He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters.
I don’t know what you think of when you hear green pastures, but I know what comes to my mind.
When I was a kid, we had a field right down the road from our house that was the go to spot for us to play in. You could get lost in the high grass of that field. It was the the perfect place for us kids to spend the day getting lost in the the grass playing countless rounds of hide and seek or having fantastic bottle rocket wars.
That’s the kind of pasture I think of when I read the text. I’ve always pictured a shepherd making a bunch of fat and happy sheep lay down in lush, knee deep grassland. What a great picture of God’s abundant provision for His people.
There is one problem with that image. It isn’t how David would have seen it. It would seem that our pictures of green pastures would be very different.
For shepherds in that area, David being one, lush, knee deep grasslands weren’t a thing. Sure, when it was at the rainiest, there were some lush grassy areas. But, their rainy and our rainy are two different things. The area was still a desert. The green grass was only really seen for a couple of months and even then it wasn’t like what we see in our backyards or hillsides.
The sheep, for a few months, could graze in green pastures that had an abundance. However, for most of the year, the green pastures were really nothing more than sprig like growth around the rocky spots on the hillside. The grass was there, but it didn’t look very lush. A skilled shepherd though knew where to take the sheep so they could feed well, across those rocky hillsides, eating enough to sustain them and keep them going. They had enough.
The sheep weren’t going to find those spots on their own, either the thick grass or the stubble. The shepherd made sure they got what they needed.
Sometimes we find ourselves in places of abundance. We have what we need and then some. Those are sweet seasons. The sun is always shining, birds are singing, flowers are blooming. The Shepherd has led us to a place where we are feasting in the knee deep green pastures.
If your life is like mine, those times are brief.
Usually, I find myself in the desert. Things are more difficult. Storms are blowing, birds have all flown south, and the grass looks dead. Even in those seasons, the Shepherd still leads me to places where I can have enough to eat. The Shepherd always knows where to lead the sheep so that they have nourishment in both the times of abundance and the times of drought. The sheep is never in want.
In the Old Testament, Moses led the people to a land of milk and honey. To get there, they also had to travel through a wilderness. In that wilderness, the Lord always saw to it that they had enough. He provided a daily bread called manna. It was only for that day (or for two days at the Sabbath). They never had too much, but they also never had too little. The Lord provided just enough.
David knew the truth of shepherding. Some seasons had an abundance of food. Sometimes you had to look closer to find it. In whatever season it was, the shepherd knew where to take his sheep so they could eat well. Our Shepherd does the same thing. Whatever season you’re in now, He still leads you to places where you have enough to eat.
Questions for Today
- Would you say you are in a season of abundance or a season of drought?
- When was a dry time where you still saw the Lord provide just what you needed?
- Why is it easier to trust God in the times of abundance over times when things are a struggle?
- What is one thing God has taught you in a time of either abundance or drought?
Prayer for Today
Lord, help me trust you wherever you lead me. When I have an abundance, help me remember that it wasn’t because of what I have earned or achieved. In times of struggle, help me remember that I am not forgotten or neglected. Help me keep my eyes fixed on my Shepherd who provides for me in the grassy places and on the rocky hillside and trust His provision.
Amen.
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