Recharged and Renewed - Himalayan Heights – June 24 Readings: Psalm 23:3 – Restored

Psalm 23: The Lord Is My Shepherd

All Scripture is God-breathed and useful, but there are some Scriptures that we can consider the Himalayan mountaintops of the Bible. In the next few months, we will be looking at a series of great texts that inspire and move us - the "Himalayan Heights" of God's Word.

Today's Reading:  Psalm 23, focus on verse 3

David was a shepherd in his early years. In this great song of praise, David considers God as his shepherd and reflects on what that means. Each verse is a gem.

Each day this week, meditate on this psalm. The highlighted potion will be our focus verse.

1  The Lord is my shepherd;

I have what I need.

2 He lets me lie down in green pastures;

he leads me beside quiet waters.

3 He renews my life;

he leads me along the right paths

for his name’s sake.

4 Even when I go through the darkest valley,

I fear no danger,

for you are with me;

your rod and your staff—they comfort me.

5 You prepare a table before me

in the presence of my enemies;

you anoint my head with oil;

my cup overflows.

6 Only goodness and faithful love will pursue me

all the days of my life,

and I will dwell in the house of the Lord

as long as I live.

Through the Bible Readings: 2 Chronicles 5-6, Acts 1:12–26, Psalm 77:4–11, Proverbs15:30–33

If you wish to read through the Bible in a year, follow these readings. 

Devotional: Recharged and Renewed    

I sometimes think that my life is about cords - charging cords to keep my electronic toys charged and ready to go. Trying to sort my cords, manage them, avoid tripping over them, and keep them from getting tangled into a mess no one can sort. I have cords here at my desk, cords in the kitchen, cords in my car, cords by my bedside, and cords by my living room chair. It is frustrating, at times.

But there is a reason for all of these chords. My phone needs electricity. My computer needs electricity - that should be plural. My tablet needs electricity. My Fitbit needs electricity. So many of the things I depend on during the day require power to function. When the power gets low, I get blinking lights, warnings, and finally, the battery goes schplunk (a Hebrew word I just made up).

Just like my electronics, my soul needs recharging. That's why I try to encourage our church family to get in the Bible and spend devotional time. It isn't some sort of religious deed you perform to check off your list and get a gold star from God. This world drains us. It sucks the life, the spiritual life, right out of us. We are tempted and tried, seduced into worldly thinking, sinful ways, and into a life of compromise and pointlessness. We need to be recharged daily.

This coronavirus time has been hard on all of us, but I talked to a friend today and told him that it has left me feeling drawn. Of course, there are some family issues that most of you know about with my parents both being on hospice. I told my friend that it feels like I'm living in a movie, not in real life. It's hard to describe - not really depression, but constant weirdness!

When life is coming at us as it has been coming at us, we need our souls renewed - daily, hourly, minute-by-minute. Psalm 23:3 tells us how this happens. "He renews my life." We know that in a slightly different wording that says essentially the same thing. "He restores my soul." I need to find a plug for my electronics to connect them to the power source. Our power source is Jesus. We read the Bible, not just to gain information or to perfect doctrine, but to connect with Jesus. We pray, not to tell God what to do (he already knows) but to connect our souls with the Almighty.

It is when we connect with our Shepherd that we are renewed and recharged. In this world, we need that more than ever.

I thank you, Father, for renewing my soul and bringing hope and joy to my life when I seek you. Help me to love you and seek you more.                   

Think and Pray:

Are you renewing your soul on a constant basis?
Are your devotions a religious duty or a time to connect with the Almighty and be renewed?