky, difficult, causing you to stumble? The paths of righteousness that we as believers follow can only be truly navigated when we first let Jesus lead us beside those still waters.
Let me ask you this? The next time you are struggling in your walk with God, be it a problem with temptation, with anger, with pride, look back on your day or week and see if you allowed Jesus to lead you beside those still waters of peace, of contemplation, of rest in Him.
“He leads me beside the still waters.” That stillness does not come from ourselves or can be attained through our own will. We have to be led to it, just as a Shepherd leads his sheep. When we charge ahead with our day, even when that day is filled with altruistic deeds and high minded endeavors, unless we have first been to the still waters, we will not be prepared to be led by Him to those paths of righteousness.
Peace. Peace with our God. Peace with yourself. Peace with our circumstances. Peace with people who annoy us. Peace within us when a raging storm surrounds us. That kind of peace only comes from God.
Jesus said “”My peace I give unto you…… Let not your heart be troubled.” (John.14:27)
He leads us to those still waters. Then, and only then will he lead us on those paths of righteousness.
