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The Promise of Rest

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.  Psalm 23:1-3

 

No psalm is better known or better loved than Psalm 23, which is probably owes its origin to David's boyhood years as a shepherd. But has it become so familiar to us that we have forgotten its riches?

Look at the verses above. They tell us that God is like a shepherd to us---guiding us, keeping us safe, protecting us from our enemies, giving us everything we need to sustain our lives. But they also hint at our tendency to wander and get in trouble, like the lost sheep in one of Jesus' parables (Luke 15:1-7). So our Good Shepherd "makes" us lie down in green pastures, and He "leads" us to still waters---things we might not do on our own.

What kind of sheep are you? Rebellious, prone to wander, resisting the gentle prodding of the Shepherd? Or gratefully submitting to His wisdom and His ways? Remember Jesus' words: "I am the good shepherd and know my sheep, and am known of mine" (John 10:14).

From, HOPE for Each Day: Morning & Evening Devotions, by Billy Graham.