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March 20, 2026<\/span><\/p>\n Nourished by Grace<\/strong><\/span> Lee en espa\u00f1ol<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cHe makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul.\u201d Psalm 23:2-3a (NIV)<\/em><\/p>\n I didn\u2019t need more food. Or more coffee. Or another perfectly highlighted Bible study plan.<\/p>\n What I needed was rest. Real rest. The kind of rest you can\u2019t fake or force.<\/p>\n Instead, I stood in front of the pantry again, not because I was physically hungry but because something deep inside me felt \u2026 hollow.<\/p>\n That\u2019s what I do when I\u2019m depleted. I reach for things that promise quick comfort but never satisfy. Eating. Scrolling. Overdoing. Overthinking. Trying to be everything for everyone.<\/p>\n That day, I sensed the Lord inviting me to pause and reach for Scripture before reaching for anything else. And Psalm 23:2-3a met me right there:<\/p>\n \u201cHe makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n I don\u2019t know about you, but I sometimes try to skip right past those green pastures.<\/p>\n Too much to do. Too many people to hold up. Too many expectations.<\/p>\n But this verse doesn\u2019t say we make ourselves<\/em> lie down or figure out how to be refreshed. It says God, our Shepherd, does it.<\/p>\n He makes us lie down. He leads us to peace. He refreshes our souls.<\/p>\n It\u2019s grace. Pure grace.<\/p>\n Maybe your depletion doesn\u2019t look like mine. Perhaps you\u2019re not standing in front of a pantry but in the middle of a life that feels stretched too thin. Maybe you\u2019ve believed that strength looks like pushing through and pretending everything\u2019s fine.<\/p>\n But, friend, we aren\u2019t machines that just need more fuel or better productivity habits. We\u2019re souls who need daily nourishment \u2014 and Jesus knows that.<\/p>\n Today, if you\u2019re exhausted from trying to hold it all together, can I offer you a gentle invitation? Let the Shepherd hold you instead. Let Him lead you away from the noise and into His presence.<\/p>\n Not because you\u2019ve earned it. Not because you\u2019ve figured it all out. But simply because He loves you and wants to nourish you with something deeper than this world can offer.<\/p>\n His grace isn\u2019t a reward for the strong \u2014 it\u2019s a refuge for the worn-out.<\/p>\n And that means there\u2019s room for you.<\/p>\n Jesus, our Good Shepherd, slow us down when we want to rush, and quiet our souls when the noise feels safer than stillness. Lead us to the rest only You can give, rest that isn\u2019t earned but just received. Refresh what\u2019s worn thin, restore what\u2019s run dry, and help us trust You enough to lie down in Your care. In Jesus\u2019 Name, Amen.<\/em><\/p>\n Have you ever felt God stirring a message in your heart but wondered how to put it into words? COMPEL Pro is here to help you take that next step with confidence. When you join, you\u2019ll be invited to the First 5 Writing Challenge<\/strong> \u2014 a guided opportunity to practice writing a biblically sound, clear, and thoughtful teaching rooted in Scripture. You\u2019ll grow alongside a supportive community and gain tools to strengthen your calling. Plus, when you join COMPEL Pro, we\u2019ll send you the \u201cThe Bible Teacher\u2019s Blueprint\u201d<\/strong> to help you teach God\u2019s Word with clarity and care. Join COMPEL Pro and get the writing support you always wanted.<\/strong><\/p>\n Jane Hanna Stoudt, the author of today\u2019s devotion, is a member of COMPEL Pro Writers Training and a winner of our Encouragement for Today<\/em> Devotion Writing Challenge. We\u2019re celebrating her faithful growth as a writer and her desire to help women draw closer to Jesus in their everyday lives.<\/p>\n Matthew 11:28-29, \u201cCome to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls\u201d (NIV).<\/p>\n 1 Peter 5:7, \u201cCast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you\u201d (NIV).<\/p>\n What \u201cquick comforts\u201d do you tend to reach for when your soul feels depleted? What might it look like to pause and bring your needs to Jesus instead?<\/p>\n What would it mean for you personally to let the Shepherd lead rather than pushing yourself to keep going in your own strength? We\u2019d love to hear from you! Share your thoughts in the comments.<\/p>\n \u00a9 2026 by Jane Hanna Stoudt. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n Proverbs 31 Ministries March 20, 2026 Nourished by GraceJANE HANNA STOUDT, COMPEL Pro Member Lee en espa\u00f1ol \u201cHe makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul.\u201d Psalm 23:2-3a (NIV) I didn\u2019t need more food. Or more coffee. Or another perfectly highlighted Bible study plan. What I needed was rest.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":10758,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[41],"tags":[86,269,268,139,5265,7668,270,181],"class_list":{"0":"post-23079","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-devotionals","8":"tag-daily","9":"tag-devotional","10":"tag-encouragement","11":"tag-grace","12":"tag-march","13":"tag-nourished","14":"tag-proverbs","15":"tag-today"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23079","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=23079"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23079\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/10758"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=23079"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=23079"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=23079"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
JANE HANNA STOUDT, COMPEL Pro Member<\/span><\/p>\nOUR FAVORITE THINGS<\/h4>\n
ENGAGE<\/h4>\n
FOR DEEPER STUDY<\/h4>\n
P.O. Box 3189
Matthews, NC 28106
www.Proverbs31.org<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"