"The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name."
How many of us have read the 23rd Psalm? My guess is that it was for many some of the first scriptures remembered and recited in a children's Sunday school class. Each time I hear a sermon preached on this passage, I always seem to understand it a little more clearly. One morning this week as I was settling into my work day, I decided that I just didn't want to be there (I know it's work, when do I ever really WANT to be there) so I filled out a leave slip, placed it on my team lead's desk and after lunch took the afternoon off.
It was a beautiful day, especially for a day in March in Ohio. We don't often have many sun-filled days this time of year instead the days can be quite gloomy with gray clouds and skies and little in the way of color as the landscape is still resting from it's winter nap. But this year it's been different and we may all be suffering a tad from spring fever. I know I certainly have it bad! The afternoon I chose to take off was absolutely gorgeous. The sun was bright and high in the sky, not a cloud to be found, perfect day to be outside. I went home, got a leash and a dog and headed to a little nature reserve that we have not too far from our home and took a short hike through the woods along the river.
At first I simply enjoyed the warmth of the afternoon and watched as the rays of sun sparkled across the water, it was as if there were millions of diamonds in the water just reflecting the brilliance of the sun. Then I began to notice the path itself and how clear it was. It wasn't the same path that I had walked along so many times. No this time it was different. It was obvious that the path had been cleared of fallen trees and debris that I had seen just this past fall when I last hiked through there. The high weeds and little saplings hadn't had a chance yet to take root and grow blocking the view to the river to one side and the hilly incline to the other. It was as if I was on a path I had never taken before... fresh, new and ready to be explored. It's exactly 1.25 miles along the river path to the big meadow the trail dumps into at the end. Often my husband and I have taken the dogs for a walk and stayed a while in the meadow just enjoying the peace and solitude that it offers.
It was during my walk that God began to speak to my heart the words from Psalm 23. He leads me beside peaceful streams, renewing my strength. He lets me rest in green meadows. He guides me along right paths. All of these words began to flood my spirit. Sometimes I simply need to rest for a moment to see God's reflection in all that he has created. It's in nature that I often feel his holy spirit breathing over me and giving me a sense of renewal in my spirit. It was in my reflection time on how the path had changed, how often my own path in life has changed. The debris of life gets cleaned up as someone comes along to help remove the obstacles that prevent me from moving forward along the path. It's often during the storms of life that God is able to come along and change the course of my path to allow fresh living waters to flood it so that I can see more clearly the path that he is creating for me.
As Kylee and I continued on our walk we were able to see God's word in action. I stopped several times to watch nature come alive along that little river. Birds were singing and dancing in the sunbeams. Geese were playing games and honking loudly enjoying the waters. An otter ran along the shoreline and in a cannonball like fashion would jump into the water and then back out onto the shore to do it all again and again. People were walking their dogs, with their children and some simply were walking alone. God sometimes changes our path just so we can have an afternoon of surprise and amazement of the beauty that surrounds us in life and stop to appreciate it. He gives us moments to reflect and just be still long enough to see Him at work in our lives.
That afternoon God brought to life the words of Psalm 23 for me and reminded me that my life, my journey, the path that I'm on is all designed and created to bring my God glory and honor. I can't wait to go back onto the path and see how it differs yet again after another spring storm or as the canopy of the trees changes with new life. The path we walk along may change, twist or turn but it's not without purpose and plan by the one who created us and gives us hope and a future.
Have you read the living word lately? Have you seen it come alive in your life, along your path and have you invited God to walk a while with you sharing in the beauty he gave you? Are you so busy "working" you fail to see the new path God has created for you that he already cleared to make life a bit easier? Take a moment, breathe and look around you. God is ready to lead you by the still waters, to refresh your soul.
Blessings,
Heather
