This is a Path of Righteousness?

¹The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

²He makes me lie down in green pastures.

He leads me beside still waters.

³He restores my soul.

He leads me in paths of righteousness

for his name's sake.

Psalm 23:1–3

I recently underwent a very simple and routine surgery.  Everything that could go wrong, did go wrong! What should have been a two week medical leave has turned into a three month, possibly six months medical leave. I didn’t understand how all of this could have happened. I started asking the Lord the big question: why?

The Lord did not hesitate in sending me on a journey so I could know and understand the why. An elder from my former church visited my husband and I. He wanted to read Psalm 23 with us before he prayed.  By his visit and him reading this Psalm, I felt like it was all the more reason to take those verses line by line and see what it really meant. 

The one verse that kept popping off the page was “He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. I did a resounding humph and asked the Lord out loud, “is this a path of righteousness?” All of this, Lord? Within my spirit I could hear him say, “yes Keitha, this is the path of righteousness that I am asking you to walk.”

The next part of the verse says “for His name’s sake.” My humph turned into a “yes, Lord!” Yes, I am walking through a very hard season (a path of righteousness), but yes, He has been faithful every step of the way.  He will get the glory through this season (For His Name’s Sake).

I love to sing. I sing all the time, no matter what I am doing. That being said, in this hard season, I didn’t feel like singing. Once I discovered that this was a path of righteousness for His name’s sake, I began to lift my hands and sing praises to the One that is leading me through this very difficult path. 

If you have found yourself in a hard season such as job loss/change, loss of a loved one, illness, depression (the list could go on and on), go read the entire chapter of Psalm 23. Talk to the Lord—tell Him all about the season you are in, and ask Him to show you the why!

Other things to do to keep doubt and fear away:

1.  Keep in Constant Communication with Jesus. 

In other words, pray without ceasing. He wants to hear from you and He does hear you! Did you know He intercedes for us—even on the days we feel as if we can’t?

When you feel this way, pray anyway.

2. Keep Singing!

Even when you don’t feel like it, sing! I believe singing lifts us to a higher level of hope and healing. A line to an old Southern Gospel song is “yes, He always gives a song in the darkest night.” 

I am still right in the middle of this hard season. Lessons are being learned every day. I am learning to pray and seek God through this more than I ever have before. I am rejoicing, I am praying and I am singing. I am learning to trust! 

I truly want to give Him Glory for His name’s sake!