Being Contented in the Shepherds Care

Study on the 23^rd Psalm – continued

Last week we started our study on the 23^rd Psalm and most of it came from Phillip Yancey’s book A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23.

As I continued to read that book this week I became more and more fascinated by the parallels that Jesus drew between us as believers/sheep.  We talked about how much the sheep depend on the shepherd and we will continue that this week, but we really bore down on The Lord is my Shepherd and what that means to us.  We asked such questions as:

1. Do I really belong to Him?
2. Do I recognize His right to me?
3. Do I respond to His authority and acknowledge His ownership?

Today we will look at the next line in that Psalm, I shall not want and He makes me lie down in green pastures.

As Yancy points out, the main concept is that of not lacking or not deficient but a second emphasis that we can learn from is that of being contented in the Shepherds care.  Not craving or desiring more.  We are not saying that we won’t face hardships.  We know from scripture that great saints of God faced hardships.  David certainly did as he ran from Saul and then his own son Absalom. So based on that we can know, David was not talking about physical poverty when he made this statement.

I’m sure we can all name people that though not rich in the worlds eye’s were very content in their shepherds care and could say with David “I shall not want”.  And we all know those that are rich in the world’s eyes and are poverty stricken when it comes to their relationship with the Lord.

Contentment should be the hallmark of the man or woman who has put his or her affairs in the hands of God.

We’re going to quickly move on to the next line – He makes me lie down in green pastures.

Yancy points out that there are 4 requirements that unless met, makes it nearly impossible for sheep to be made to lie down.

1. They must be free of all fear.
2. Free from friction with others of their kind.
3. Free of flies or parasites.
4. They must be free from hunger.

When we look at these four things, we see that the shepherd/owner is the one who makes it possible for them to lie down, to rest, to relax, to be content and quiet and flourishing.  Let’s apply that to us.  If we are restless, discontented, always agitated and disturbed we don’t do well.

Yancy tells the story of a visitor to his farm, When she opened her car door, her Pekinese pup jumped out on the grass.  Just one glimpse of the unexpected little dog was enough.  In sheer terror over 200 of his sheep which were resting nearby leaped up and rushed off across the pasture.  If there is even the slightest suspicion of danger from dogs, coyotes, cougars or bears or other enemies the sheep stand up ready to flee for their lives.  They have little or no means of self-defense.  They are helpless, timid, feeble creatures whose only recourse is to run.  He learned that when the sheep were frightened, that just seeing him, the good shepherd in the field quieted them down.

What does that say about us? If we can just realize that the Good Shepherd is always with us. For us it’s usually the sense of the unknown, the “what ifs” that cause us to panic.  When we are in the grip of fear we are unable to cope.   It is then that we turn to the word, 2 Timothy 1:7, God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and a sound mind.  If we get into the habit of looking to our Good Shepherd , we will not run but will stand firm on what God’s word says.

Lets talk about free from friction with their own kind.  Yancy talks of a “butting order” if it were chickens it would be called the “pecking order”.  He tells of a watching a ewe approaching a younger one that might be feeding or resting quietly in some sheltered spot.  She arches her neck, tilts her head, dilates her eyes and approaches the other with a stiff legged gait, all this to say, “Move over, out of my way!” If the younger ewe did not move, she would be butted unmercifully,   if this type of behavior continues within the flock it can be a most detrimental thing.  The sheep become edgy, tense, discontented and restless.  They lose weight and become irritable.  But he points out that when the shepherd comes into view the sheep quickly forgot their rivalries and stopped their fighting.  The shepherds presence made all the difference in their behavior.

How about freedom from fear of parasites and insects?? When a sheep is tormented by these it is impossible for them to lie down and rest.  A good shepherd will apply various types of insect repellents to his sheep.  He see’s that they are dipped to clear their fleeces of ticks.  He will see that there are shelter belts of trees and bush available where they can find refuge and release from their tormentors.  All of this takes extra care, it’s expensive to buy the chemical s to do the job thoroughly, It also means that the sheepman must be amongst his sheep daily, keeping a close watch on their behaviors.

In the Christian life there are annoyances of petty frustrations and ever recurring disagreeable experiences.  We sometimes say that we are “bugged” by different things.  So what is our antidote for these?  In scripture we see our antidote.  It is the oil of the Holy Spirit. Over and over in scripture we see different references to oil, all of it referring to the work of the Holy Spirit, the oil of joy, oil of gladness etc.  So as we allow the Holy Spirit to work in our lives we too will be able to be free from those things that “bug” us.

And then we come to freedom from the fear of hunger.  Green pastures don’t and didn’t just happen by chance.  In many parts of the world where sheep are raised, the climate is dry and semi-arid.   So it’s not common to find green pastures.  So the green pastures were the product of tremendous labor, time and skill in land use.  They had to clear rough, rocky land, tear out brush and roots and stumps.  Irrigate the land.   But green pastures are and were essential to success with the sheep.  A hungry ill fed sheep is ever on its feet, on the move searching for another mouthful trying to satisfy its hunger.

For us, the Christian, this could be a picture of the Old Testament account of Israel moving from Egypt to the Promised Land, moving from a life of sin to the life of overcoming victory.  We are promised such a life.  It has been provided for us and is made possible by the unrelenting effort of Christ, our good shepherd.

He tears out the roots of bitterness in our life.  He attempts to break up the hard, proud human heart that is set like sun-dried clay.  He then sows the seed of His own Word, which if given half a chance to grow will produce rich crops of contentment and peace.  He waters this with the rain of his own presence by the Holy Spirit.

But sometimes we prefer to feed on the barren ground of the world around us.  But Christ our good shepherd has supplied green pastures for those who care to move in onto them and there find peace and plenty.   Once again we see Grace received.