“He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside still waters.” Psalm 23:2
“Busyness” is a way of life for us. I mean, how many families today actually sit down together for dinner? According to a recent poll, almost 60% of Americans say that they would like to slow down and relax more.
Well, Psalm 23 has the answer to busyness. “He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside still waters.” (v2)
Look at the first three words, “He maketh me”. When we trust that “The Lord is my Shepherd,” that means that He is the One who is at the controls in our life. He is the One who is ruling in us. As our Shepherd, we know Him and we know His voice (John 10:18). So we follow our Shepherd, because we know He loves us and wants what is best for us.
It is from this love, care and compassion that our Shepherd makes us to lie down in green pastures and leads us beside still waters. He knows that those green pastures and still waters are places of rest and feeding. They are safe places where we can be refreshed and relax. This is what our Shepherd wants for us.
When we are rested in the Lord, we receive the energy and the strength to make it through each day and to enjoy this life so much more. This is the way God has designed us. In fact, this is so important to the Lord that He even gave us the command to rest. “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy” (Ex 20:8). He is speaking of a Sabbath rest, where for six days we are to work, but on the Sabbath day, we are to stop and rest. This is to be a “holy” day, a day “set apart” for the Lord. Our God knows that we need to rest, to recharge, to revitalize, so that we can be healthy physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. This is God’s command to us!
For us as Christians, this is really a call for us to answer the invitation that Jesus extends to us in Matthew’s Gospel; “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matt. 11:28-30)
Please understand, Jesus, our Good Shepherd, is the only One who can offer us a true Sabbath rest. When we are yoked to Jesus, we are yoked to the person of Jesus Christ. Yoked to His love, to His death and resurrection, and to the forgiveness, freedom, and release from the power that sin, death, hell and Satan had over us. Because we are yoked to Jesus, none of that can touch us anymore!
This means that when we are yoked to Jesus we are no longer burdened by our guilt, fears, regrets, doubts, worries, anxieties, or stress. This is what Jesus means when He says, “My yoke is easy, and My burden is light” (V30).
Simply put, this is another way of saying, “He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; He leadeth me beside still waters.” (Ps 23:2). This is where we find rest from all that busyness in our life. And this is why it’s absolutely imperative that we let go of ourselves and seek the peace and rest that is only found in the presence of our Good Shepherd.
Dear Heavenly Father, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Amen.
May God be with you,
Keith Enko