Devos with Davis: God’s Redemptive Love And Perfect Will
Let’s journey back in time to two weeks ago. It was Jan. 12, and the morning had begun like any Sunday, with a church service and then a trip to Burlington International Airport. Little did I know that that day would subsequently become the longest 24 hours of my life, leaving me stranded overnight in Philadelphia, 323 miles from my final destination: Liberty University.
I had just spent winter break with my family in Vermont and was gearing up for the start of the spring semester. However, when I reached my gate at the airport, the fire alarm went off. Suddenly, flight attendants ushered everyone out of the building.
Once we all scurried outside into the cold, a firetruck appeared, and firefighters ran inside to investigate a mysterious “technical issue.”
After waiting for a while for an all clear, everyone had to shuffle through security a second time. I then ran to my gate only to discover that my flight from Vermont was not going to arrive in time for me to catch my connecting flight in Pennsylvania.
Once inside the plane, I found myself standing in the center of the first-class aisle, nervously peering at the exit and then glancing at the rest of the people seated in front of me. It was at that moment that I had to take a deep breath and trust that God was with me, no matter how unsure I was of my next steps.
When I landed in Philadelphia, I ran to the customer service desk and God mercifully provided a way to Washington, D.C., so that I could catch a train and return to Liberty. In the next 24 hours, I would take two flights, a hotel shuttle, two Uber rides and a train to reach my final destination.
Throughout the unexpected change of travel plans, I found myself being reminded of Psalm 23:1-3: “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He 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.”
When the psalmist, David, wrote these words, he was inspired by his experience as a young shepherd to create a relatable picture of how God tends to humanity, caring for us like a flock sheep, according to Blueletterbible.com. It is also believed that David wrote this passage during his time as king of Israel, according to BibleGateway.com.
The prevailing themes of this passage are that God not only guides his children, but also that he provides restoration in the midst of dire need. The phrase from verse 1, “I shall not want” clearly shows “the fact of God’s shepherd-like care was the end of dissatisfied need,” according to EnduringWord.com.
God knows exactly what we need, but he also provides help for us to find peace and true rest during the journey. Ultimately, God is the one true way to finding absolute healing and restoration. Just as a shepherd guides his sheep, he also ensures that his flock has adequate time to stop and regain strength.
According to Acts242study.com, some scholars have translated the Hebrew word for “restores” in verse 3 to mean “to return,” not unlike when a sheep has strayed from the correct path and its shepherd has to redirect the sheep’s course.
In order for humanity to truly be aligned with God’s will, we must let God redirect and transform our trajectory to ensure we are pursuing “paths of righteousness” for his glory alone. Even when traveling mishaps occur or when we stray from this path, it is key to remember that God will rescue us and guide us in the right direction if we remember to call on his name.
Without his help, I’d still be stuck in the streets of Philadelphia, but he opened the doors and showed me that despite a new, unconventional, plan, I was not lost.
Two things are for certain in this life: God’s redemptive love and his perfect will. If we place our trust in him, we will never be lost, even in the valley of the shadow of death.
Davis is the Editor-in-Chief of the Liberty Champion. Follow her on X.
