Beside Still Waters
By J.B. Hixson, Ph.D.
02/11/2021
He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul… (Psalm 23:2-3a)
As is typical with large families, there is seldom a dull moment around our house. We also have two dogs that add to the excitement: Juneau and Gracie, whom we love dearly. They are very much a part of the family. Yet, as much as we love them, we are not always the most conscientious pet owners. For example, occasionally the distractions of the day cause us to overlook feeding Juneau and Gracie their supper. To let us know they have been forgotten and are growing hungry, one of them, usually Juneau, will begin whining incessantly until we get the message.
Sometimes a similar oversight happens with their water dish. To simplify this chore, we bought one of those automatic water dishes that stores several days’ worth of water at a time. In theory, you do not have to fill the water dish as often. The problem with this system, however, is that we do not check the water reservoir very often. Consequently, the dogs sometimes find themselves lacking water the way they lack food. Thankfully, our dogs, like most dogs, are loyal and forgiving.
As I thought about our occasional neglect of Juneau and Gracie, my mind turned to God’s never-failing love and care for us, His children. In Psalm 23, David describes God’s care using the metaphor of a shepherd. The most fundamental job of a shepherd is to feed the sheep. Without food, the sheep would naturally die. Protection and guidance are also important elements of the shepherd’s job description, but above all else a good shepherd makes sure his sheep have food. Any shepherd who would forget to feed his sheep would soon gain a reputation for being sloppy and undependable.
David points out that God is like a good shepherd, not an unreliable one. He brings us to the succulent, green pastures. He makes sure we have an abundance of water. He restores our physical vitality. The word “soul” in Hebrew refers to a person’s life in general, and the verb “restores” means to revitalize or replenish. God takes care of our physical needs. We never have to worry about the food dish being empty, so to speak.
God is always attentive to our needs. At just the right moment He is there to provide for us. The next time you feel like your needs are being overlooked, let me encourage you to stop and take a look around you. If you look carefully I am certain you will find that your life is filled with lots of green pastures and plenty of still waters. Thank the Lord today for His provision.
02/11/2021
He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul… (Psalm 23:2-3a)
As is typical with large families, there is seldom a dull moment around our house. We also have two dogs that add to the excitement: Juneau and Gracie, whom we love dearly. They are very much a part of the family. Yet, as much as we love them, we are not always the most conscientious pet owners. For example, occasionally the distractions of the day cause us to overlook feeding Juneau and Gracie their supper. To let us know they have been forgotten and are growing hungry, one of them, usually Juneau, will begin whining incessantly until we get the message.
Sometimes a similar oversight happens with their water dish. To simplify this chore, we bought one of those automatic water dishes that stores several days’ worth of water at a time. In theory, you do not have to fill the water dish as often. The problem with this system, however, is that we do not check the water reservoir very often. Consequently, the dogs sometimes find themselves lacking water the way they lack food. Thankfully, our dogs, like most dogs, are loyal and forgiving.
As I thought about our occasional neglect of Juneau and Gracie, my mind turned to God’s never-failing love and care for us, His children. In Psalm 23, David describes God’s care using the metaphor of a shepherd. The most fundamental job of a shepherd is to feed the sheep. Without food, the sheep would naturally die. Protection and guidance are also important elements of the shepherd’s job description, but above all else a good shepherd makes sure his sheep have food. Any shepherd who would forget to feed his sheep would soon gain a reputation for being sloppy and undependable.
David points out that God is like a good shepherd, not an unreliable one. He brings us to the succulent, green pastures. He makes sure we have an abundance of water. He restores our physical vitality. The word “soul” in Hebrew refers to a person’s life in general, and the verb “restores” means to revitalize or replenish. God takes care of our physical needs. We never have to worry about the food dish being empty, so to speak.
God is always attentive to our needs. At just the right moment He is there to provide for us. The next time you feel like your needs are being overlooked, let me encourage you to stop and take a look around you. If you look carefully I am certain you will find that your life is filled with lots of green pastures and plenty of still waters. Thank the Lord today for His provision.
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