“Love grows the soul beside still waters.”
Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – September 5, 2025
He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters. Psalm 23:2
You have a choice. You can choose solitude, or solitude will be chosen for you. You ask, “What exactly do you mean?” Imagine your soul as a smartphone with a dying battery at 2%. God’s gentle whisper says, “Come, rest in my green pastures.” You can either plug in willingly—cherishing quiet mornings, unhurried prayers, restorative walks—or keep running until you crash. Here’s the beautiful tension: your Good Shepherd offers rest as an invitation, not just a suggestion. When David writes, “He makes me lie down,” he’s revealing the Lord’s loving persistence. Sometimes “makes” seems like peaceful solitude you choose; other times it’s the forced timeout of illness, burnout, or unexpected circumstances that halt your runaway life.
God loves you too fiercely to watch you self-destruct. He’d rather orchestrate a holy interruption than lose you to exhaustion. The green pastures remain the same—it’s just whether you stroll there voluntarily or get carried there by life’s storms. Solitude comes from the word solus, meaning to be alone. Henri Nouwen explains, “Many of us are driven. Solitude pokes a hole in that drivenness and helps us stop for a moment and ask: “What is this all for?” It means spending a little time with the Spirit to listen to the voice that says, “You are mine. I am yours. I love you. You don’t have to prove yourself. You are fine.” It’s truly liberating to experience the soothing power of solitude. How is your soul? Rested…fantastic! Tired and alone…time to call a timeout!
Be wise and incorporate solitude into your daily routine, taking a step of faith and dedicating time in extended solitude as a gift from the Lord for your spiritual and emotional well-being. Don’t wait for life to force a pause. Build sacred margins into your days—morning coffee with Jesus, evening walks without podcasts, weekend retreats from noise. Think of extended solitude not as luxury but as soul maintenance, like changing your car’s oil. Your spirit needs regular quiet to hear God’s whisper above the roar of life. Take the leap of faith: schedule silence. Your future self will thank you for choosing rest before exhaustion forces it upon you.
Solitude prepares you to serve with the power of the Holy Spirit. Those whom the Lord uses for His glory, empowered by His strength, are people who have been with Jesus and, from their overflowing love and relationship with Him, love others like Him. Ministry flows from intimacy, not just activity. The disciples who “turned the world upside down” were first recognized as men, “who had been with Jesus.” Their secret wasn’t seminary training or strategic planning—it was closeness to the Savior. In solitude, you don’t just learn about God; you understand His heartbeat, His rhythm, His love language. When you serve from this overflow, people notice something different. Your words carry weight because they’ve been soaked in prayer. Your compassion feels genuine because it’s been shaped through communion. You love others not out of duty but from abundance—because He has first loved you. Empty vessels make the most noise; full ones quietly pour out living water. Calendar solitude daily, and for extended times, trusting that your soul’s investment will grow richly. Love grows the soul beside still waters.
“Then Jesus said, “Let’s go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile.” He said this because there were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his apostles didn’t even have time to eat” (Mark 6:31, NLT).
Prayer
Lord Jesus, in stillness with You, my soul is restored. Let my service flow from intimacy, not striving. Empower me through solitude to serve with joy, clarity, and holy strength. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Application
Consider scheduling a 24-hour silent retreat at a place set up for solitude.
Related Reading
Exodus 33:11; Lamentations 3:25-28; Psalm 46:10; Matthew 6:6; Mark 1:35
Worship Resource
LeAnna Crawford: Still Waters
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