“He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.” Psalm 23:2

Psalm 23 is a frequently-quoted chapter from the Bible, and as such, I think we often overlook the significance of its verses.

Take verse 2 for example.

“He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.”

Anyone who lives in farming country knows that the pasture is the place where the grazing animals go, whether cattle or sheep. Typically the animals in the pasture,— especially in David’s time when he wrote this Psalm,— were well-tended and protected by the shepherd. They were safe.

“He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:”

He is God. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures. God doesn’t just want us to rush through this life, no, I’d venture to say from this verse that He wants us to take time to rest, to be at peace, to learn to be still, and to trust Him.

Green pastures also indicate goodness and provision; God will provide more than we can imagine if we’ll trust Him. In Benson’s Commentary, he says it like this: “God provides for His people, not only food and rest, but refreshment also, and pleasure. The waters by and to which he leads them afford them both a pleasant prospect and many a cooling and refreshing draught, when they are thirsty and weary.”

“He leadeth me beside the still waters.”

I don’t know about you, but imagining the idea of a green pasture and still waters brings to mind the most peaceful, colourful, and serene setting.

The other fact that I love about Psalm 23:2, is that David says God leads us. He leads us, because if we were left to make our own path, it would only lead to our demise.

If you’re feeling anxious, or stressed, or like you just need rest, take refuge in this:

“He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.” Psalm 23:2

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