Rest

Psalm 23:2a (NIV) He makes me lie down in green pastures,

Matthew 11:28-29 (NIV) 28"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

Matthew 11:28-29 (The Message) 28-30"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."

Psalm 62:5 (NIV) Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him.

Psalm 91:1 (NIV) He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

My ladies and I are reading "Quiet Confidence for a Woman's Heart" by Elizabeth George. This is a study of Psalm 23. In Chapter 3 Elizabeth George looks at Psalm 23:2 “He makes me to lie down in green pastures."


In Chapter 3, the author tells us that food and rest are in those green pastures where the Shepherd guides us. Food is found in the green, lush pastures. Have you ever been driving down the road and seen a field of very green and pretty grass? Or it could be like a yard where new grass had been planted and is now filling in. Rest is found when we lie down in the green, lush pastures. There have been times when I have seen cows and horses laying down in their green pastures. They always seem so content, so restful, so peaceful.


Elizabeth George tells us that we can “partake of green pastures by ‘having quiet times with the Lord’. You experience the same sense of rejuvenation, the same revival of Spirit, the same deep satisfaction that sheep enjoy when resting in the presence of a faithful Shepherd they trust.” Time spent in the green pastures in reading God’s Word is very necessary. We all know that our time in God’s Word should be regular, daily and it should be ever increasing.


Psalms 23:2 says that the Lord makes us lie down in green pastures. Elizabeth George continues saying “God’s procedure for making us lie down is a call to trust Him … He alone knows the future. Only He knows what lies ahead of us.”


One way He makes us lie down is by waiting. Now we all have a hard time waiting – whether it is waiting nine months for a baby to be born, or waiting on an answer to prayer, or waiting for direction. Waiting helps us to trust God more. Sometimes we would rather learn to trust God more in other ways than waiting.


On waiting, Elizabeth George says “A time of waiting ‘locks’ us into a life of study, a life of prayer, a life of lingering with the Shepherd, a life of preparation … until we rise up and move ahead again, having received from our time of rest all we need for life’s next challenge.”


I have had many times of waiting. Several years ago, the company I worked for closed at the end of the year. I chose to stay with the company until the last day and thus was then unemployed. I was only unemployed for several months before finding another job. Looking back, did I use that time of waiting to my benefit or did I waste it?


What about you? Are you in a season of waiting? Are you using this time to draw closer to God?


Let’s use the waiting time as a time of finding rest in God and a “life of lingering with the Shepherd”.


Here are two thought provoking questions the author asks at the end of Chapter 3. Take a moment and ask yourself this question:


1. Take a minute to think about the times when you need rest:
a. What is your mental condition?
b. And your physical condition?
c. And your spiritual condition?


2. How do you think waiting causes you to grow in patience?


Let’s pray. Father, we thank You that You make us lie down in green pastures. We thank You that food is found in those green, lush pastures. Help us to use our time in those green pastures to our benefit by spending regular time with You and in Your Word and may those times be increasing. Father, when we are made to lie down by a time of waiting, help us to embrace the waiting and not kick against it. We thank You for being our Great Shepherd, our Jehovah-Rohi! In Jesus’ Name, Amen.


Blessings,