MENTAL AND EMOTIONAL WELLNESS (3)

“HE RESTORES my SOUL; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake” – Psalm 23:3

Jesus Christ, our Lord and Shepherd, is committed to our MENTAL and EMOTIONAL WELLNESS: “The LORD is MY SHEPHERD; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. HE RESTORES my SOUL; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake” (Psa.23: 1-3). This favourite psalm articulates the picture of God as our Shepherd and Healer. David, himself a shepherd, compared humans to lovingly cared-for sheep. Just as a shepherd makes sure his sheep are content and well-cared for, so God delights in healing our wounds and restoring Joy and Gladness to our lives.

This psalm is so sweet and precious. It contains no reminders of faults; no judgments, scolding, or condemnation. It highlights a Universal Shepherd who supplies individual needs. It offers abundant relief for tired minds, refuge for helpless souls, and literary images that boost mental and emotional wellness. Visualizing ourselves as sheep with absolute trust in the Shepherd, will help to lift our confidence and stabilize our emotions. That the Lord is “MY Shepherd” infers that I am valued and well-connected. I belong. I am not an insignificant non-entity. I have no reason to feel lonely, frustrated, disconnected, or disappointed.

The human soul or mind, like the body, needs nourishment and refreshment. When we know the Lord as our Shepherd, we’ll not lack, including not lacking for health and wellness. Whatever need we have, our Good Shepherd will provide. We don’t have to exhaust ourselves trying to take care of everything, as though we have no God. Whatever medical, mental, or emotional condition we’re faced with, as we stay close to the Shepherd, He provides. First, He brings us to green pastures, to lie down and rest (v.2). Sheep stand when grazing, but lie down when full. So, we see a well-fed, thirst-quenched, satisfied sheep in a peaceful, restful posture. Green pastures are not everywhere, neither are they permanent, but when the sheep needs it, the shepherd finds it.

Attached to the luxuriant, peaceful scene is a cool and quiet stream, with no turbulence or disruption. The Shepherd leads us beside still waters, to drink and be refreshed. The Hebrew word for “still” is manuka, which means “rest.” When we rest, God works! However, the Rest of Faith doesn’t mean we don’t follow our physician’s instructions or prescriptions, or simply sit at ease in denial. Rest is not inactivity; it is Spirit-directed action of being led in what to do, and doing it without worrying, knowing that God is in control. When we enter into His Rest, we will testify like Solomon: “But now the LORD my God has given me REST ON EVERY SIDE; there is neither adversary nor evil occurrence” (1 Kgs.5:4).

God’s Will is to bring us to a place where there is neither adversary nor evil occurrence in our lives; where we can rest in the Victory Christ has already won at the cross. He intervenes for our comfort, peace, quietness, and enjoyment. The Lord RESTORES our SOULS and leads us in the paths of righteousness (v.3). Wise individuals recognize the need for counsel and direction toward spiritual, mental and emotional wellness. The Shepherd knows the path that’s right for each sheep. Therefore, He offers renewal and restoration in preparation for the journey: friendship for the frustrated; new songs for the sorrowful; and faith for the fearful.

Life is not always a bed of roses, not even when we follow the Shepherd. Some paths wind downhill through ravines, with obscured light, feigning the presence of death. But the shadow (or thought) of death cannot cancel our trust in the surety of the Shepherd’s Presence: “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death…You are with me” (v.4). The assurance of His Presence, as our most intimate comfort, enables us to feast in the presence of our enemies (v.5) and be escorted permanently by Goodness and Mercy (v.6). We can choose to trust and not worry, because no matter what comes, goodness and mercy will be right there!