“He Leads Me Beside Still Waters”: Finding Peace in Psalm 23

Even when we know God is good, anxiety can still make our world feel noisy, tight, and overwhelming. As a counselor with a Christian worldview, I meet many guests who trust God  and still wrestle with fear, panic, or racing thoughts. The presence of anxiety doesn’t mean the absence of faith. It simply means you’re human.

Psalm 23 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2023&version=NIV
meets us right there:

“The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk
through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely your goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.”

Quiet waters. Restored souls. These words are more than poetic; they’re promises. And they’re still true, even for those of us in therapy. Even when your chest feels tight or you haven’t slept in days, God has not forgotten you. He is still your Shepherd, and He still leads you gently toward peace.

The beauty of counseling is that it doesn’t replace God; it points us back to Him. Isaiah 9:6 reminds us that Jesus is called Wonderful Counselor, the one who understands our burdens completely and offers wisdom that heals. Counseling can be one of the ways He ministers to us through reflection, rest, and safe relationship.

“And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”Isaiah 9:6

If you need a moment to breathe, I invite you to listen to “Still Waters” by Leanna Crawford, a moving musical meditation on Psalm 23 and God’s presence in our anxious moments:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WW0VJxPqeRc

Let it remind you:
You are not alone.
You are not too broken.
You are still being led.
And your Shepherd, your Wonderful Counselor, has not lost sight of you.

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