PART 6 /// Psalm 23:2 /// God Wants You To Chill, Chew, & Chug

Transcription

1 PART 6 /// Psalm 23:2 /// God Wants You To Chill, Chew, & Chug INTRODUCTION Hello. Chance here. Thanks for sticking with me on this study of Psalm 23. Today s teaching is titled God Wants You To Chill, Chew, & Chug. The last time we were together we decided that, based on verse one, God is all we need. Period. Oxygen, food, and water, are good and important, and our bodies will die without them. However, God is the one who holds authority over the body and soul, so doesn t it make sense to think that of all things we might need, He is our greatest need? Today, we ll focus on verse two and see how David continued with this sheep and shepherd imagery. BODY Vs There are two really important phrases here that we need to understand: green pastures and still waters. Let s break each one down. In the first phrase we see the word green : today, when we hear the word green, we probably think of recycling, caring for the environment, or up-cycling, but to sheep and shepherds in David s day, green meant something entirely different. If we were able to travel to the lands where sheep and shepherds lived back in the day, we would soon realize how unusual of a picture David was painting here. At best, the land where sheep and shepherds would hang out was rocky and hilly. There wasn t much grass. And the grass that was there was tough. How about cool, still waters for drinking? Not so much. It was dry. It was hot. Yes, there were water sources, but there weren t that many, and they were often seasonal. 34 So, for sheep and shepherds, green grass and still waters would have been rare and very significant. Green grass would have not only been a tasty meal, but also a soft place for rest. 35 Clean drinkable water would have quenched thirst and given energy. For shepherds and NIV Application Commentary: Psalms, Volume 1 KJV Bible Commentary

2 sheep, these four words green grass and still waters represented security, abundance, and provision. When a sheep had water and something to chew on, life was good. When the shepherd had led the sheep to a place where they could eat and drink, life was good. 36 What s David saying then? Is this just a complicated way of saying was thirsty and wanted a vegan snack? No. David was saying that with God as his Shepherd, he was nourished, not just physically nourished, but spiritually, emotionally, and relationally. God had provided for him and given him security and abundance. When God is our Shepherd, we are nourished. There s still one more word in this verse that I think is very telling. It s in the first part, He makes me lie down in green pastures. Did you hear it? Everywhere else in this verse, God leads, but in verse two in the green grass phrase, God makes. I don t want to focus on this too much, but it appears that something s going on here. Is it possible that David is saying that sometimes God forces us to stop, wait, rest and be satisfied? I don t know. It makes sense though, doesn t it? So often we are consumed with what is next, with trying to climb the ladder of life one more rung, and then BOOM, we get knocked down. Could it be, that God, our allknowing Shepherd, just wants us to rest in what He has provided, so He makes us, He forces us, to stop, and wait? As I say this, I think about my little boys, Louis and Edward. Do you know what they need everyday? A nap. Do you know what they think they don t need everyday? A nap. It s a fight. Every time. But Ginger and I, being wiser than them, know what they need. So we make them lie down. It s for their good, and it brings them good. For them, it may 36 Interesting side note: still waters should be contrasted with boisterous streams and stagnant pools. Boisterous streams would be dangerous and stagnant pools would be offensive (Commentary, Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible).

3 not feel like that at the time, but that s OK. We re shepherds to them, in a sense, and we re doing what we believe to be best. So, if we are sheep and God is our Shepherd, how does He give us rest, food, and water? I think that God does this through His people and by His Spirit. But right now, I want to focus on something else: I believe that the primary way God is going to nourish us is through His Word. When Jesus was being tempted by Satan himself to turn a rock into food, what did God s Son say would feed Him? Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. 37 That s interesting. Food is not what sustains us, the words that leave the lips of God are what sustain us. Listen to what the prophet Jeremiah had to say about the words of the Lord: Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart. 38 Do you want satisfaction? Then read God s Word. Do you want security? Read God s Word. Do you want joy? Read God s Word. Do you want fulfillment? Read God s Word. CONCLUSION A few weeks ago a man at our church named Brady preached a sermon where he encouraged us to spend time in God s Word. I was convicted. I was thinking about it: I make time everyday to look at stupid meme pictures. Like this one Matthew 4:4; ESV Jeremiah 15:16; ESV

4 !! Or this one. Or this one.

5 ! Seriously though. I was spending minutes per day looking at this crap when I could have been using that time to be fed and nourished by the Shepherd. So, now, any time I had the desire to pull up the app and look at pictures, I often open up my Bible app and read the Word of God. Yeah, I still look at memes once in a while, but, for the most part, I m spending more and more time in God s Word. And I can tell you this: the difference in my life has been substantial. I m thinking about Scripture more throughout the day; passages are coming to mind in situations where they are applicable. God is reminding me, through His Spirit, about His Word, and I m able to share it with those I love. Just yesterday God urged me to talk to a friend about a passage that I was reading in my own personal study time. God s Word brings life and freedom, we just have to be willing to actually read it. We can learn from David s words. Just as shepherds provide security and sustenance for their sheep with green grass and still waters, so does God provide peace and nourishment for us with His Word. We need to rest in God s Word, to devour it, and to drink it, daily. I ll have some links below for some recommended resources to get you started. Check them out. Sign up for a daily devotion in your inbox. I promise you this: God wants to give you green grass and still waters; you will benefit from allowing God to nourish you. Catch you later.