When my head hits the pillow at night, I often breathe a sigh of relief from the toils of the day. It feels so good to lie down and rest!
In the 23rd Psalm we read, “The Lord is my shepherd…he makes me to lie down in green pastures…” What a pleasant thought!
The verb, “lie down,” is in a causative stem of the Hebrew verb, which means that He causes me to lie down. This is something the Shepherd does on my behalf. The verb actually means “to recline or crouch,” as when all four legs of an animal are folded so that the animal is in a position of rest. It is a picture of tranquility and repose.
Phillip Keller, in his book “A Shepherd Looks at the Twenty-Third Psalm” says, “The strange thing about sheep is that because of their very make-up, it is almost impossible for them to be made to lie down unless four requirements are met.
- Owing to their timidity, they refuse to lie down unless they are free from fear.
- Because of the social behavior within a flock, sheep will not lie down unless they are free from friction with others of their kind.
- If tormented by flies or parasites, sheep will not lie down. Only when free of these pests can they relax.
- Sheep will not lie down as long as they feel in need of finding food. They must be free from hunger.
Now that is what the Lord does for us. He provides a sense of freedom from fear, tension, aggravation, and spiritual hunger when we put our trust in Him. He releases us from these anxieties so that we can truly rest.
“He makes me to lie down in green pastures.”
Say – Have you learned how to rest in Christ? Gotta tell you – It feels so good to lie down!