“He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; He leadeth me beside still waters.” Psalms 23:2 KJV
David continues to use the metaphor of a shepherd and sheep as he writes this Psalm. Unlike driving a herd of cattle from the rear, a shepherd would lead his sheep by being in the front of the herd and having them follow him to places where they can eat, drink and find rest. Depending on the terrain that the shepherd found himself and the herd in, green pastures and still waters may be hard to find. So when the shepherd found a green pasture, he remained there with the sheep as long as he could so that they could feed off of the grass and rest in the soft blanket of the grass. God wants us also to lie down and rest because in resting we regain our energy to continue our journey to do His will.
Shepherds also knew that they needed to lead their herds to water that was barely moving, not stagnate water but water that was not moving quickly. The sheep would not be able to drink from a body of water that had a fast current in it as it could possibly sweep them into the current. So shepherds would find bodies of water that had slow moving currents so that the sheep could stand in and take their time drinking and rehydrating their bodies.
Green pastures and still waters are representative of God’s word. Just as lush green grass has nourishment for animals, God’s word has nourishment for us. Animals eat grass to sustain their bodies and we read God’s word to sustain our souls. Just as still waters enable the sheep to consume the water that they desperately need, by ‘drinking’ from God’s word we are receiving what we desperately need. The sheep drink from the still waters to rehydrate their bodies and we drink from the Living water that enables us to not be thirsty.
Have you let God lead you where you need to go to find nourishment for your soul, to quench your thirsty by drinking from the Living water, to find rest so you can regain your energy? Are you listening to God and going where you need to go or are you resisting what God is trying to do for you?