“The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name.” Psalm 23:1-2
I have read the Good Shepherd Psalm – Psalm 23, hundreds of times. I even read a book about taking care of sheep so I could understand it a little better. It didn’t help much. But finally one day I got some light from the Lord. The Lord spoke to me quietly while I was thinking about the psalm “it’s mostly about grazing”. In my minds eye I could see a beautiful meadow with a lovely small lake. I watched the sheep graze quietly by the dark blue, quiet water. I could see the Shepherd standing nearby with his rod ready to beat off any predators, his staff ready to pull back any wayward sheep, vigilantly scanning the meadow for any sign of danger. The sheep were enjoying the grass, the sunshine, and the cool water to drink.
I always have to ask how things affect me personally. The Lord showed me that he leads me to the cool water. My job is to drink. He leads me to the green grass. My job is to eat and trust in my Shepherd. His job is to guard and lead us. My job is to follow.
Before I was saved, I worried about everything, but the word says “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7. The Lord says to be like little children (Matthew 18:4). Little children trust their parents to feed, clothe and house them. They don’t spend sleepless nights worrying about their next meal. Mom and Dad take care of that.
Jesus is watching over us. He knows we need food, clothing and protection. He wants us to relax. The Lord did not create us to be anxious, worried people. Remember he used to walk in the garden with Adam and Eve. He liked that. Before they fell, Adam and Eve enjoyed the presence of the Lord. They enjoyed talking with him and walking with him. The Lord still wants to do that with us today. He doesn’t want us vibrating with anxiety.
So how do we get to that place where we can graze and drink in peace?
The first step is the cast all our cares on the Lord. It helps to list them. When I’m in prayer I go the Lord with my list. One by one I tell Him about all the things that are making me feel anxious or worried. Sometimes when I’m worried about a family member I picture myself putting my arm around them and walking them over to Jesus and leaving them with Him. The Lord is my shepherd. Jesus is Lord!
