NOON

GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS

365 DEVOTIONS FROM OUR DAILY BREAD

NOON

READ:  PSALM 23

He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me

beside the still waters.  Psalm 23:2

Our office is a busy place where things sometimes feel like they are moving at breakneck speed.  This often involves meeting after meeting, hallway conferences, and an avalanche of e-mail.

In the midst of this extreme busyness, I sometimes feel the need to escape, to decompress.  My response?  To create a quiet place.  On those days when I have no lunch meeting, I retreat to the quiet of my car.  I grab some lunch and sit in my car, where I can read, listen to music, think, pray-and be refreshed.

I think this is the essence of what the shepherd-psalmist points to in Psalm 23:2.  He sees the Good Shepherd bringing him to “still waters” -that is, waters to rest by.  It pictures a quiet place, a retreat from the pressures of life, where you can rest in the presence of Shepherd of your heart and be strengthened for what lies ahead.  Even Jesus withdrew to a solitary place to pray and commune with His father (Mark 1:35).

We all need retreats in our lives, not only because of the overwhelming nature of life, but because of our dependence on the resources of the Master.  In our fast-paced days, it is essential to find a place of solitude, “a place of quiet rest, near to the heart of God.”  Where’s yours?  BC

There is a place of quiet rest,

Near to the heart of God,

A place where sin cannot molest,

Near to the heart of God. -McAfee

When we draw near to God our minds are refreshed and our 

strength is renewed!