“He makes me lie down in green pastures” Psalm 23:2 (NIV)
To me, there is nothing more beautiful than nature’s green: a mountain meadow, fields of alfalfa, an oasis in the midst of a desert, green pastures.
Green is the color of food, of growth, of life.
So much is packed into this one sentence.
Let’s start at the end with green pastures. These pastures provide beauty, peace, rest, and provision. Everything we need is there.
Then there is the cause of our being there. The verse says that the Lord “makes” us lie down. It is a causative verb meaning someone else—in this case God—causes the action.
As most of us know, left to our own devices, we don’t really know when to rest. We always believe action is the answer to problems, and we believe it is our action that is needed.
But how many times has God “caused” us to rest. Sometimes through pleasant means: an unexpected day off; an eventless weekend; an early morning sunrise or evening sunset.
But at other times, he has used our own frenetic schedules to force us to rest: illness, exhaustion, loss of job.
What is most interesting to note is that in biblical times, a shepherd led their flocks to green pastures. He didn’t herd them. He would walk and call his sheep and the sheep would recognize his voice and follow, placing full trust that the shepherd would guide, provide, and protect them. Those sheep who refused to follow would be lost, alone, and vulnerable to predators.
And the best part is that this verb is in present tense, not past. He continually guides and provides.
What a perfect picture of our relationship with our Lord. He will guide and protect—continually. All we need to do is follow.
To me, there is nothing more beautiful than nature’s green: a mountain meadow, fields of alfalfa, an oasis in the midst of a desert, green pastures.
Green is the color of food, of growth, of life.
So much is packed into this one sentence.
Let’s start at the end with green pastures. These pastures provide beauty, peace, rest, and provision. Everything we need is there.
Then there is the cause of our being there. The verse says that the Lord “makes” us lie down. It is a causative verb meaning someone else—in this case God—causes the action.
As most of us know, left to our own devices, we don’t really know when to rest. We always believe action is the answer to problems, and we believe it is our action that is needed.
But how many times has God “caused” us to rest. Sometimes through pleasant means: an unexpected day off; an eventless weekend; an early morning sunrise or evening sunset.
But at other times, he has used our own frenetic schedules to force us to rest: illness, exhaustion, loss of job.
What is most interesting to note is that in biblical times, a shepherd led their flocks to green pastures. He didn’t herd them. He would walk and call his sheep and the sheep would recognize his voice and follow, placing full trust that the shepherd would guide, provide, and protect them. Those sheep who refused to follow would be lost, alone, and vulnerable to predators.
And the best part is that this verb is in present tense, not past. He continually guides and provides.
What a perfect picture of our relationship with our Lord. He will guide and protect—continually. All we need to do is follow.
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