In Green Pastures... Psalm 23:2a

“He makes me lie down in green pastures…” Rest. We all want rest. We want physical rest, but even more importantly, we want emotional rest. How often do we get out of bed in the morning, even after a good night’s sleep, and still feel exhausted inside? Life has chewed us up and left us weary and frightened. We want a break from it all. We want to rest, but there’s no place we can go.

Except… we are invited to go to the Good Shepherd who “makes me lie down in green pastures.” What a picture of peace and tranquility. Frightened animals do not lie down in the middle of an open pasture. Usually, they stay crouched and alert under bushes, or on their feet and ready to run. But the sheep who belong to Jesus don’t need to do that. There is peace in knowing that He is right beside them, watching for danger, prepared to protect them.

Recently, I’ve heard people saying, “Well, in Israel, you don’t have green pastures, you just have little shrubby pieces of grass, and that’s what the psalmist is saying.” Maybe. I haven’t been able to find any good information on Israel’s climate during the time of King David before the land became so arid, but I know that less than 500 years before this psalm was written (BibleHub Timeline), God led His people into the Promised Land “flowing with milk and honey” where the grapes were so big, it took two men to carry them. I know that in Galilee, even now, springtime fields of green grass and colorful flowers bloom. The word interpreted “green” here is actually the word for grass, sprout, or herb in Hebrew (Biblehub.com). So I say, why not? Couldn’t the Good Shepherd lead His flock to a grassy place where they can rest in peace, surrounded by His abundance?

I need that sort of rest today. So many things in my life are weighing on me, so many worries and cares, especially for my family and our world’s uncertain future. I keep trying to carry them all, but Jesus says, “Come to Me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28). Today, I want to rest in the grassy field of the Good Shepherd, knowing that He is big enough to take care of everything, and that instead of demanding more of me, He will give me the rest that my soul craves. Won't you join me?