Intro:
Another week is coming to a close. This week we looked at the noises in our world and challenged ourselves to “turn off the radio”. I trust you have been challenged by the noise and have met with God in silence. Consider the words of Thomas a Kempis from his work, The Imitation of Christ:
“In silence and quiet the devout soul advances in virtue and learns the hidden truths of Scripture. There she finds a flood of tears with which to bathe and cleanse herself nightly, that she may become the more intimate with her Creator the farther she withdraws from all the tumult of the world. For God and His holy angels will draw near to him who withdraws from friends and acquaintances.”
Strange words for us moderns. That reach back to 1400 takes us into foreign fields. The picture above is his headstone in Germany. In part the inscription reads: in cruce salus, in cruce vita which means, “in the cross salvation, in the cross life”.
May we be in cruce salus, in cruce vita this day.
Read: Psalm 23
A Psalm by David.
1Yahweh is my shepherd:
I shall lack nothing.
2He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
3He restores my soul.
He guides me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
4Even 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.
5You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil.
My cup runs over.
6Surely goodness and loving kindness shall follow me all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in Yahweh’s house forever.
Think:
Look again at the verbs (action words) that God does on behalf of David. God makes David lie down (v.2), leads him to quiet places (v.2), restores his soul (v.3), guides him (v.3), prepares a table for him (v.5), and anoints his head with oil (v.6).
As David pictured himself before God he thought of sheep. Pretty humble for an up and coming king. Pretty humble for anyone! Sheep are in despite need of guidance and wisdom. David knew that God, his Shepherd, would have to guide him and make him wise for living. To do that David pictures God taking him to quiet places to restore him.
I am a dumb sheep like David, how ‘bout you? Oh, the need to find quiet places to be restored by God.
Do:
Have you made time for a retreat with God this week? Have you been able to get to a quiet place and listen? Have you been restored?
Saturday and Sunday provide a great opportunity to carve out time to get away from the noise and listen to a whispering God. Meet with Him, He will restore you.
