Every day, the Lord is my Shepherd.
Every day, He makes me lie down in green pastures.
Every day, He leads me beside still waters.
Every day, He restores my soul.

The question is, do I let Him? Do I acknowledge Him in this way each day? Because these are the results of walking with the Shepherd.

Obviously these thoughts were inspired by Psalm 23, a Psalm of David. In my prayer time, I heard the sweet, small voice of the Spirit whisper: “The Lord is my Shepherd.” And I immediately smiled in thoughtful appreciation of this true reminder.

The Bible says the Lord is the “Shepherd and Overseer of our soul” (1 Peter 2:25). In simple terms, a shepherd is one who provides care and guidance. And the part of us that needs the most care and guidance is most definitely our soul– our mind, will, and emotions.

The mind can be a breeding ground for stress; which billows over into our emotional state; which runs smack dab into the flesh (our stubborn or could-care-less will); which is why we need a Shepherd.

Every day, the Lord is my Shepherd.

It’s a conscious decision. It’s also a submissive decision. In other words, we have to want and allow the Lord to guide and lead us, every day and in every situation. Going back to the words of Peter, he said, “For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Oversee of your souls.”

I don’t even read this through a lens of rebellion or sin (although it could definitely mean that). The truth is, we can easily get distracted in this life, so I’m thankful for a Shepherd who will tap me on the head with His staff and redirect me.

Every day, He makes me lie down in green pastures.

Rest does the body good, and I know it. But I have a love/hate relationship with the concept of rest. On the one hand, I love a day off and a good nap. But on the other hand, I wrestle with the guilt of rest because I often feel like I ought to be doing more.

The phrase “He makes me” is comforting. I’m glad it doesn’t say “He allows me” because I’d really struggle with if I should or shouldn’t rest. Instead, I take His word as a comfort that the Lord authors true rest.

A story in 1 Kings 19 really encourages me. Basically, Elijah was exhausted and frustrated but twice an angel of the Lord fed Elijah and let him sleep. The Lord knows what we need, when we need it.

Every day, He leads me beside still waters.

When Jesus met the woman at the well, He said, “Whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a fount of water springing up to eternal life” (John 4:14). And the woman said what I would’ve said, “Lord, give me this water!” Which He did.

Honestly, the still waters are simply quiet moments in His presence. It is there that we are fully refreshed. In His presence, our soul can drink deeply of His love and grace. It is there we find strength to continue forward. Without the Lord’s refreshing, it’s just a matter of time before we are spiritually dehydrated and running on fumes.

But when we let Him lead us, we will find true refreshment in Him.

Every day, He restores my soul.

Our soul would not need to be restored unless it had first been wounded. Again, our soul is our mind, will, and emotions– the part of us that takes the most hits from every angle. You know the old saying, “Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me.” Yeah, that’s not always true.

The saying is meant to imply resilience against verbal attacks but the truth is, the soul acts more like our armor than our body ever does. And if the soul is weak, it will effect our whole being.

But if we allow the Lord to daily restore our soul (again, in His presence), then each day we will be wrapped in new, fresh armor, ready to face another day. And this is where the Holy Spirit helps us the most. He reminds us to walk in the love of God, forgive others, pray in the Spirit, and see everything through the lens of God’s mercy and grace.

Every day the Lord is my Shepherd– the lover of my soul.

And He is yours too. I pray you pause and let Him shepherd you each and every day.