The Word to LIve By: 5-27-26
Phil Waggoner
He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Psalm 23:3
The Word To Live By: I just came in from a medium bike ride on a hot day. The first thing I did was drink a cold glass of water. The next thing I did was take a cold shower. Everyone has different ideas of how to be refreshed. This is what I do, and I feel ready to take on the rest of the day. God’s Word tells us that God is like a shepherd who takes care of us. He protects us from harm, and He makes sure we’re nourished spirit, soul, and body. One of the jobs of a shepherd is to provide the sheep with refreshment. This is why David says in Psalm 23 that The Lord leads him into quiet and lush spaces. Those things refresh your soul. (Mind, will and emotions.) If we aren’t careful, we don’t get refreshed by God but try to do it on our own. Sometimes it’s with pills (Thank God for Ibuprofen.) sometimes it’s with other substances that aren’t God’s best. The problem is when we do it on our own it usually results in rushing around almost ready and we become anxious and frustrated. Then after this continues for a while we start to think there is something wrong with us. I have learned an important lesson from the Bible when I get into this place in life. I stop what I’m doing, put my phone on do not disturb, (I have a smart watch that will vibrate if I get a phone message) and do Colossians 3:2 for at least five minutes. “Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on the earth.” (Your phone, and smart watch, is on the earth and capable of ungodly interruptions.) I did this at the end of the day yesterday because I was half done with my to do list and I was getting frustrated because there was no way I was going to get it done. I took out my hard covered Bible and read myself into the 23rd and the 91st psalm. What if after five minutes, you’re still tied up in knots on the inside? I take another five minutes. And continue to do this until I’m quiet. “Yea, will I can’t do that in the middle of a stressful day!” Let me ask you this. If you dropped dead right now, would the world continue to function? The answer is yes. So, with that in mind, you can take five and get rid of the stress and restore and refresh your soul.
Read through the Bible in a year: Romans 2:1-3:8; 1 Samuel 10:17-11:15; Psalms 56;
Read through the New Testament and Proverbs: Proverbs 27, John 5: 25-47, 2 John
Don’t envy evil people, and don’t long to be with them. Their hearts are focused on violence, and their lips speak of trouble. Proverbs 24:1,2
The sum of Thy Word is Truth Psalm 119:160