Devotional Messages

Psalm 23:1-3 – "God, my shepherd! I don’t need a thing. You have bedded me down in lush meadows, you find me quiet pools to drink from. True to your word, you let me catch my breath and send me in the right direction." (MSG)

I know this is a beloved and well-known Psalm, so it might be weird to see me using The Message version, but the simplicity of the language stood out to me. What stood out most was the "you let me catch my breath" part. The NRSV says, "he restores my soul," and the NIV says, "he refreshes my soul;" soul had a different meaning to the ancient readers, and it's beautiful language, but the catching of breath feels so real.

It points to the necessity of stopping and taking time to move into a potential stillness. Catching your breath can take time and make you realize how you may be tired or weary. Listening to you breathe, seeing your chest filled with air, feeling your pulse, or hearing your heartbeat in your ears can make you recognize your humanity, your limitations, or your needs.

We may need a place to rest; God has already provided. We may need a drink; God has already provided. God has promised, and God provided; even when we didn't know what we needed, God provided the time and the space to catch our breath and then guide us in the right direction.

Collect for the Week – Gracious God, you provide and see our needs before we may even have the chance to realize them; grant that we may recognize our limitations and seek your strength and your rest so that we might more fully learn to depend on you. Through Christ Jesus our Lord and the Holy Spirit, we pray, Amen.