Friday, May 21, 2010

God's Promise of Rest

Psalm 23:2a "He maketh me to lie down in green pastures."

Lying in a soft, cozy bed. Relaxing in your favorite chair with a book and cup of tea. Reclining in an outside chaise with a glass of iced tea. All picture rest, relaxation and comfort.

Rest. Our bodies need it, and our souls crave it. This verse tells us that God not only promises His sheep rest, but that "He makes us lie down." What exactly does God have in mind?

1. The Place of Rest:
Notice the place our loving Shepherd guides us to. A place of green pastures. What exactly is in these pastures?
a. Food: It's abundant and available. "Green pastures" is a picture of abundance and luxury. Mrs. George writes, "A good shepherd carefully picks out a place of pastureland that's filled to overflowing with fresh, new, tender grass. His heart is set on finding a place containing plenty of delicate green grass that will provide nourishment, health, and fresh energy for His sheep."
b. Rest: "This scene is one of satisfaction and rest, calm and contentment, sheer enjoyment." Imagine the coolness of the grass on a hot day in that arid region! After their long trek, the weary sheep could settle down and be content and at rest ~ all lovingly provided by their Shepherd!

In the section "Reflecting of God's Promises", Mrs. George reminds us that by having a daily quiet time, we can "partake of green pastures". She writes, "We have all of the Shepherd and all of His Word available to us... if we will simply lie down in His green pastures and partake! All we need to do is stop everything and enjoy a time of resting and lingering with the Lord as we feed on His Word."

When we enter into the serenity of God's green pasture, we "experience the same sense of rejuvenation, the same revival of spirit, the same deep satisfaction that literal sheep enjoy when resting in the presence of a faithful shepherd.

Our time with the Shepherd is necessary, it should be regularly, and we should want to increase our time with Him. Mrs. George uses an analogy that I like when describing how we feel about our time in God's Word. First is the cod~liver oil stage. This is when you take it like medicine to cure whatever may ail you. The second is the shredded wheat stage. You find it to be nourishing but dry. The last stage is the peaches and cream stage. You can't get enough, because you're consumed with passion and pleasure!

2. The Plan for Rest:
The kind of rest God has planned for us in this verse isn't just a quick break to catch our breath. No, our loving Shepherd wants us to stretch out completely and be fully reclined to enjoy total relaxation! It may surprise you to read that some sheep will not lie down. Why, you may ask?
a. Fear: Mrs. George writes of a flock of sheep that refused to lie down because of a large dog that was on the other side of the stream. Even though the shepherd frightened the dog away, the sheep were still fearful. Not until he walked ahead of them to the brook did they relax and settle down.

We are told several times in God's Word not to fear. Read Isaiah 41:10, Joshua 1:9, Deuteronomy 31:6 and Exodus 33:14 and take comfort!

b. Hunger: A sheep will not lie down and receive rest if it is hungry. It is frantic as it wanders around searching for food. "Thus, the discontented sheep adds lack of rest to its problem of lack of food, loses its vigor and vitality, and fails to thrive." However, our Jehovah~Jireh makes sure our food is always available. We just have to decide to feed upon it!

"So many Christians attempt to satisfy their hunger... from an occasional few minutes' "feeding" from the pulpit, from a radio broadcast, or from a television message, while others seek to satisfy their needs from the odd old devotional book, or the occasional Christian programme. This is not enough... to sustain the needy soul on a daily basis.... God provides for us on a daily basis, but we must plan to partake of His provision on a daily basis."

c. Fighting: "A sheep that's involved in or even witnessing fighting also cannot lie down and receive the rest it needs. Battles between members of a flock rob all the sheep of the rest they need because of the tension that exists. Interesting, isn't it?

"Many Christians are weary and worn, not because of intense conflict with the evil one, but because of arguments among themselves. It's frightening to realize the harm done to others when we argue and fight in our homes and in our churches."

3. The Procedure for Rest:
Our Shepherd makes us lie down, even when we may not want to! He does this because He alone knows our future. Only He can know what's around the next bend, the next hill, or on the other side of the green pastures. "Will it be a long, steep climb? Will the path narrow as it leads us around a dangerous mountain? Will the trail take us into the valley of the shadow of death? Are we headed into a desert or a roaring storm?" Only the Shepherd knows.

That's why He makes us lie down! He does this to fortify and energize us so we'll be able to walk through what's ahead. He "makes certain that we won't tire, that we're not at risk because of weariness, that we're invigorated from our pasture~time for any strenuous climb."

Mrs. George writes "As I reflected on God's procedure of making us lie down in His green pastures, I thought of a number of ways that He accomplishes our rest. Illness, surgery, and convalescence afford us time with the Shepherd. So do pregnancy and childbirth. And exhaustion, too, will certainly place us in the grassy pastures of the Lord. Still another category of time in God's pasture involves just plain ol' being passed over, overlooked for service and ministry."

While we wait on the Lord in His green pastures, we have:
Opportunity to learn and trust the Lord.
Growth in patience.
Encouragement and fellowship by/with the Shepherd.
Time to energize for the walk ahead.

"He makes me lie down in green pastures ~ where He creates a resting~place for me to repose in, and there He shall feed me until I am satisfied."

"In shady green pastures, so rich and so sweet,
God leads His dear children along.
Where the water's cool flow bathes the weary one's feet,
God leads His dear children along.
Some through the water, some through the flood.
Some through the fire, but all through the blood.
Some through great sorrow, but God gives a song
In the night season, and all the day long."

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