God Will Refresh Your Soul
By Whitney Hopler
Bible Reading:
“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 23:1-3, NIV
The summer heat can be so relentless that it drains away my energy. Whenever I come back to my air-conditioned home after being outside during summer, I crave some refreshment, so I pour myself a cold glass of water as soon as possible. On summer evenings, I take showers in cool water for more refreshment. This physical refreshment often reminds me of another kind of refreshment I need regularly – refreshment for my soul. Just like I need to recover physically from the heat of hot weather, I need to recover spiritually from the heat of stress that accumulates in my life from lots of work and other demands.
Psalm 23 describes God as a shepherd who helps us get the rest we need, leads us beside quiet waters, and refreshes our souls. God makes it possible for us to enjoy the spiritual revival and renewal we all need.
Here’s how you can rely on God to refresh your soul:
Verse 1 says: “The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing.” When the Lord is your shepherd, he is guiding you, protecting you, and giving you what you need. Just like a good shepherd makes sure his sheep have what they need to thrive, God makes sure you have all that’s truly important for your well-being. When you really trust that God provides for your most important needs, a strong peace starts to settle in your soul, and that peace refreshes you from the inside out.
Verse 2 points out: “He makes me lie down in green pastures.” In this busy world, it can be hard to really rest. You might take a break to sit on a couch to scroll on your phone, but real rest – the kind that makes your soul feel new again – often escapes you. God knows you need this rest. He encourages you to lie down. Your “green pastures” can be refreshing times of prayer and meditation, experiences enjoying God’s wonder in nature, or other kinds of breaks that refresh your soul.
The second part of verse 2 declares: “he leads me beside quiet waters.” Quiet, still waters are peaceful. When your mind is racing and your spirit is troubled, God offers you his peace, which is much stronger than any stress you’ll ever face. You can enjoy following God to “quiet waters” by focusing on God’s peaceful presence with you.
Finally, verse 3 begins by saying: “he refreshes my soul.” This is the wonderful result of God being your shepherd. When God refreshes your soul, he sends you the strength you need for what’s ahead in your life. God has unlimited strength, so he can empower you in every way you need fresh strength from him.
So, ask God to refresh your soul whenever you need that. Just like you look for a cool drink when you’re thirsty, you can turn to God when your soul is tired. You can pray, tell him you’re exhausted, and invite him to lead you to his green pastures and quiet waters. This summer, when you feel the heat and want to cool down physically, let it remind you to seek spiritual refreshment too. God, your good shepherd, is waiting to lead you and to refresh your soul in ways nothing and no one else can!
Intersecting Faith & Life:
As you consider how to rely on God to refresh your soul, reflect on these questions:
- What are some stressful situations in your life that are making your soul feel drained right now?
- In what ways do you currently try to find rest or refreshment? Are those ways really helping you spiritually?
- How can you include some time in “green pastures” and “quiet waters” in your daily schedule?
- What does it mean to you personally to truly believe that “the LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing”? How can believing that help you manage stress and experience more peace in your life?
- What’s one action you can take this week to allow God to refresh your soul, based on Psalm 23?
Further Reading:
Matthew 11:28-30
Isaiah 40:31
Jeremiah 31:25
Psalm 19:7
Proverbs 11:25
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