You Can Rest
August 28, 2022 — Laura House
Our sweet friends who own the funeral home that managed Nathan’s memorial and burial created laminated bookmarks for us. One side shares the obituary clipped from the local newspaper and the other side is printed with Psalm 23.
It’s a familiar Psalm, and perhaps the one used most often to bring comfort to those who are suffering or saying goodbye to a loved one. The promise of God leading, guiding, protecting, and comforting brings solace to heavy hearts.
Since Nathan went to Heaven, I’ve discovered truths in this Psalm that I hadn’t seen before. Let’s take a look together.
“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.”
Using the metaphor of a shepherd when speaking of God shows me that He is personal, my Savior, Protector, Provider, and Guide; and He takes care of me. Not only through my grief journey, but through every day of earthly life, He is there in all of these ways.
I’m not an exegetical expert at all, but I find the next four phrases comforting in a way I’d never noticed before.
You see, grief is EXHAUSTING. Some days it feels like you won’t make it to the other side. Our minds and bodies ache for peace and rest. And yet, during suffering we also need to be allowing God to shape and mold us, we need to continue moving toward becoming who we should be; seeking deeper intimacy with God; preparing for our life of eternity.
Look at the construction of these verses.
“He makes me lie down in green pastures,”
Here, I can rest.
“he leads me beside quiet waters,”
Here, I’m moving forward, but HE is leading!
“he restores my soul.”
Resting again!
“He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.”
Moving forward; once again, being led by my Shepherd. And the purpose? “For His name’s sake” — in other words, to glorify Him.
In my experience of grief, there have been so many times of resting in the Lord and His strength. Times when I felt that I couldn’t move forward and I knew it was appropriate to just rest.
But then after resting awhile, my strength was renewed and I was ready to continue the journey. Even then, He was the One guiding. I am never on my own. And neither are you.
And then the verse that is perhaps the most reassuring to those of us walking this road of loss.
“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.”
Perhaps the central point of this Psalm, this verse gives assurance of God’s divine protection over us throughout our earthly days. It might not always look like the “protection” that we think should happen (like healing Nathan), because our definition of “protection” is short-sighted. We don’t understand, nor will we understand while we are on Earth, why God heals some people here and doesn’t bring earthly healing to others.
But protection doesn’t mean healing or mean that things work out the way I think they should. This verse says to me that in the midst of the most dire situation I could ever face, I still don’t need to fear because “YOU ARE WITH ME.” That is the reason to not fear. The God of the universe and Creator of all is actually right with me, carrying me through.
What about the rod and staff comforting us? If we were physical sheep, our shepherd would use that rod and staff to ward off wolves and other predators. God’s protection over us is real, and is there at all times.
“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
God is the host and we are the guests. He invites us to come. That’s an incredible thought.
“Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”
Regardless of my circumstances, I can know that He is with me; loving me, guiding me, shaping me; and preparing a place for me.
You may certainly have other insights from these verses, and I’d love to learn from them. Perhaps my greatest takeaway is this; my God is with me and He is in control. I can rest.
