Lying Down Pastures

“He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.” -Psalms 23:2

A friend, mentor, and minister to me, shared the following story the other day:

“There was a man living in Washington State who had a flock of sheep.  In desperate need to reseed his pasture, he called on a friend to look after them.  His friend had a nice big pasture, lush and green, where the flock could graze in.  It took many weeks for the reseeding of the man’s pasture to be completed and the man would periodically visit his friend and see how his sheep were doing.  He began to notice that when he would visit, the sheep were often lying down.  One day, the man came to his friend and said, “I notice my sheep seem very content and happy here, they are not up all day walking around, constantly grazing like they do back home.  Here they are lying down, in the middle of the day!  Back home I would never see them lying down during the day.  Why do you think they lie down here in your pasture, but don’t back home in mine?  The friend replied “because in my pasture, they are satisfied.”

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures.  The nutrients and sustenance of the good grass feed the sheep, and they are satisfied.  They have no need to keep working and grazing, so they can lie down.  The good pasture has provided them with everything that they need.  They are not up and down all the time, having to constantly forage, and graze; consuming, consuming, and consuming.  They are never able to find satisfaction, because what they are consuming cannot satisfy.  “HE maketh me to lie down in green pastures, he leadeth me beside the still waters.”  The good Shepherd can provide you with all you need in this life, if you trust him.  We think we know what will satisfy and Satan loves to lead us into pastures that never satisfy.  Places where we must constantly graze and consume.  The lust of the flesh, of the eyes, and the pride of life is of the world, and the world passesth away.  It doesn’t provide proper nourishment to your soul, and abundant substance to sustain life.  You become hungry and wanting.  You lack, want, finding within these pastures only discontentment.  When Jesus is our Shepheard, we shall not want.  He maketh us to lay down in green pastures, and leads us to still water.  Pastures that satisfy our soul, and water we can drink deep from; waters that quench every thirst and pasture that fills every hunger.    

Sometimes, it seems the whole of our existence is caught up in what we have to do.  We have to go, get, and consume.  Each day working and striving to find new pastures, which leave us only in want.  We “work hard to fail.”  Instead, Jesus is saying I can lead you to good pastures that satisfy.  We can give our life over to Jesus, not try to fix it up and give to him, or plan it out and give it to him; just give it up.  Give it over to Jesus and let him “like a Shepherd lead us.”  Lead us to good pastures, rich pastures, pastures that satisfy.  That bring contentment, peace, fullness; pastures where we lie down.