1 Rest Your Mind From Worrying (Psalm 23)

 

Today’s article is about how to rest your mind from worrying and start enjoying your life. Worrying has been a regular part of our day, and that’s perfectly normal. What’s more important is that you are able to rest your mind so you can focus more on what’s needed to be done. Today, we’ll focus on the first 2 verses of Psalm 23. We’ll learn how God is like a shepherd who takes good care of us, his sheep, and how he can help you rest your mind from worrying.

A shepherd gives provision (food and shelter), and protection (from danger and from other sheep). I’ve read several blogs about sheep and I particularly like the one from thespruce.com right here. I learned that sheep aren’t the smartest creatures and that they are easily scared!



Aren’t they like most of us? We may not be scared of ghosts but we sometimes fear and worry about the dangers around us. I, for one, have the “gift” of foresight, and I can easily see what could happen wrong in a given situation. Imagine how that can make me worry more! I think it’s more like fear-sight, if you ask me. My mind can go on and on and it’s really difficult to rest my mind, even when I’m about to sleep.

Good thing that God, our shepherd, makes sure that we don’t lack anything. We can rest our minds in what He can do for us. Here’s what God does for us:

He makes us lie down.

Since sheep are easily scared, you can’t drive them into the sheepfold, or else they will think that it’s a dangerous place and never go in at all. What the shepherd does is make the sheep “come to him”. Isn’t that wonderful! I don’t know what shepherds do exactly, but if I was the sheep, I’d come to a gentle loving shepherd who will offer me coffee and doughnuts!

Kidding aside, try and remember the moments when God draws us to himself. For me, these would be the times that he has shown his love and goodness, even when I don’t deserve them. He is such a loving God.

He makes us lie down IN GREEN PASTURES.

Have you ever seen a puppy stretch itself out on its belly and drag itself to feel the grass? Our puppies do that, and they are so cute! Now imagine yourself lying down on clean grass under a cloudy sky, resting your mind and body. That’s how God wants us to be – refreshed, carefree, and restful. Green is a sign of life, and God wants us to be alive, well-fed, surrounded with provision that is more than enough to meet our needs.

He leads us.

God shows us the way or gives us instructions so we can have more than what we need. Like a shepherd, he makes us come to him so we can lie down and be restful. Then, in that restful state, we begin to trust him more and our hearts are more attuned to what he wants us to do next. He will use His Word, but he can also use anything or anyone. And because he is our shepherd, we know his heart and his voice, so you don’t have to worry about being confused.

He leads us BESIDE STILL WATERS.

Some authors say that sheep can drink anywhere but they prefer quiet waters. Rightly so, since moving water is more difficult to drink from and they are more dangerous. God our shepherd also leads us the same way – away from danger, requiring less effort so we can be truly refreshed.

God does all those things, and so much more! He wants you to rest your mind on Him, on His love, on His capacity to meet your needs. If you follow Him, He will be your shepherd who will lead you to restful places, even in the midst of all the troubles of life. How to rest your mind? By trusting the One who is always thinking of you.

What areas are you worried the most? What do you usually do to help you rest your mind? You can let me know by leaving a comment below.

I hope that this article has been helpful to you. Click this link to read more lessons from Psalm 23. Keep trusting God!

With love,

Mae