The 7 Wonders of Psalm 23: Part Three

This is the third post in my series on the 7 wonders of Psalm 23. I pray this Psalm has blessed you as much as it has me.
To see the first post click here

He makes me lie down in green pastures, 

he leads me beside quiet waters Psalm 23:2

Green pastures…quiet waters.
A picture of a peaceful time with God.

Peaceful time?? How do we ever find a peaceful time in our hectic days?

Look at the first few words in this verse:

He makes me lie down in green pastures.

Make is the operative word here, friends.

And I can tell you from personal experience: If you don’t set aside a peaceful time with God, He will MAKE you.

When my girls were little, I foolishly decided that was a good time to graduate school. Needed my head examined, right?

So, there I was, spending my days as the mother of two preschool girls.

And my nights, (you know, when you supposed to sleep) pouring over books.

Time with my husband fit in there somewhere. And, in between yawns, I prepared to teach on Sunday mornings.

If God was telling me to slow down, I couldn't hear Him over the noise of train barreling down the tracks.

Then it happened: I had a seizure.

During the hours in the emergency room, God said, loud and clear.

“I am making you lie down!”

While the doctors tried to stabilize my medicines, I couldn't drive.
College went on the back burner.
I became a stay-at-home Mom – literally.

My home became a green pasture, although it took me a while to realize it.

God did His part – now I had to do mine.

He leads me beside still waters.

The word “lead” implies there is a follower.

That is where the choice comes in.

Would I allow Him to lead me beside still waters?

Would I follow Him into the peace and beauty of a deeper relationship with Him?

To be truthful, I griped and complained, and asked Him why He was doing this to me.

I refused to be quiet enough to hear the Living Water call me to follow Him along still waters.

Time went on. They couldn't get me stable so I kept having seizures. The time I couldn't drive stretched into a seemingly endless train of months.

Finally, when I ran out of pity-party words to say, I turned to God and asked, “What are you trying to teach me?”

He brought the words into my mind:

Green pastures.

Still waters.

Imagine lying down on the cool grass and smelling the scent of wildflowers.

Imagine listing to the quiet of still waters.

If this doesn't bring peace to your heart, you need CPR!

God asks us to spend just a few minutes letting our minds rest in His cool, beautiful presence.

He offers us sweet, quiet moments in His Word, soaking our hearts in His love and wisdom.

When I think about it, why does He have to MAKE me? Why don’t I crave that precious time?

He loves you beyond anything you can imagine.

He calls you to revel in His presence.

Choose Him and you will find peace and beauty.

How has God made you lie down?

Have you found the peace of green pastures and still waters?

Photo credit: Meadow zoomteam via depositphotos.com
Stream pavelg via depositphotos.com

The 7 Wonders of Psalm 23: Part Two

 

The Lord is my Shepherd

I shall not want. Psalm 23:1

This verse describes a beautiful truth and presents a difficult choice – all in nine words.

The Lord is my Shepherd.

An amazing truth; an unchangeable fact.
If you have accepted Jesus’ forgiveness and are building a relationship with Him, He is your Shepherd.

Most of us picture a gentle man carrying a lamb, with sheep gathered around Him.
A peaceful pastoral scene.

When is life ever peaceful?

Our Shepherd is active in our lives and interacts with us continually.

• He provides what we need.
• He guides us through difficult times.
• He helps us with decisions.
• He protects us from danger, generally by walking beside us.

Now comes the tricky part:

I will not want.



Are we ever satisfied?

Remember the old saying, “The grass is always greener…”?





I've got a great husband, nice house, a new car, great kids, two perfect grandchildren, and a dog who loves me unconditionally.

But…

I see bigger houses and I want them.
I've always dreamed of having a Ferrari. A Ford just doesn't cut it.
I have friends who can drive over to their kid’s houses to visit the grandchildren.
I’m envious, mine live in the northeast and I want them to be closer.

I want what I don’t have!

What does it mean to say, "I will not want."?

• I choose to be satisfied with what He provides, no matter how small.
• I choose to accept His guidance, though I might not agree.
• I choose to follow where He leads, though I might wish to go elsewhere.
• I choose to trust His protection, though things around me are frightening.

I will not want.

These four words mean that we choose to want nothing besides what He gives.

We choose to desire nothing but Him.

I’ll be the first to admit, I’ll never accomplish this.
The lure of the world will always hover around me.

Even so, we can trust our Shepherd.

• He will never withdraw His protection.
• He won't leave us without guidance.
• He strengthens us and helps us to follow Him closer each day.
• He loves us and will continue to call us to His side.

The Shepherd never leaves His sheep.

What does it mean to you that Jesus is your Shepherd?

Check out the Life to the Fullest blog for a post by Robin Patchen  Contentment for The Moment

Shepherd photo courtesy worldsundayschool.com
Horse photo courtesy  Steven Heap via depositphoto.com