WEEK 3
DAY 20- MEET THE NEEDS OF OUR EMPTY SOULS
Scripture- Psalm 23:2, 119:11; Matthew 4:4; Romans 10:17
Where do you run when your soul is empty? When you are worn and weary, do you seek fulfillment from your own power, effort, and plans, or do you run to Jesus and seek the comfort that comes from knowing Him and His Word? Matthew 11:28 says, “Come to me, all you who are weary. . . and I will give you rest.” It’s natural for us to try to find satisfaction in other things (it’s been the case since Adam and Eve), but the only thing that can truly make us whole is Jesus.
The closer we run to Jesus, the more we will know Him and His Word, and this will keep us from sin. Jesus Himself turned to Scripture to rebuke Satan’s temptations in Matthew 4, and as the psalmist writes in Psalm 119:11, hiding His Word in our hearts keeps us from sinning against God.
Jesus calls Himself the Good Shepherd and says that like sheep, His followers will know His voice (John 10:27). As David writes, “He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul” (Ps. 23:2–3a).
Do you know the Word of the Lord? Can you discern the voice of the Good Shepherd? The more time we spend with Jesus (the incarnate Word) and in our Bibles (the written Word), the clearer His voice becomes, and He will restore our empty souls.
REFLECTION PRAYER
Father in heaven,
We confess and repent of all the times we have tried to treat our emptiness under our own power and through worldly means. We acknowledge that You, and You alone, are the key to a fulfilling, whole, and satisfying life.
Lead us to a greater appreciation of Your written Word and a greater desire to study it and know it because knowing the Word allows us to know You better; and in knowing You, we can find rest. Amen.
Please reflect on Psalm 23 again as you end your prayer time.
By Aaron Pfahler