He Leads Me Beside The Still Waters

Whenever I speak with friends, neighbors and other Christian Conservatives about the scary results of the election and the "fiscal cliff" that our nation is headed towards, they express the worry and anxiety that we all are feeling.  It is especially troublesome to those of us who are paying attention to the corruption going on in our government and the turmoil around the world.

But Psalm 23 helps us throw our cares upon the Lord Jesus Christ.  Jesus told us that our frets are futile.

"You cannot add any time to your life by worrying about it."  (Matthew 6:27).

We all know the bad results of worry.  Anxiety, depression, high blood pressure, heart trouble, headaches, and a host of stomach disorders.

So how to deal with anxiety?

I once read about a humorous story where a person decided to hire someone to do his worrying for him.  He found a man who agreed to be his hired worrier for the salary of $200,000 per year.  After the man accepted the job, his first question to his boss was, "Where are you going to get $200,000 per year?"  To which the man responded, "That's your worry."

Heh heh...of course "worrying" isn't a job that we can give to another person to handle for us!

David instructs us in Psalm 23:

"He leads me beside the still waters."

"He restores my soul."

"He leads me in the paths of righteousness."

God is leading us!  He tells us what we need to know when we need to know it!  How?  In His Word!

Hebrews 4:16 NLT says, "We will find grace to help us when we need it."

In another translation (NEB), it reads, "Let us therefore boldly approach the throne of our gracious God, where we may receive mercy and in his grace find timely help." 

Psa 23:1 A Psalm of David. The LORD [is] my shepherd; I shall not want.

Psa 23:2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.

Psa 23:3 He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name's sake.

Psa 23:4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You [are] with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

Psa 23:5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over.

Psa 23:6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell [fn] in the house of the LORD Forever.

NKJV Footnotes: (23:6) Following Septuagint, Syriac, Targum, and Vulgate; Masoretic Text reads return.

God leads us.  God will do the right thing at the right time.  And what a difference that makes.