Growing Still to Listen

Still waters. Green pastures. The Shepherd leads to these places — not so the sheep stays put forever, but so it can be restored, drink, and replenish what's been spent.

There's a pattern in Psalm 23 that is God's pattern: before the valley of the shadow, before the table set in the presence of enemies, before life picks back up its rhythm of demands — come the pastures and the waters. Rest before the challenge.

Listening to God calls for this kind of stillness. Not passivity — restoration. Like sheep that need to stop walking in order to drink, you need to stop doing in order to listen. And that isn't wasted time. It's what keeps you able to walk well.

This morning devotional is one of your still waters. Don't underestimate what these few minutes before the day do for you — on the inside, where no one sees, but where everything begins.