📖 “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters
Psalm 23:1-2
A gentle, often uncomfortable truth is tucked into Psalm 23: God makes us lie down. We usually rush past this verse, forgetting one small, significant word: makes. God doesn’t merely suggest rest — He does not ask, but sometimes, He lovingly interrupts us, slowing us down when we’ve forgotten how, not out of frustration, but out of fierce love.
Like a shepherd who sees the exhaustion, we’re too proud to admit, He gently interrupts our momentum. He stops us before we burn out completely. Years ago, I had a friend who would get so sick every year that she’d be sick for a week, because she was always too busy to take a timeout.
Sometimes, He closes doors. He pauses plans and silences the noise, not to harm us but to bring us back to the green pastures of His presence.
We often wear our busyness as a badge of honour. However, soul weariness cannot be healed by simply doing more or getting more sleep. It needs stillness. And God, in His goodness, leads us to it — not to punish us, but to restore us.
📖 “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” – Mark 6:31
There are seasons when the next step doesn’t come with a roadmap, just a whisper.
A nudge in the spirit. A door slightly ajar. A golden umbrella stretched over your head, even while the rain hasn’t stopped.
This artwork came from a moment like that.
The figure in the piece isn’t racing. He’s pausing, covered, called and yet… uncertain. Ahead, a path stretches between vibrant, living walls of green. At the top: open gates, bathed in light. There’s a sense of heaven drawing near, not in thunder but in tenderness.
The slow path is not punishment — it’s preservation — a chance to recalibrate our hearts to the rhythm of heaven. You are not alone on the path.
📖 “You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me.” — Psalm 139:5
So, if things have slowed… if your steps feel small… take heart. You are not behind. You’re being led.
“Golden Covering, Heavenly Calling” gently mirrors the soul of this devotion. With its serene palette and softly layered textures, it invites you to linger — not rush. The strokes flow like whispered prayers, drawing the eye into quiet spaces and open fields. It is a spiritually rich digital painting that invites you into a moment of divine intimacy and trust. A lone figure, cloaked in a navy suit, stands beneath a luminous golden umbrella, facing a narrow brick pathway that winds through lush greenery and leads toward open heavenly gates.
The imagery is inspired by a friend's honest reflection — she shared how, during a season of deep turmoil, she felt like she was walking along a narrow brick road under a huge "Santam umbrella." It was a vivid picture of divine protection in uncertainty. Just like that, the Lord becomes our covering — steady, secure, and ever-present. We only need to stay close to Him to remain under the shelter of His care.
This artwork symbolises both God’s protective presence and His upward call on our lives. The golden umbrella speaks of favour and shelter, while the ascending path reminds us that heaven is not far — it’s calling us to rise, step by step, with courage and trust. It’s a visual reminder that stillness isn’t emptiness; it’s sacred ground. In its calm, we are met. In its quiet, we are known. This artwork offers not just beauty, but a beckoning — to lie down, to breathe, to be.
Reflection:
What if the slow path is where the sacred actually lives? 🤔
What if rest isn’t a pause from purpose but a way to return to it? 🤔
Where in your life have you sensed God “making” you lie down — perhaps through a closed door, unexpected pause, or quiet stretch?
How do you usually respond when your plans are interrupted or progress feels slow?
What beliefs or fears might be driving your resistance to rest?
What would it look like to view this current, slower season as sacred instead of frustrating?
How can you create space in your daily rhythm to be led beside still waters — not out of obligation, but as an act of trust?
Life Application:
Affirmation:
Creative Prompt:
Create a visual or written expression of a “green pasture” God has invited you into — physically, emotionally, or spiritually. Let your next creation be unhurried. Set a timer for 20 minutes and allow yourself to paint, write, or simply sit in silence — without outcome or judgement. Allow yourself to just be.
Closing Prayer:
Good Shepherd, teach me to rest. Help me release the urge to prove or perform. Make me lie down in the quiet places, and remind me that I am deeply loved, even here. Shepherd of my soul, lead me back to stillness. Show me again that I am enough, even in rest. Let my worth be rooted in Your presence, not my pace. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
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