We continue our study this week in the great truths of Psalm 23.  In the mid 1900’s there were 224,000 copyrighted books written about Psalm 23.  I can only imagine what the number would be today.  What a wealth of truth that lies in these 6 little verses written by the Shepherd for His sheep, the children of God.

Our approach to the Psalm has been to see it as David’s Journal.  A journal is something one would record only the high points of God’s dealings within its pages.  We looked last week at verse 1 and ‘THE REVEALING DAYS’ of his journal.

We turn our attention this week to verse 2 which says “He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.”  It is in this verse we find ‘THE RESTING DAYS’ of David’s Journal.

The ‘green pastures’ spoken of here speaks of the food and foundation of a place to rest for sleep.  The spiritual food for the child of God would be the Word of God.  Its promises and principles are continually a place for freedom and resting in a troubled time.  This is called in the Hebrew, ‘pastures of tender and soft grasses’.  We notice that the sheep will not go to this green pasture of their own volition but David says, “He maketh me to lie down…”  The word ‘maketh’ means a forcible causing something to happen.  Sheep will not just get in the green pastures of His Word but our Lord will arrange circumstances that will drive us to Him. 

The phrase, ‘lie down’ talks of rest, contentment, and fullness.  Sheep that are well fed on a proper diet do not have a tendency toward roaming but will lie down in joyful rest.  David, while going through days of trouble, having a daughter raped and loosing two sons to murder, says this in Psalm 119:71 “It is good for me that I have been afflicted that I might learn thy statues.” 

David says this thought “…he leadeth me beside still waters.”  This phrase speaks of the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of the child of God.  The ‘still waters’ are waters that have very little physical movement on the top.  This is so refreshing to the little sheep who are frightened so easily by movement.  The still waters are waters that run deep.   Many of the sheep of our churches today are so shallow in their walk.  They know convictions, standards, and soul winning (birth truths), but nothing of the deep guiding work of the Holy Ghost.  Very few of the sheep ever speak of an experience with the Holy Ghost.  This will show when the trials of life come and the enemy of our soul raises his ugly head against us.  I thank God for the precious leading work of the Holy Spirit.  He leads not waves of strife but to peaceful streams.  He is a dove not an eagle.  He is the dew not a hurricane.  The word ‘leadeth’ means to conduct the flow.  I am glad I do not have to direct life but I can rest in the conducting flow of the blessed Holy One.

I can say with the song writer, ‘He leadeth me, He leadeth me, By His own hand He leadeth me; His faithful follower would be, For by Hs hand He leadeth me’.

When it comes to going to still waters and green pastures I am not a leader but a follower of the Holy Ghost.  He is the Spirit of our blessed Shepherd, the Lord Jesus Christ.  I can lay way back and rest in the arms of our Shepherd.  He’s taking me somewhere.