God has gifted me with a fantastic imagination. One of my favorite ways to use this gift is when I am reading Scripture. One of the most evocative passages of Scripture that makes my heart and imagination collide is Psalm 23. Each phrase of that most famous passage drips with glorious imagery and insight.
On most early mornings I can be found walking at a local park where I see views such as the one in the above photograph. I love the quiet, the beauty, and often the low hanging clouds and mist rising off of the water. As I walked this week, the Holy Spirit continually whispered to me asking if I saw the still waters. I love His whispers because they always bring insights and wisdom. I cringe and grieve at the thought of how many whispers I miss due to a distracted heart.
The whispers of the Holy Spirit led me to the second half of verse 2 of Psalm 23, “He leads me beside the still waters” (NKJV). Such familiar words. The greatest joy I know is adjusting my lifestyle around the movement of the Holy Spirit inside of me and all around me. There is so much to listen for and learn. Adjusting my life means that I choose to look away from the things of the world and view things with Kingdom eyes. As I looked at literal still waters this week, I also saw, with Kingdom eyes, what He wanted me to learn (and teach).
The first thing He let me see is that section of verse 2 is in the present tense. In other words, our Lord is directing and guiding us toward something in every moment. There is a place He wants to take us. He knows it is necessary to our well-being.
I also noticed that this verse is personal. It says, “me”. When you read it, it says, “me”. When anyone and everyone reads it, it says, “me”. Of course God is the God of “we” and that speaks wonders to our hearts that we are part of His holy family. Yet each of us also has a deep yearning to know in our hearts that He sees us as individuals in our everyday lives and that each of us matters to Him as if there were no other. We get that right here. He is individually leading us at any and every given moment to still waters.
What are these still waters He wants to lead us to? In the Hebrew translation it would say that He leads us beside waters of rest. In my imagination I can see all of you that just read those words immediately raising your hand and shouting an emphatic “yes, pick me. I want rest!!” In a world where no one can seem to agree about anything these days, we may be able to agree on the need for rest.
Are you able to see a theme in God’s Word about being still, quiet, and seeking rest? Even God rested on the seventh day. He knows what is the very best for me and the very best for you. It has never been chaos. It has never been busyness. It has never been distraction. It has never been events and people scheduled every minute of every day. It has never been exhaustion and depletion. It has never been only having shallow, cranky, or bitter waters left to share with others. He is leading us beside still waters.
I’m not talking about taking a day off or a week off from the grind – although we all need that from time to time. No, what I am talking about is being led to still waters right in the middle of a work day; a day of errands or chores; a moment with screaming babies or a cranky spouse; in the midst of isolation or dark depression; in moments of fear and confusion; and in times of temptation, selfishness, and pride.
The still waters that He is leading to are not a destination we have to drive to or plan a whole day for. The Holy Spirit has already created a place of still waters inside of each believer. It is the place where your true self meets Him. It is the place where Living Water exists inside of you. As we yield our selfish wants and desires to His Presence, the place of still waters expands. Our journey here is about building capacity for how much Jesus we want and are willing to make room for. I want huge lakes and oceans of Him inside of me. In the midst of the craziness and darkness and chaos of this world I want to be led right to His Presence in me….right to the still waters. That journey will always be an interior journey and never found on the outside no matter how many habits and behaviors you change or how many religious boxes you check off.
He let me see one more thing. I read on just past the second half of verse 2 and into the first line of verse 3: “He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul;”. The Holy Spirit actually showed me the space in between the end of verse 2 and the beginning of verse 3. You see, for each of us, He leads us to the still waters but the verse ends there. We aren’t told what we will do because that is where the choice lies. He leads, but will we stop and sit and rest and drink deeply of His Presence? Many times our answer would have to be an honest “no”. Why? Because we easily forget Him and choose to only look at worldly things with worldly eyes.
But. Oh my, pause here and don’t miss this. But, if we would look with Kingdom eyes and remember our First Love and relax for even a moment by the still waters, we would stumble right into the results of such an encounter…..”He restores my soul”!
Did you notice that restore has the word rest in it? Funny how all that works! He is leading you and I in this very moment to the still waters….the living waters….that He is creating inside of our souls. Would you linger there for a time on that soft green grass at the water’s edge? You might just find what you have been searching everywhere else under the sun for. Rest. Peace. Contentment. Fulfillment. Acceptance. Love. Jesus – the true still waters.