Peace Of The Pasture
Jehovah-Shalom–“The Lord is Peace”
When was the last time you were at complete peace? Anxiety was not in your vocabulary, and every situation you faced left you feeling more joy. Sound like a dream to you? It does for me. For much of my life, I have worked long and hard hours to squeeze as much success as I possibly could. There were many years that I worked 60+ hours a week. They were not the healthiest of years for my wife and me. There were many nights where I would only sleep between two and four hours.
I found myself anxious, bitter, selfish and lacked empathy in my relationship with my wife and with others. Rest us not happening. I have been on a two-year journey of determining what I find restful and have limited the hours that I work versus the hours I spend being a loving husband to my wife, and a father to my children.
“He lets me lie down in green pastures;
he leads me beside quiet waters.” Ps. 23:2
King David continues to show us that God is in control of all things. He is the God of the past, present, and the future. Everything was created by Him, through Him, and for Him. The Lord invites us into a relationship in which He provides and leads us to the place He has prepared for us. God gives us rest in the pastures of peace. He brings us out of areas that are no longer good to live and leads us to the location He has chosen. We must commit to following where the Lord leads, even if it does not look great from our vantage point. God prepares the way, and we choose to follow.
FOMO
We live in a constant flow of knowledge and endless amounts of opportunities. We all suffer from FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out). Our need to be connected to anyone or a piece of information at the swipe of a finger to stay up-to-date. This has led to a rise in restlessness all across the world. We do not know how to rest, yet rest was designed for humanity by a graceful Creator.
Sheep cannot lie down and find rest when four criteria are still looming over them:
Sheep refuse to rest if they sense panic. If you think about it, people are sort of the same way. We can’t sleep if we are afraid and worried about family, friends, finances, and futures. God does not desire for us to live in a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind. (2 Timothy 1:7)
Sheep find it challenging to rest if they are having problems or are in conflict with other sheep. Familiar yet? When we conflict with a family member or a fellow brother or sister in Christ, our bodies ache until the dispute is resolved.
Sheep do not find rest when parasites, such as flies, are driving them crazy and sometimes to their own demise. Sin is a parasite that attacks every fiber of our being, but also everything we come in contact with as well. If we do not confess our sins to God and those we wrong, the sinful habits spiral out of control. The thoughts and feelings that enter our minds are corrupt and need to be exposed and dealt with by the grace-giving God. Left unchecked, unconfessed sin will ruin every relationship we have.
Sheep find it difficult to rest when they experience the pangs of hunger. Again, people are like sheep. We cannot find rest if we are spiritually hungry. Jesus Christ fills our spiritual longings and provides rest as He sustains His sheep.
Prowling Around
Peter, the disciple of Jesus, warns us of the devil, our spiritual enemy. He says, “Be sober-minded, be alert. Your adversary, the devil, is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour.” (1 Peter 5:8) The devil seeks to leave us weak and ineffective servants of our King. He reminds us of our sins and the parasitic relationships birthed from the tangled webs weaved. We “do better” to earn favor and rest, but it does not last. There is a difference between condemnation from the devil and conviction from the Holy Spirit. The devil points out the guilt and shame that are a result of the sin, while the Holy Spirit calls out the sin but offers grace and forgiveness. This grace and forgiveness are only possible through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Time alone with Jesus Christ, the Great Shepherd calms your soul. Only He can help you find rest from the anxieties of panic, problems, parasites, and pangs of spiritual hunger.
“He leads me beside still waters.”
The Hebrew word for “leads” is nahal (naw-hal), but not only does it mean “to lead, but to refresh, lead with care, and cause to be at rest.” Is this not what the Lord does for us? Just like us, sheep are about 70% water. They need good, clean, unpolluted, and parasite-free water to drink to quench their thirst. Dew on the ground is one of their primary sources of water intake, but at times the shepherd will lead them to a stream.
Creatures Of Habit
Sheep are creatures of habit and will continue to graze in the same area until it becomes unhealthy for the sheep to continue to feed there. The best thing the shepherd can do for his sheep is to keep them moving. Sheep are easily spooked, and fast-moving streams are a bit too much for them to handle. The shepherd will dam up the creek to slow the flow of current, making it safe for the sheep. Isn’t that how God is with us? When life is moving too fast for us, and we get spooked, He calms us down and gives us rest. Jesus Christ is the Living Water, who satisfies our thirsty souls.
As a Christian, I must remember that Jehovah is with me and leading me to the place He has chosen for me. I often find myself not aware of His presence in the tiny things of life. Though I am not aware does not mean that He is not there with me, but it does mean that I need to re-align my focus on my Shepherd and not the other sheep that surround me.
Already Ready, Already
Confidence and comfort come from realizing our Shepherd, Jesus Christ, goes before us and leads us into situations He has already prepared for us. The sooner we reject our plans, the better off we will be because God’s plan is far greater than we could even imagine.
Go back and read the previous posts on Psalm 23.
Who Is The Lord? , The Lord Is My Shepherd-Jehovah–Rohi , I Have What I Need
