Lent Day 35 - Helen Hunter
"He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul.” Psalm 23:2-3 NIV
Sometimes life throws us a curved ball that can quickly overwhelm us. In those moments, prayer practices can go out of the window. Have you ever experienced such a time?
A while ago, my daily life came to a grinding halt, as joint pain meant that even the simplest tasks like dressing, driving and sleeping became incredibly hard. How do you hold onto faith and relationship with God in such moments when you can’t even find the words to pray?
The pain overwhelmed everything. But it was right in that moment that I discovered the importance of memorised scripture. This psalm came to mind and was all I could do to say over and over again, ‘the Lord is my shepherd’. Our best prayers are often our simplest ones.
I found particular comfort in the words ‘He makes me to lie down’. It reminded me that God was still present, He hadn’t abandoned me in this time of pain, limitation and confusion. But I also found within these words an invitation. I said ok Lord, if you are making me lie down, would you also give me the green pastures? Teach me, nourish me, give me fresh grass to eat! I wanted to find the good that he was promising and he really answered that prayer.
What about you? What are the simple words of truth that you hold onto or pray in hard moments? Is there a phrase from this psalm that challenges or invites you to see things differently?
Don’t dismiss the familiar verses from God’s word that you’ve hidden in your heart. You just never know when they might be the only words you can hold on to. His word is powerful.
Photo *Unsplash
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