When Stillness Feels Impossible – Busyness + Psalm 23

Life can feel like a never-ending race that we don’t know how we got caught up in and don’t know how to get out of. We live exhausted. We are constantly busy. Our to-do lists never end. Life is noisy. Our “rest” is often a screen that wires us up more than it relaxes us. We want to spend time with God, but we have no margin. Then the guilt hits about our inconsistent time in the Word. We want God; we just don’t know where to fit Him in.

The Lie of Busyness

If this sounds like you, I have good news. God knew this would be the world we live in. He placed you here at this exact time in history, and He also made sure you would be equipped to move from hurry to shepherd-led rest.

If you have ever felt alone in your busyness, you are not. A five-year study from Messiah University identified “busyness” as the top distraction from life with God. Our modern conveniences have somehow made us more busy, not less. The average phone usage is estimated to be over five hours a day. “Be still and know that I am God” is a lot easier said than done. We don’t know how to sit still anymore. Even “good” busyness can distract us away from God.

Dallas Willard once said, “You must ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life.” Why? Because hurry and busyness slowly kill our spiritual life and put us right where the enemy wants us. We are not bad, just busy. Not disinterested, just distracted. We are preoccupied with lesser things. Even good things can steal from the best things.

We all have a ton going on. We face demands from every side. We have books we want to read, shows we want to watch, friends and family to keep up with, meals to prepare, homes to clean, bills to pay, and to-do lists that never end. Stillness before God doesn’t feel urgent. No one complains if we miss prayer or Bible study. It is the easiest thing to push to tomorrow. But tomorrow has its own distractions. Before we know it, we are running a race we never meant to enter, and our souls become desperate for rest. The enemy doesn’t need you to abandon your faith. He only needs you to stay too busy to live it.

We have also been made to think that time with God only “counts” if it looks perfect. Quiet. Long. Undisturbed. All-or-nothing. But what if you are not a morning person? What if your days are filled with work and kids? What if you fall asleep the moment your head hits the pillow? It starts to feel like there is no “right” time, so we choose no time.

But God never asked for perfection. He asked for your presence. And when we give Him that, He works.

God’s Answer to Hurry

Psalm 23 is God’s answer to hurry. Let’s look at it together.

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.” (Verse 1)

This is one of the most well-known passages in Scripture, but there is an important word many people overlook: LORD. The Lord is our shepherd. The Creator of the universe. The One who made you and me. He doesn’t send an angel or appoint a wise human over us. God Himself is our shepherd. He leads us, provides for us, and protects us.

We want all the time. More time. More money. More sleep. Better health. Less anxiety. More security. We tend to overwork and overplan because we are afraid of lack. We try to control the future to manage our anxiety. So how can we ever be in a place where we do not want? We recognize that the “want” spoken of here actually means our needs. If God doesn’t give you something, it is because you do not need it. Sheep do not strive. They follow and trust their shepherd for provision. God has infinite resources. He knows what we need. We can trust Him with them.

“He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.” (Verse 2)

Psalm 23 reminds us who is doing the work. God makes. God leads. God restores. He does not ask us to carry everything ourselves. Rest is not optional for God’s people. If we are walking with Him, we cannot run ahead of Him.

Our souls crave what God offers, yet we resist stillness. It feels uncomfortable. But God wants us to rest. Jesus said, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” If you are struggling to slow down, spend more time in God’s Word and in His creation (outside, marveling at His beauty, not inside stuck behind a screen). Follow where He leads.

“He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness.” (Verse 3)

Busyness drains the soul. You cannot pour out spiritually when your soul is running on empty, and you cannot fill yourself no matter how hard you try. Only God truly restores. When we ignore restoration, we become numb, burned out, and spiritually dry. And when we are dry, we start walking our own paths instead of His.

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” (Verse 4)

Hardship will come. Following God does not remove difficulty from our lives. But His presence sustains us in it. He never leaves us to face it alone. Pain on His path is never without purpose, and it is never permanent.

What often happens in hard seasons, though, is that we get even busier. We throw ourselves into work, responsibilities, distractions, and productivity as a way to cope. Staying busy feels safer than sitting still with God in our pain.

But this verse reminds us that valleys are not seasons to pull away from Him. They are seasons to cling closer. When life is heavy, we do not need more noise. We need more presence.

Rest and trust matter even more in the valley, because that is where we are most tempted to numb ourselves instead of leaning on our Shepherd.

“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.” (Verse 5)

In biblical times, your reputation was tied to your hospitality. Guests were washed, anointed, and provided for generously. To run out was shameful. This verse reminds us that God gives abundantly. He prepares more than enough for us.

Yet how often do we trade feasting on His Word for scrolling on our phones? How often do we fall into discontent instead of gratitude? People who practice gratitude live with overflowing cups. As Charles Spurgeon once said, “What, all this and Jesus Christ too?”

“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” (Verse 6)

God is not distant. He is pursuing you with goodness and mercy. Even when life feels like too much, His faithfulness is still there. When you look back, you will see it. And when you remember where you are going, it changes how you live now. Our ultimate goal and hope in this life is one day dwelling with God forever in His house.

Living This in a Busy World

But real life still exists. Kids need us. Work needs us. Homes need care. Responsibilities do not disappear. God does not ask us to ignore them. He asks us to invite Him into them. He will meet you wherever you are. He prepares the table; He doesn’t ask you to.

That is where scent memory can help.

Spending time in God’s Word matters. It does not have to be perfect. It does not have to be quiet. It does not have to be long. It has to be sincere. When you pair Scripture with a scent, your brain connects them. Later, when you relight a candle or spray a room, the Word comes back to you. You find yourself meditating on Scripture while doing ordinary, busy life things.

Practically, this may mean reading early in the morning, in your car on lunch break, or after the kids are in bed. Light a candle. Read a passage. Pray. Later in the day, revisit the scent. It takes seconds, but it brings your heart back to God, restoring your soul and pausing the hustle, even for a moment.

My prayer is that as you learn to fight distraction and hurry, your soul would be restored. That you would grow in trust. That you would learn to rest where your Shepherd leads. And that even in a busy world, you would live rooted, peaceful, and close to Jesus.