阅读经文 

在多年前的一个退修会中，我按指示要用三个钟头的时间用诗篇23篇来祷告，我心中顿时感到焦虑和惶恐不安；在克服了起初的惊异后，我真的用了三个钟头研读了这篇宝贵的诗篇，再一次在里面发掘了恩典的能力。

我发现我向来都视神为一个监工，就像祂主要的目标是要确保我会尽全力为祂作工。但事实却刚刚相反，诗篇宣告耶和华是我的牧人——牧人的愿望乃是要我的灵魂重新得力！

神使我重新得力，祂在两方面大大祝福我。

第一，牧人知道我的心灵受到生活的击打。人生往往令人困惑，我要作出各种抉择；我尝试去爱人，但又弄得一团糟；我定下计划，但它们往住不能成事。每天我都要应对令我感到焦虑、疲劳、和失望的境况。我的灵魂需要不断重新得力，我的牧人非常明白我的难处，祂一直在我身旁与我同行。

第二，牧人知道我需要青草地和可安歇的水边，奥妙之处在于我们每一个人都渴望不同的草地和水边，你心目中的青草地和可安歇的水边可能和我的不同；然而牧人认识你，多过你认识自己，祂必定会领你到合适的地方、让你重新得力。

当我顺服跟从祂的引领时，神便会领我到一个令我困苦疲乏全消、生命重新得力的地方的了。

Years ago on a retreat, I was instructed to spend three hours praying Psalm 23. My anxious heart panicked. But after getting over the initial shock, I spent three hours rediscovering the power of grace in this precious psalm.

I realized that I had always seen God as a taskmaster, as if his main goal was to make sure I was doing enough for him. Instead, Psalm 23 declares that the Lord is my shepherd—and the shepherd’s desire is to refresh my soul!

There are two powerful blessings in this refreshing.

First, the shepherd knows that life beats up my soul. Life is often confusing. I have to make all kinds of decisions. I try to love people, and I mess up. I make plans, and they often fall apart. Every day I deal with situations that leave me feeling anxious, weary, and discouraged. My soul needs constant refreshing, and the shepherd knows this so well that he walks right alongside me.

Second, the shepherd knows I need green pastures and quiet waters. The beauty here is that these pastures and waters can be different for all of us! Your green pastures and quiet waters may be different from mine. But the shepherd knows you better than you know yourself, and he will lead you to the right places for refreshment.

When I surrender to his leading, God takes me to places where weary exhaustion begins to die, and life is refreshed.