“He Makes Me Lie Down in Green Pastures.” - Psalm 12:2a
“The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures.” Psalm 23:1-2a
What do you picture when you think of sheep lying down in green pastures? I envision an idyllic, calm countryside with lush green grass and healthy sheep comfortably grazing.
In his book, A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23, Phillip Keller states that sheep will only lie down when four requirements are met: they must be free of all fear, free from friction with the other sheep, free of pests and insects, and free from hunger. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?
As the shepherd is the one who helps meet those intentional needs, it is the shepherd, Keller says, “...who makes it possible for them to lie down, to rest, to relax, to be content and quiet and flourishing…The presence of their master and owner and protector put them at ease as nothing else could do, and this applied day and night.” The key ingredient here is the Shepherd - as He is the Provider of rest.
Does your life provide evidence of living at ease with your Shepherd?
As Believers, we’re called to walk in peace. We’re called to find rest in our Savior. We have a different demeanor knowing we have a Shepherd who provides for our every need, like we discussed last week.
When I’m fearful? Seek the Shepherd.
When I’m feeling friction in a relationship? Seek the Shepherd.
When I’m feeling distracted? Seek the Shepherd.
When I’m feeling weak and hungry? Seek the Shepherd.
As we understand our need for God, it’s His compassion, His peace, His presence, and His food that we should deeply cherish and seek.
FREE OF FEAR
Keller says, “There is nothing like Christ’s presence to dispel the fear, the panic, the terror of the unknown.”
Oh, how deeply I feel this. My husband and I have stood on the threshold of life and death with our daughter – what I originally would have identified as my worst fear. We wept there, in our deepest moments of heartache, not knowing if we’d have an hour or a lifetime with her. I felt so seen by God knowing that Jesus had wept before. We stood there lamenting in the unknown, feeling a fear that could have been all-encompassing, yet God’s presence was thicker. His compassion surrounded us tightly in our tears.
We’ve all gone down the rabbit trail of worst case scenarios filled with danger, distress, and urgency. As you trail off with every question of “what if?”, I invite you to sit with the worst case ending for a second. What would still be true in the middle of it? God’s love. His forgiveness. His compassion and comfort. His faithfulness.
Focusing on the Father sets us free from fear. I have a list of some of the names of God written in our home, in a spot where I see it as a daily reminder of who He is. In the midst of fear, I repeat the promises and characteristics of God, which reminds me that my confidence is in Him. He is El Roi, “the God who Sees,” and Yahweh Shalom, “the God of Peace.” That reminder pulls me out of my anxious thoughts and into trust.
Keller explains how “His presence in the picture throws a different light on the whole scene. Suddenly things are not half so black nor nearly so terrifying. The outlook changes and there is hope. I find myself delivered from fear. Rest returns and I can relax.”
Assurance, calmness, contentment, and ease are marks of a Believer opposing fear. Have you ever considered how fear affects our influence? Keller explains, “When one startled sheep runs in fright, a dozen others will bolt with it in blind fear, not waiting to see what frightened them.” Our instinct is to do the same, but as Believers, we should run straight to our Shepherd in the midst of life’s circumstances. And ultimately, that leads others towards Him as well.
In life, you won’t have all the answers to “why” but you will always know the “Who.” Keller describes how “...the presence of their master and owner and protector put [the sheep] at ease as nothing else could do…” May that be so for our relationship with the Lord. We’re called to cling to the faithful promises of God as Hebrews 10:23 says: “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.”
Psalm 112:7-8 references a righteous response, saying, “He is not afraid of bad news; his heart is firm, trusting in the Lord. His heart is steady; he will not be afraid, until he looks in triumph on his adversaries.” When we find rest in our Shepherd’s pastures – no matter our circumstances – that is our evidence of a trusting, steady heart. Sometimes it’s easier said than done, but the sooner we realize we are not in control, the faster we lift our circumstances to the throne of God.
FREE FROM FRICTION
God wants us to live in peace and harmony with one another.
In a flock of sheep, there will be a domineering one that butts heads with the weaker, younger ones. When the sheep feel at odds with each other, they cannot find rest. But the refreshing truth is that a good shepherd “has great compassion for the poor, weak sheep that get butted about by the more domineering ones.”
Our relationships are full of potential friction. A wrong word or tone, not to mention our own sinfulness, have the potential to initiate a misunderstanding with those we love. It brings me so much peace to know God has compassion for us when friction like that steals our rest.
Even in those moments of turmoil, we can find rest. Keller outlines, “When my eyes are on our Master, they are not on those around me. This is the place of peace.”
