By Rev. Daniel Yaw 

Introduction
As I shared two months ago with Psalm 23:1, let me continue my meditation on this psalm with the next verse, Psalm 23:2. “He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside still waters.”

As we get familiarized with this psalm, I was thinking about what the psalmist has in his head.  What picture of the pastures and waters is he painting for us today?

Lying down in green pastures.
It may be simple or even as a matter of fact that the shepherd would lead the sheep to green pastures for feeding purposes.  While it is true, we need to consider the kind of experience a shepherd boy would have with his sheep.

I think of two things in this meditation, a place of feeding in abundance and a place of feeling comfortable and secure.

How is that so?

Finding green pastures may not be easy for the Middle East, where most land is desert land.  You may find pockets of grass but to find green pastures is not a common sight.  David must have known the preciousness of green pastures for the sheep and it is not an easy task.  Yet our Lord, the great shepherd will make us lie down in green pastures and not just pockets of green grass.  As I  thought of that, I remember a parable that Jesus once told about the “God of how much more”.  He spoke of a son who would ask for fish and the father would not give him a serpent, nor asking for a piece of bread would be offered a piece of stone.  Jesus made this concluding statement, “If we who are evil know how to give good gifts to our children, HOW MUCH MORE will the heavenly Father gives us the Holy Spirit when we ask of Him.”  That is what the Great Shepherd would do – bring us to green pastures where we will find no lack.

I look at FCC today and I say, “Truly a green pasture!”

Then it was a feeling of being secured where the sheep would lie down.  Again to find a place of comfort, it must be all green and not just pocket of grass with plenty of stones in between.  I doubt I can lie in comfort if it would be a rocky plain.  My Shepherd would take me to a place so comfortable that it is cushioned with nice green grass.

Has my experience with my Lord told me that?  What a blessing to know this great shepherd.

Drinking beside still waters
We probably know from reading that sheep do not do well with fast-running water streams.  They will be so anxious and fearful that despite the abundance of water, they would die of thirst.

It has to be still wasters or slow-flowing streams – slow and flowing so that it is safe and it is clean.  The sheep will be free from the anxiety of danger beside the still waters.

That is what my shepherd, the Lord Jesus Christ would do for His people.  We are sheep of his pasture and he leads us beside still waters.

One may exclaim,"Why the fear, it is safe even if it is running water. As long as there is water, the sheep should dig it in". Yet it does not do well for them. 

Think about ourselves.  We get anxious so easily, don’t we?  With the slightest shift in our routine, we get shaken up.  We get anxious about our studies and exams as students.  We get anxious over family and financial matters in our lives.  We get anxious over our career pursuits.  We get anxious over our health issues.  Worry is something we are part and parcel of, even though we know we shouldn’t. 

Jesus says, “Come, all those who are weary and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”  The only place to free us from anxiety is faith in our God, the great shepherd who leads us beside still waters.

Conclusion
May this verse from Psalm 23 bring to you a message that God is telling us individually that He cares.  Recharge ourselves in Him, Receive from Him, and Rest in Him today.