He Makes Me Lie Down

"He makes me lie down..."
Psalm 23

Another characteristic of sheep is that in order for them to lie down they must be completely at peace and free from any unrest. I’m told there are four specific things they must be free from before they can rest.

First, they must be free from all fear. Sheep are defenseless characters and become fearful very easily. They must have complete confidence that their shepherd is among them and that he will protect them from any harm. As Christians we, too, must have complete confidence in the protecting hand of our Lord. I, personally, have felt this most acutely on a missions trip to Colombia. The local people told us we were ministering in a very dangerous area. One lady told me her husband’s occupation was to rob and kill. Yet, the Lord gave me complete peace that week that He was guarding me continually. Someone has said "there is nothing like Christ’s presence to dispel the fear, the panic, the terror of the unknown".

Secondly, sheep must be free from friction with other sheep before they will lie down. Have you noticed how difficult it is to rest, or sleep, when you are upset or mad at someone? Your mind is full of thoughts and will not rest. The Bible encourages us to be at peace with each other and to be quick to apologize if we have offended someone. Ephesians 4:26 says "do not let the sun go down on your anger". We need to resolve our anger in order to rest. Another sign of discontentment is covetousness. Paul told us in Philippians 4:11 "I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am."

Thirdly, sheep must be free from being tormented by flies or parasites before they will lie down. There are many outside influences that can bother us as humans also. The Lord has provided the Holy Spirit to bring quietness, serenity, strength and calmness into our lives to counter those influences. As we maintain the fullness of the Spirit in our lives we experience those qualities that allow us to rest in Him.

Finally, the sheep must be free of hunger before they will down. To satisfy our hunger the Lord provides green pastures. We will discuss those green pastures in our lives next.

Notice the word "makes" in this phrase. Are you getting the spiritual, mental and physical rest you need? I’m convinced that at times God sets us aside for a time if we abuse ourselves so that we will get the rest we need. I encourage you to be sensitive to God’s work in your lives to free you from the four fears we have discussed so that you might truly rest in Him.