Psalms 23:2
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the
still waters.
King
David depicts for us a serene, idyllic scenery, (a pastoral view that many of
us living within a city cannot comprehend.
We might even decide this wonderful view does not even exist.) If we could take the opportunity and go to
the country for a few hours (in an attempt to find this serenity,) our fears
(not locking the door behind us, and being left “in the open” at the whims of
marauding bandits) might be overwhelming.
When
I began preaching, we lived on a small acreage, with many trees, (some of which
were “clumps” of mature Dogwood Trees.)
Almost daily, I walked up a hill to one particular clump of Dogwoods to
read my Bible and pray. (On occasion, I
even laid down on the ground and napped under that clump of trees.) When I left the house, our dog, Mei Zen, and
our two cats, Bert and Ernie always followed me. When they had “secured the area,” I sat
down. (I knew there weren’t any
copperheads or other critters to cause me problems.) I relied on my animals to protect me, yet, I
believe I was relying on God to protect me in that pasture. (I was allowing God to use the animals for my
protection. My cats kept the small
critters at bay, and my dog (a Shar Pei) definitely hindered the larger ones.)
However,
the scene David gives us is “a painting of his heart.” It is his love of God, and his trust in God
that he reveals his heart to us in this verse. If we trusted God as David trusted Him, how
much greener could our pastures, our valleys, and those mountaintops be? We can gain that trust, and The Love of God
by delving into God’s Word, and by kneeling and submitting ourselves in prayer
to Him.
Romans 10:17
So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
All
that we are, and all that we can be is by allowing God to lead us by those “still
waters.” Those waters reflect
serenity, but they can be “deep waters” with treacherous sub-surface currents
(sin.) Sin pulls us away from the
serenity that God gives us.
Jesus,
our Lord and Saviour guides us beside those “still waters.” He never takes us into those currents that will
pull us away. He protects us through The
Holy Spirit.
“Reader,
have you accepted Jesus as your personal Lord and Saviour? He is The Only Way. There is no other Way to secure a heavenly
abode. There is only one Way to God, and
that is through Jesus via The Holy Spirit.
John 14:6
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man
cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Jesus tells us through Paul that if we will believe
that God has raised Him (Jesus) from the grave, and if we will tell others (confess)
what we believe, God will save us.
Romans 10:9
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt
believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be
saved.
Believe and know Heaven is your home.
Bro John R. E Chastain
Retired Pastor
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