Psalms 23: Part 2
“He maketh me lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.”
Psalms 23:2
We continue with our look at the 23rd Psalms. We pick up with verse 2 of the chapter. If you remember from the previous post, I mentioned that to fully understand the 23rd Psalm, you must understand the frame of mind that David is talking from. At the beginning of the chapter, David is falling back on his experience as a shepherd. He is comparing himself to the sheep that he was watching. He continues this in verse 2.
I mentioned in the previous post that we, as sheep, depend on God as our “shepherd”. The shepherd wants what is best for his flock. It benefits the shepherd if his flock has plenty of food and water. If you have any experience in raising animals, you know that one goal is for your animals to be well developed and healthy. If you sell them, you typically get a better price. If you raise them for food, you get more meat per animal. In other words, your animals are more productive for you.
When we trust our Good Shepherd, we know He is going to lead us to the very best He can for us. He wants what is best for us. He knows that if we can trust in Him, then we can focus more of our attention on carrying out the things He has called us to. When David is talking about green pastures and still waters, he is painting a picture for us of how God provides for all our needs. So much so, we can relax and enjoy the good things of God. This is a continuation of the idea that David was presenting in verse 1 when he showed us how God provides for us to the point that we have nothing left to need or want.
One other thing I want to point out in this verse is the phrase “beside the still waters”. What is David trying to show us in this phrase? If you have ever been around sheep, they can be very skittish. They are easily spooked. Also, we need to remember that they are not the most intelligent. As a shepherd, you would not want to lead your sheep close to a rushing river. The sound of the rushing water could scare them. If they got scared and began getting a little wild, they could easily end up in the river. Larger animals could simply walk or swim across most rivers. Sheep, not so much. Their wool would act like a sponge and soak up a lot of water. The added weight would then take them under and they end up drowning. David is showing us how God not only leads us to water that satisfies our thirst, but He leads us to “still waters” that also satisfies our need for safety.
This world can, at times, seem like a wild rushing river. It can seem hopeless to get across. We, as Christians, can relax and rest assured that God is there for us and will always keep us safe.