He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; he leadeth me beside the still waters.

Psalm 23:2

Explanation:

A beautiful scene is laid out in front of us in just a few words.  The Shepherd, who is the Lord, is leading the sheep who is David.  David has already expressed that the reality of the shepherding of the Lord means that he won’t lack.  This is an explanation of why that is. 

The sheep is made to lie down.  This is a position of rest.  It is certainly a position of trust.  Where is he lying down?  He is in green pastures.  This is, of course, a fantastic place for a sheep.  They love grass!  There is provision and plenty.  There is no reason for lack of food because of where the shepherd has him.

The sheep is guided beside still waters.  In the leading there is a thoughtfulness of the sheep.  The sheep is lead by still waters.  The roaring river provides a potential danger.  Here the provision is given with safety.

Application:

We will see later in the psalm that the shepherd does not only stay in areas that are pleasant and plenty, but the shepherd does care for and protect the sheep to places like this.  The application is clear.  When we trust in Christ enough to follow Him, we will have everything we need.  This does not mean that Christians that truly follow Christ will never go through anything difficult as we shall see.  If we were to lose our lives, to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord, and there is certainly no lack there.  Our Jehovah God can be trusted, and it is best for us to follow him.

Response:

God, help me to trust you.  Sometimes that trust need to be exerted in times of temptations to go my own way and wander.  Help me not to wander from your leading.  Help me to trust you in the midst of that temptation.  Help me to trust your direction and leading rather than merely my own. Amen.