A Shepherd

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul. (Psalm 23:1-3a)

Do you ever wear down? I watched a student writing his assignment with a pencil that was barely two inches long. I'm sure at on point the pencil was new and full length. But with use it wore down.

The lead wore down from being rubbed against the paper. The wood wore down from being cut away by a sharpener.

At times the pencil was sharp even as it was wearing down.

Once the process started, the inevitable end was that it would wear down. Wouldn't it be cool if the pencil could be restored to its original form instead of wasting away?

Technology can provide material that might last longer. Other writing utensils have been created. But the standard pencil will wear down.

I feel like the standard pencil. The rub of ministry is a grind although it is also invigorating. The sharpening of education, friendships, retreats, and quiet times help my usefulness and slow the wearing down. But the wearing is still happening.

That's why Psalm 23 is so special. Jesus cares for us as a shepherd cares for his sheep.

When I look to him for all I need I find that what he provides is all I want. When I follow him he gives me rest. When I obey him he refreshes me.

And, most importantly, when I realize who I am - one of the Shepherd's sheep - he restores my soul. It's my soul that recovers more slowly than my body. It's my soul that remains tired even though my body is back up to speed. It's my soul that is still hungry and thirsty after my body is fed and watered.

In the New Testament Jesus said, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled" (from the Beatitudes in Matthew 5).

If we connect the Psalm with the Beatitude I think we learn the key to overcoming the grind of living, the reality of emptiness, and the hurt of brokenness: our Shepherd takes care of us when we follow him.