Our Dwelling Place
“He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for His namesake.” Psalm 23:3
Where is your refreshing place with God? A place to enjoy his presence and the rest that comes with that. Mine looks something like this - a mossy creek surrounded by a forest. There’s something familiar yet extraordinary about it. I encourage you to find a place of still waters. To imagine meeting God there, creating a sanctuary in your mind.
From this place I more eagerly and easily move along the narrow path of righteousness. I am both more surefooted and light on my feet.
In the Message version this verse says, “You let me catch my breath and send me in the right direction…”
These paths - the “right” ones - lead from this space with God… back to this space with God. His presence is the preparation and the prize - where wholeness and rest dwell.
I love to think about these two verses in light of Psalm 23:3 -
Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them. (John 7:38)
Your connection with God, your relationship with Him, makes you a source of living water. Think back to the picture of the creek - how far do those waters reach? How far does rest, wonder, and wholeness reach? How loud is the babbling brook of restoration?
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness… (Matthew 5:6)
Righteousness has a dissonant ring to it in our culture. The word brings to mind pictures of the pious and pushy. In Tim Keller’s sermon, “Inside-Out Living”, he breaks down what righteousness looks like cross-culturally and lands on a concept that hits home for many of us - approval. Ultimately righteousness is right-standing before God. It’s His approval. It’s to know we are ok. The phrase, “blessed are those who hunger and thirst for [approval]” cuts a little deeper.
Because of Christ, we hunger and thirst for righteousness/right-standing/approval that is already ours. He made a way. We can look down and see that the narrow paths of righteousness have already been marked out for us. It doesn’t mean they aren’t hard to follow. It doesn’t mean we won’t feel lost and lonely on a path that has no end in sight. It means that we know where we are headed - it’s the same place we left. It means that whether it’s a roaring waterfall or distant babble, His presence is there to provide the rest, peace, wholeness, direction, and approval we so desperately long for.
