Make Me Lie Down

Psalm 23:1

²     He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.

Sometimes, the last thing I want to do is stop moving.  When I think about the time that I spent without a pastor, it was a time that was packed full of work and worry; not that work and worry should have been a part of that time, I made it that way.  At a certain point, the toll that overworking takes on a body, mind, and spirit can’t be overcome by another vacation.  I needed real rest.  Real rest is found when you stop working for things that the Lord has already provided.  

The idea that the Lord makes us to lie down in green pastures is more than simply a nice turn of phrase.  The fact of the matter is, the Lord made the pasture, grew the grass, provided the water, and created the creatures that are blessed by it.  Because the Lord is our shepherd, we don’t simply wander around hoping to find enough to live on.  We know that the Lord is able to manifest what we need from nothing, because all that is created was created at his word.  We are safe, because he guards us, and his hand sustains us.  

As a minister, it is imperative that you begin to view the Lord as the fulfillment of all you need, the source of your strength, and the director of your path.  If you attempt to bare down and work hard enough to overcome your obstacles, you will fail in one critical area.  We must find our sustenance in the Lord, not in our own hands.  You will never be able to provide your needs.  The sooner you realize that, the sooner you will be able to find rest.