Let’s go through this Psalm together, deeply—you, Jesus, and I. I’d encourage you to journal what God speaks to you about the questions you ask him. Even if you don’t like writing. Try it! And remember that his reply might come in a variety of ways:
Verbally. He might remind you of Bible verses, or speak words to your heart.
Visually. He might put a picture or image into your mind that signifies truth.
Logically. He might suddenly help you understand or know something without any words or pictures.
Physically. He might give you a sensation of peace, warmth, etc.
Relationally. He might use a person to share any of the above.
The main point is that when you ask Jesus questions—especially important questions like the ones we’re going to ask him together—he loves to respond. As James said, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault (without exception)” (James 1:6). And when we think we have received the wisdom, we simply test it against scripture. Okay? Now for the Psalm.
“The LORD is my shepherd.”
Blanket prayers like “I surrender myself to you totally and forever, God” are great—but those are only words unless they become obedience. And we can never fully anticipate the ramifications of speaking them. But surrender isn’t so vague as that, luckily, because just accepting the guidance and going with it is the surrender. And the flip-side is also true: surrender is the first step of your life of guidance. Surrender and guidance are complimentary sides of the same coin. God’s promise here is that if we surrender to him, he’ll guide us. How could he guide you if you didn’t surrender to the guidance, right?
So: Here are some questions to ask Jesus about how surrendered you are. Read them as prayers, then wait on him. Listen. Write down whatever comes to your mind here:
Lord, what do you want from me and my life right now?
God, Is there something you need me to obey you in?
Lord, where am I holding back from full obedience?
Let me know how it goes!