He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside cool waters.
For their sixteenth birthday, my boys and I hike the Grand Canyon, just the two of us. Alex and I did it in 2016 and Andrew and I will do it this year. It is a rite of passage, a march into manhood.
Alex and my hike started on the South Rim and descended all the way down to the Colorado River. We had planned our route and schedule in advance. We were to hike all the way to the canyon floor on day one and then split up the return ascent into the next two days.
When we began, it was nice and cool. We both even had on a windbreaker to warm us up just a bit. It was late July so the fact that the temperature was so mild was quite encouraging.
Then we descended into Hades. The more we hiked, the hotter it got. The temperature by the time we reached the canyon floor was approximately the same temperature as the surface of the sun. At least it felt like it.
We had made reservations to stay in a primitive camping area just across the Colorado River. We crossed over and set up camp in a quiet campground next to Bright Angel Creek. It had been a challenging hike, 9.5 miles with a drop in elevation of around 4400 feet.
By the time we arrived at our destination, we were completely wore out. Absolutely exhausted. Thirsty. Drained of all energy.
When we approached the Colorado River, it had been mighty tempting to jump in. When you are drenched in sweat, legs aching, hot, and tired, the water looks so inviting. But even delirious from the sun and the hike, we thought the better of getting in. The water was too cold and the current too swift for us. In our exhausted state it would not have been a good decision to get in.
However, the creek at the campground was a different story.
It was just right!
We jumped in full clothes and all and sat down in the middle of the calmly flowing creek. It was perfect! It cooled us off and refreshed us just like we needed.
We’ve all experienced at one time or another that cool refreshment that only water can provide. Whether it was a glass of ice cold water when you were thirsty, a jump into the lake or pool when it was so hot outside, or playing in the sprinkler when you were a kid. Water refreshes!
Here in Psalm 23, we are reminded again of the satisfaction and refreshment the Good Shepherd brings His sheep. He leads them beside the quiet waters.
It is important to note some details. The shepherd leads the sheep to just the right water. Sheep aren’t good swimmers. If it were a raging river the sheep was led to, they wouldn’t be refreshed, they’d be swept away! It also not a stagnant pool. That kind of water is unhealthy. The quiet waters are slow moving streams that allow the sheep to stand and drink safely. They experience the cool refreshing waters without fear or struggle. These sheep who have been grazing all day in the hot sun now have a place to be refreshed. The shepherd sees to it.
The Shepherd wants your souls thirst to be quenched, so He leads you to place where you can be fully satisfied. He wants you to be refreshed. The best part is, He is the refreshment. Jesus calls Himself the Living Water and you can be sure that He brings the satisfaction your soul craves.
Let your thirsty soul be refreshed by the cool waters provided by the Good Shepherd.
Questions for Today
- When was a time you were really thirsty and in what ways did that affect you?
- Can you think of a time when your spirit was thirst? What did you do to quench that thirst?
- How does the image of the sheep being led to quiet waters relate to how you feel today? Are you still thirsting or is your thirst being satisfied?
Prayer for Today
Lord, lead me to the cool quiet waters so that my soul can be refreshed and my thirst quenched. Help me not try to drink from the sources that are unhealthy and unfruitful to me. Today, in whatever comes my way, let me find my satisfaction in you.
Amen
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