Thought for the Day – Friday 24th April
Some words from Psalm 23:
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures;
he leads me beside still waters;
he restores my soul.
He leads me in right paths
for his name’s sake.
While not one of our prescribed readings for this week I found myself turning to Psalm 23 this morning and to these words in particular.
I don’t know how often at funerals I say to folk that this is a Psalm
which has brought great comfort and peace to many people throughout the years
since it was written – and it has – it must be one of the most well-known of
Psalms used in so many different settings.
The words that leapt out to me this morning though were ‘he restores my soul’.
Just a few short weeks ago we could never have imagined that we would
be in this situation where every part of our lives has changed and where we are
trying our utmost to ensure not just our own safety, care and spiritual
well-being but also the safety, care and spiritual support of others. It has certainly
changed our focus in life and made us adapt to new ways of life, new norms of
living and new ways of reaching out to others.
I think we have all come to realise too that the world as we knew it
may never be quite the same again.
So, when we have stopped busying ourselves to fill the time, when we
have assured ourselves that everyone is fine and coping in their isolation what
then do we do with our own fears, our own insecurities; our own worries about
the future? What do we do when all our insecurities and lost hopes and waylaid
dreams flood our minds making us feel so vulnerable? What do we do with the
grief we feel for a world that is no more?
Well, in our vulnerable state, we do what our faith tells us we should
– we rest awhile with God.
We take everything to him, we are open and honest with him; we talk to
him of our fears and our worries, of our grief at lost hopes and shattered or
delayed dreams; of our fear of having to start again and learn to live in a new
way in a different world.
We dwell in our mind on those green verdant pastures beside those still
waters and just let that image calm our fears.
Together, sharing everything with God and dwelling on the calmness he
brings will help to restore our souls.
Maybe, just maybe, once we have thought of others and their spiritual
well-being, this is the time to take more time with God ourselves and restore
our souls, let him fill us anew and then instead of dwelling on things past,
prepare ourselves for the adventure that will be our new reality and new world.
Prayer
Loving Lord,
In all our fears, in all our worries, in all our anxieties remind us
afresh of the peace, calm and comfort you bring when we take time to rest with
you. Be with all who feel vulnerable at this time we pray and bring them a
sense of your rest. Through Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.
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