What does it practically look like to choose peace with others instead of tension?
It looks like meditating on the words of Colossians 3:12-17 as I pray for forgiveness and harmony.
Sometimes it looks like pausing with a deep breath, intentionally relaxing the tension in my shoulders. Other times that looks like allowing God to handle the details of a relationship rather than digging in myself.
As Believers, we’re called to exemplify the love described in 1 Corinthians 13 to one another, even in the midst of friction. I think of Jesus’ patience with His disciples when they fell asleep on the eve of His crucifixion after He asked them to pray or when one of His closest friends denied him – both opportunities for heavy friction with His friends, yet Jesus chose the road of forgiveness.
It’s the Shepherd who modeled what it is to be free of friction. The trouble doesn’t always disappear, but we have the option to choose not to be suffocated by it.
I think of the lyrics to the song “Turn your eyes upon Jesus”:
O soul are you weary and troubled
No light in the darkness you see
There's light for a look at the Savior
And life more abundant and free
Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full in His wonderful face
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace
In any relationship filled with friction, as we turn our eyes upon Jesus, we can take a deep breath and thank Him for His perfect peace.
FREE OF DISTRACTIONS
Life is full of “gnats and fleas” ready to constantly swarm and aggravate our attention. Little annoyances build up to big emotions, and we have to combat the distractions in healthy ways.
Keller reminds us, “...in the Christian life there are bound to be many small irritations. There are the annoyances of petty frustrations and ever-recurring disagreeable experiences.”
Constant small irritations can easily distract us from obedience or confuse us. They can be frustrating because though they are small, they can instigate big emotions. God has been recently reminding me that His promises are true both with big mountaintop/valley moments and with our small but persistent figurative gnats and fleas.
With the irritants that come your way, I encourage you to consider: what can you gain here?
Maybe it's gaining an opportunity to seek the Father for patience, peace, or practice in forgiveness. Maybe it is gaining a chance to know Him more deeply as we learn obedience in each moment.
One of my favorite quotes from this chapter is when Keller outlines that the Lord “...comes quietly to reassure us that Christ Himself is aware of our dilemma and deeply involved in it with us.”
Deeply involved.
Once again, that makes me feel so seen. The Shepherd there in every single moment with you — both in the big seasons and the tiny situations that last only a short minute.
Aggravation can turn to thankfulness when we shift our eyes from the pesky annoyance and up to our Father. With that, we are sanctified in our faith rather than stuck in our distractions. That leads us to hunger for more of God’s truth to fuel us daily.
FREE OF HUNGER
Keller explains, “Because of our own perverseness we often prefer to feed on the barren ground of the world around us. I used to marvel how some of my sheep actually chose inferior forage at times. But the Good Shepherd has supplied green pastures for those who care to move in onto them and there find peace and plenty.” We have an open invitation to God’s green pastures. With our human limitations, we need food (both physically and spiritually) to fuel our bodies and souls and God provides that nourishment for us. But the question lies with what type of food we choose to eat?
Keller reminds us that “there is no substitute for good pasturage.” Think about the nutrients that come from lush pasturage versus dry ground. The benefits of fueling our souls with truth from our Savior lead us to a fuller, healthier life. There is truly no substitute for His Word.
What do we try to substitute for our good pasturage? How can we instead steward fuel for our souls from the Father’s Word?
Keller also explains how “a hungry, ill-fed sheep is ever on its feet, on the move, searching for another scanty mouthful of forage to try and satisfy its gnawing hunger. Such sheep are not contented, they do not thrive, they are of no use to themselves nor to their owners. They languish and lack vigor and vitality.”
I can relate. When I try to live on my own strength, or with my own figurative food, I feel exhausted and depleted. I’m constantly looking for the next thing on my schedule or affirmation from others to satisfy, and I can never truly rest.
Instead, it is spoonful by spoonful that we nourish ourselves with God’s truth from His Word for each day. We are then more aware of the benefits of setting “your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth” (Colossians 3:2). God’s Word gives us perseverance for the race marked out for us (Hebrews 12:1). It’s a guide to fully rest in His presence.
The Bible is our daily manna from God that sustains and provides strength. Keller says the Shepherd “...sows the seed of His own precious Word, which if given half a chance to grow, will produce rich crops of contentment and peace.”
May we show the evidence of our trust as we “lie down” free of fear, friction, and frustration. May we fuel our bodies with truth to sustain us in each moment, thanking Him that as our Shepherd, He is deeply involved.
Join us next week as we study Psalm 23:2b, “He leads me beside still waters.”
REFERENCES
A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 by Phillip Keller
