He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters. – Psalm 23:2

Today's Scripture Reading (June 26, 2022): Psalm 23

Sometimes, there is nothing more fulfilling than just sitting and resting. As a kid, I loved to lay down on the grass on a hot summer day and just watch the clouds pass over my head. But once I became an adult, there seemed to be too little time for watching clouds. There always seems to be something that needs to be done. Meetings fill my calendar. There always seems to be someplace that I need to be. And time to just sit back and do nothing is just not available. Besides, if I find time to do nothing, I often feel guilty about the waste of such a valuable commodity.

David begins his famous Psalm by calling God "my shepherd." A shepherd's job is to care for the sheep. David places himself in the position of one of God's flock, and God is there to take care of him.

And then David says that "he makes me lie down in green pastures." Every time I read the line, the word "makes" seems to stick out. It is not that God "allows me to lie down in green pastures" or that he "instructs me to lie down in green pastures." Instead, David maintains that God "makes me lie down in green pastures." He forces the issue.

It probably shouldn't be a surprise. The whole idea of the "Sabbath" is something that God taught had to be done. As people, we need a Sabbath. We need time to do nothing, to recharge and relax.

And apparently, the comparison between sheep and us is often strangely appropriate. Sheep do not lay down easily. Okay, it isn't places to go and guilt that keeps sheep on their feet. But because sheep are naturally fearful animals with few avenues to defend themselves, they will not lay down if they are afraid. Because they are comfortable only in the flock, they will not lay down if there are issues within the herd's social structure. To lie down, sheep have to be physically comfortable. If they are troubled by insects or parasites, they will refuse to lay down. And finally, they have to be well fed if they are to get off of their feet. The shepherd's job is to make sure that the conditions exist where the sheep feel that they can lie down. The shepherd needs to allow the sheep to feel safe and be in a place where stress is low and where they are healthy and well-fed if the sheep are going to lie down.

Maybe that all begins with the sheep trusting that the shepherd is there to take care of them. And for us, it means that we understand that we can trust God to take care of us. He has done it in the past, and we know he can do it again. And so, he has made it safe to lie down in the green pastures of our lives. 

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Psalm 25