He [God] makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake (Psalm 23:2–3 ESV).

By: Scott Schuler

Lory hurried into the pasture of horses with an agenda. Riding sessions were starting soon, special guests were arriving and she had to halter the horse, pronto! She trapsed quickly through the dew-drenched grass, straight toward the beautiful paint quarter horse peacefully grazing with her herd.

Five feet from the mare, halter and lead in hand and business on her mind, Lory saw Joy pin back her ears and slowly move away. Ugh, this is how it’s going to be? Lory backed off and approached from another angle. With a swish of her tail, Joy jogged further away, this time moving some of the other horses with her.

As her agenda began to fade into an exasperated surrender, Lory closed her eyes in a silent prayer.

She allowed the anxiety to drain from her body and breathed in the crisp morning air. She couldn’t force Joy to cooperate. But she could intentionally invite Joy into her space. Shoulders lowered, back turned toward the horse, Lory stood silently, letting the halter and lead fall gently to the ground. Minutes later, she felt warm breath and a soft nuzzle on her hand. Joy willingly accepted her invitation to spend time together.

Agendas. We fill our lives with them.

Work, school, home, family, volunteering. I watch life’s pace create a train wreck for many of my friends. What in the world are we doing? Our schedules are out of control. Our minds and bodies over extended and exhausted.

But throughout the verses in Psalms, we find promise of peace, restoration, righteousness.

Do you see the disconnect?

How do we unplug from the world and connect to what is most important––our relationship with God?

We must deliberately choose the intentional time with God that He offers as a gift.

God is in control. … He makes me … He leads me … He restores my …  When we do, God begins His renewing work in us. But God doesn’t force us to spend time with Him. Just as Lory invited Joy to spend time with her, God invites us to relish in the present moment with Him. The problem is, we are not good at doing this. Let’s try this now.

Stop. Close your eyes wherever you are at this moment and breathe in deeply. What do you hear? Feel? Smell? Think about the last time you slowed down and allowed yourself to experience the small pleasures of your five senses.

Put down your device. It’s difficult to refresh and rejoice when the world’s constant clamor is poised in your hand, ready for you to tap a button. Your mental filters become clogged with life’s debris. Old wounds, memories, or insecurities that obstruct God’s work in the present moment. God invites you to rest, right now. As the psalmist noted, “This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24).

Step outside. God created the heavens and the earth, “and God saw that it was good” (Genesis 1:12). How often do you marvel at God’s imagination? When did you last notice the intricate details of a flower or granular veins of a leaf? Have you studied the clear night sky as the stars came to life, dancing and singing praise to their Creator? When was the last time you listened to the thunder roll or considered a rainbow painted in the sky as God’s message your troubles are ending?

Busyness steals the gift that living presently can unveil.

Repeat the words from Psalm 16:11, “in your presence there is fullness of joy.” Not in the past, nor the future. In the present, you experience Jesus and his character, the fruits of the Spirit, “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Galatians 5:22–23).

What is clogging your mental filter? Journal what comes to mind during your deliberate time of rest in the present moment with Jesus.

---