Jesus — The Good Shepherd - Thursday
TODAY’S VERSE
Psalm 23:1-4
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. (ESV)
I have a distinct memory of sitting in my high school small group at Southland Students one Wednesday night. Everyone had been dismissed from group and left. But I didn’t get up. I just sat there silently.
My leader, Aaron, noticed I had been acting off all night. I was often one of the more vocal people in my small group, but that night I had been abnormally quiet. And instead of checking on me, Aaron asked me a question I won’t forget.
“Have you ever been fishing?”
I told Aaron that I loved fishing and that I hadn’t been fishing in a long time.
“Let’s go fishing sometime soon. Are you free this weekend?”
I was free, and we did go fishing.
I had stayed back after small group dismissed that night to vent about all the things going on in my life. At that time, I was really struggling with anxiety and depression, and while I had talked to Aaron about it all ad-nauseum already, nothing seemed to be getting better. So when Aaron proposed the idea of a fishing day, I thought that would be an even better time for me to vent.
But the reason Aaron suggested we go fishing was not so that I could talk more about my struggles, but so that I could take a break from them.
Aaron wisely provided me with an opportunity to get out of the house, away from school, out of cell service, and beside a quiet pond. In fact, Aaron even went to the other side of the pond at one point (claiming he hoped to catch a fish there) leaving me alone in a very quiet and peaceful place, which was exactly what I needed.
My high school small group leader Aaron gave me a really good mental picture of what our good shepherd Jesus is like that week. He led me beside some still waters while I felt I was walking through the valley of the shadow of death.
Jesus said in John 10:14 that, “I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me.”
Just as my small group leader Aaron knew me well and knew that what I needed was a quiet day fishing, our good shepherd Jesus knows us really well. He knows what we really need, and He too leads us beside still waters and restores our souls when the noise of life becomes too loud.
APPLICATION
Jesus told us in Matthew 11:28, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Ask our good shepherd Jesus to lead you beside some still waters, and to restore your soul today.
PRAYER
Jesus, thank you for being my good shepherd. Thank you for providing me with not only an abundant life, but also for providing moments of stillness and restoration in the midst of life’s struggles. I come to you, weary and heavy laden, and I ask that you would lead me to rest today. Amen.