Transformation Series Episode 21

Transformation Series Episode 21

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The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul.

Hello, my walking friend! I know this may sound strange, but as I sit here and record this I am thinking about you and praying for you and I am impressed and inspired by you because you are taking time out of your day to go for a walk and spend some time with Jesus. As the Bible tells us, iron sharpens iron, and thinking about you honoring the Lord with your body, mind, and spirit is an inspiration to me.

Today is the 21st episode in the transformation series and our verse to meditate on is Psalm 23:1-3:
The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul.

Psalm 23 is probably one of the most beloved passages in the Bible. Jesus referred to himself as the Good Shepherd and, I don’t know about you, but when I read or hear this psalm and I imagine Jesus there, with his staff in his hand, guiding his flock and it just melts my heart.
Listen to the entire psalm:
The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
He leads me beside quiet waters,
He refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
For his name’s sake.
Even though I walk through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil, for you are with me;
Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil,
My cup overflows.
Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

When I think about renewal and refreshment for my soul, I think of quietness and of peaceful places. And I realize why Jesus would use the example of being a good shepherd and us, his flock, being like sheep. Now, being compared to a sheep is not a very flattering metaphor. Sheep are not very smart and they really don’t know what’s good for them most of the time. They wander away, get lost and get themselves into dangerous situations, they lose track of their water sources. Again, they just don’t know how to take care of themselves. Sadly, and I’ll speak for myself here, in my spiritual life, I can be like a sheep.
I can keep myself so busy, thinking I need to do everything on my to-do list and then some, that I don’t pause to spend time with Jesus and then peace eludes me. I can find myself straying away from what’s really important in this life, getting further away from the living water I need to survive spiritually. I can wander around, lost, trying to find meaning in the world until my soul is completely worn out. Does any of that resonate with you? I don’t think I’m alone in this struggle, and I don’t think so because misery loves company, I think so because Psalm 23 wouldn’t be in the Bible if there weren’t other struggling saints like me!

But Jesus, the Good Shepherd, loves us so much. He knows our weaknesses, and he calls out to us follow his voice. His sheep, my walking friend, know his voice. And when he calls, we should, like good sheep, run to the good shepherd. He calls us by name – every good shepherd knows the name of every sheep in his flock – and he knows what we need. Rest. Restoration. Living water. He will tell us, Dear One, stop. Put everything down. Enjoy this beautiful day and pasture I have prepared for you. Feast on my living water and the bread of life I have prepared for you. Let me refresh your soul, renew your spiritual strength, so you can continue your journey with me. The more you walk with me, the more you will know my voice and trust me, so that when we, yes, we, you and I, come to a dark valley, you will be able to walk through it trusting I will lead you safely to the other side.

This process of walking with Jesus, physically and spiritually, is an opportunity for Jesus to renew us physically and spiritually, It is an opportunity for him to transform us into the men and women of God he created us to be. He loves us so much, and like every good shepherd, he is here to guide us, protect us, and lay down his life for us. I hope that imagery and today’s verse begin to transform your inner self and refresh your soul.

Now let’s take a little time to meditate on today’s verse,
Psalm 23:1-3:
The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul.

You are now at the halfway point of your walk. If you need to be back in 10 minutes, this would be the time to turn around and head back.

The second half of our walk is an opportunity for reflection, meditation, and prayer. For many of us, myself included, this might feel challenging. But the spiritual rewards, and transformation, that come from developing this discipline is great and so is the power of the Holy Spirit to help us. So let’s start with some questions that will guide you in the process of reflection.

What does peace look like and feel like to you? Take a little time to think of that now.

When your soul is troubled, do you ever look to things in the world – food, work, mindless activities – to restore your soul to calm? In contrast, how does Jesus restore your soul? Consider your answer now.

How does it make you feel to know that when you meet with Jesus, every minute of every day is an opportunity for renewal?

Now let’s listen to today’s verse one last time:
Psalm 23:1-3:
The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul.

Is there anything else you would like to talk to Jesus about? Anything going on in your life? Remember he is right there with you, walking with you, and he is eager for you to share all that is on your heart and mind with him. Take some time to talk to him now.

Now I am going to pray for us:

Dear Jesus,
Forgive me when I stray and follow the ways of the world instead of following you, my Good Shepherd. You are the way to true peace. In you, I know I can find rest and restoration. It overwhelms me to think that you, the creator of the entire universe, knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for loving me, Jesus. Bless my mind and memory so that I can remember your words and promises. Help me stay on the path of righteousness so that I can bring glory to your name. Thank you, Jesus, for walking with me through every valley, on every mountaintop, and even on my walk today. Amen.

Well, my walking friend, you did it! Another 10 minutes of walking and another opportunity to build the spiritual discipline of prayer and quiet time with Jesus, the Good Shepherd. I’m grateful for you and I’m grateful you took the time to walk with me today.

For more Walk with Jesus resources, including the Walk with Jesus 21 day scripture, devotional, and guided prayer journal book for walkers, go to WalkWithJesusDevotional.com. You will find the URL for the show notes for this podcast in the episode description.

I hope we can walk together again tomorrow, friend, as we finish up our series on transformation. Until then, God bless you as you walk with Jesus.