Spend some time the next 6 days thinking about this familiar Psalm.
“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters.” Psalm 23:1-2
Linger over this verse a while and try to put it into your
own words. Read it again…this time slower.
Phillip Keller in his beautiful book A Shepherd Looks at
Psalm 23 says, “It Is no accident God calls us his sheep. The behavior of
sheep and humans is so similar. Our mob instincts, our fears and timidity, our
stubbornness and stupidity, our perverse habits are all parallels of profound
importance. Yet, Christ chooses us, calls us by name, and delights in caring
for us.”
What a generous God!
In the Hidden Life Awakened book study recently completed at
Peachtree Road, we were asked to read the 23rd Psalm every day,
creating a little space in our life for God. The authors said, “The Psalms are
a refuge of honest prayer, full of every joyous, negative, fearful and even
murderous emotion, but always undergirded with hope and praise.” So, as we
shared with each other what the Psalms were saying to us, we were amazed at how
God was speaking to various, individual needs in our group. For me, the first
part of this verse says, “I am completely satisfied with the Lord’s management
of my life. I have everything I need.”
He provides for me green pastures and wants me to rest in
them; but green pastures don’t just happen. A good shepherd will provide the
pastureland for his sheep, improving the soil and making sure there is fresh
water. Christ, our shepherd has spent time clearing away rocks of unbelief,
tearing out thorns of bitterness and hurt, planting the seeds of His precious
Word and watering the green pastures with His Holy Spirit. In other words, not
only do I have everything I need, but He has gone out of his way to prepare a
beautiful place for me to live. His concern for my care is beyond
comprehension.
And as you linger over “He leadeth me beside the quiet
waters” what images come to your mind?
Just as the physical body of a sheep has the need for water,
so Scripture points out to us that the human soul has a need for the water of
the Spirit of Eternal God. Psalm 42:1 says, “As the deer pants for streams of
water so my soul pants for you.” But oftentimes, we wander like thirsty sheep,
and find ourselves drinking out of dangerous, polluted waters. How can we avoid
that?
Sheep, by habit, rise early before dawn and feed on the dew-drenched
grass. And so it is for us -it is in the
early morning hours our Shepherd waits to lead us beside the quiet, still
waters of feeding on God’s word. We can go into our day nourished, contented,
and refreshed.
Father, draw me to you in the early morning hours. I long for
green pastures and quiet waters.
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