THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD

He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

Ask what are our two greatest needs? (Food and water).

A sheep requires grass and water too. The ground is Israel is dry and scorched by the sun. Unless the shepherd goes to the trouble of clearing the rocks, plowing the soil, planting the seed, irrigating the land….there will be no grass for the sheep. Maybe David had to go far and wide with the flock and search for green pastures so that the sheep could have access to grass and water. He had to look for new places whenever the grass got over. Watching the sheep, herding them, getting them to stay together, moving them along, is hard work. Think about it. Controlling 100 or more sheep, each one wanting to go in a different direction. It's tiring. David needed to rest and so did the sheep.

Just like David (the shepherd) looked after his father's flock, he loves the way God (his shepherd) gives him rest, gives him water and how he restores his spirit. Picture the scene - A shepherd watching his sheep sprawled beneath the summer sun with bellies full from munching on rich green grass. They require rest from walking and green pastures that allow them to fill up quickly and then lie down to rest and chew their cud. David feels the same way like a well-fed sheep does…for a Christian, imagine the calmness of your soul as salvation flows gently like a running stream over it and all WANT is taken away.

Working in Mumbai is stressful. Heavy loads. Crowds everywhere. Traffic. Going from one place to another. Struggling. Getting exhausted. Getting pounded. Getting worn out. Money is tight. Troubles at home. Troubles at work. We have to get our minds around this. Stop. Think. I am a sheep. Belonging to God, the shepherd. He loves me. He knows my name. Am I taking time to rest daily or I am slogging continuously? Many companies give their employees leave / holidays. But they also allow them to encash their leave. So instead of taking leave and being with family or taking a vacation, the employees prefer taking the extra money and not going on leave. NO…don't do that. God requires you to rest from your work. The Lord wants us to take time to rest from our busy lives. Spend time with Him and you'll feel refreshed. QUESTION: Are we getting our rest daily or are we caught up too much in our jobs with little time for resting? Some people (after a hard day's work) want to drink heavily and party till late instead of resting. Others indulge themselves and go on shopping sprees ("I deserve this because I work so hard"). Others look for love in the wrong places. But it is only God who can lead you to the right place - if you allow him to. Jesus took time to rest - he withdrew from multitudes.

You lie down because you are tired. Everyone needs to rest. Stop working. Get some sleep. Then you wake up energized after resting. Are you able to lie down in green pastures? Not literally but meaning - taking time to rest. Lie down for a while. Rest. Comfort. Are you taking time to rest or will God have to force you to rest ? (sickness, hospital, accident, etc). The forced rests that occur when He makes you lie down can be humiliating and painful.

He restores my soul…comes after you allow yourself to be led by God. It literally means - He causes my life to return. When your spirit is weary, exhausted, troubled anguished….God gives it life once again, heals it, encourages it and fills it with joy and excitement. God can restore your soul, revive it - first you need to feed on his word, next you need to rest a while, meditate, relax (maybe go to different place, a mountain top, a valley, a beach, somewhere quiet and peaceful) and then God can restore you, make you anew.

What depletes or empties your soul? Being busy, doing the ministry and people not responding, getting impatient and angry, being around ungodly people, falling into sin (eg. greed, lust, laziness), health problems, financial problems….

Psalm 19:7
The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple.

The above scripture states The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. If each of us allows God's word to enter our hearts daily (open your Bible and let God talk to you), this will do wonders for restoring us, physically, mentally, spiritually. Many people have to take pills, injections, see doctors, psychiatrists, etc. and pay a huge sum to get well mentally. Some health specialists say that most hospital beds are occupied by those who have emotional problems rather than physical problems. But a generous dose of God's word DAILY is tonic for our soul, our spirit. It revives, restores the soul (which was made in God's image and is in you).

He guides me in paths of righteousness……..David, as a shepherd, would know that sheep are creatures of habit. They can't be left to themselves. They require careful handling and detailed direction. Otherwise many pastures get ruined beyond repair by overgrazing and poor management of the sheep. Sheep have to be led from one grazing ground to another. David had to survey the land, make his plan, move his flock at the right time, see places where they would thrive, see that they don't overgraze and ruin the ground in one area… He trusted God to show him the paths of righteousness.

Like sheep, we are stiff-necked and stubborn. Isa 53:6 says We all like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way. We do this deliberately, repeatedly. It's called PRIDE. We insist we know what's best for us even though we know disaster will come. Just as sheep blindly follow one another along the same path, we also cling to the same habits that we see have ruined other's lives. I want to do what I want. My own wishes, my own ideas. Inspite of the warning -

Proverbs 14:12 and Proverbs 16:25
There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.

But Jesus says I am the Way and in John 10:10.

John 10:10
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

Do you want to be led in paths of righteousness? This goes against our mindset because we want to lead, not follow. We want to turn to our own way even though it may take us straight into trouble. We don't want to deny ourselves or give up our right to make our own decisions. But Jesus leads us in paths of righteousness…..are we on His path?

Conclusion

- God wants you to take the time to rest. So he can restore you. What are you doing about this?

- When is the last time you went on a vacation with your family? To be surrounded by nature. When will you plan your holiday so you can all get your souls restored?

- Are you living a life of tough self-denial? Think. It is not the normal way people would live, but Christ makes it clear that to follow him is to deny oneself.

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1. For home work: Memorize Ps 23 the whole psalm without a mistake. Write it down so you are sure.

2. Memorize Pro 14:12 (same as 16:25)

Proverbs 14:12 and Proverbs 16:25
There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.

3. Read 1 Sam chapter 21 - 31.

4. Pray from Ps 25:4-5 Think of what are God's ways, and what paths have you learnt to walk on?

Psalm 25:4-5
4 NIV) Show me your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths;
5 NIV) guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.

5. Read Ps 27:4 How often do you long to be with God? To spend time with him? Talk to him? What can you do to improve the quality of your time and ensure it is consistent?

Psalm 27:4
One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple.