He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters. (verse 2)
What is there to say about this most famous of psalms? There is not a word wasted; not a thought expressed that is not full of meaning and promise.
In my mind's eye I picture David writing this psalm after a particular harrowing period of his life. Perhaps in a quiet moment as he is pursued by Saul and his men, or when the affairs of state crowd his thoughts after he has assumed the throne. Whenever David wrote this psalm, it is clearly written out of hard-won experience. He is not expressing some theory; this is testimony.
My thoughts are many; my anxiety and worry sometimes palpable. I write this reflection after a restless night's sleep before the son has come up over the horizon. To lie down in the grass and stare lazily at the sun, or to meditate on the stillness of quiet waters is the longing of my soul. David's words challenge me. They challenge me to cast all my cares on to the Lord who is my Shepherd. They challenge me to make every thought captive to the One who is with me always.
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