Our
golden retriever can get so overly excited that he will go into a seizure. To
prevent that from happening, we try to calm him. We stroke him, speak to him in
a soothing voice, and tell him to lie down. But when he hears “lie down,” he
avoids eye contact with us and starts complaining. Finally, with a dramatic
sigh of resignation, he gives in and plops to the floor.
Sometimes
we too need to be reminded to lie down. In Psalm 23, we learn that our Good
Shepherd makes us “lie down in green pastures” and leads us “beside the still
waters.” He knows that we need the calm and rest that these provide, even when
we don’t realize it ourselves.
Our
bodies are designed to have regular rest. God Himself rested on the seventh day
after His work of creation (Gen. 2:2-3; Ex. 20:9-11). Jesus knew there was a
time to minister to the crowds and a time to rest. He instructed His disciples
to “come aside . . . and rest a while” (Mark 6:31). When we rest, we refocus
and are refreshed. When we are filling every hour with activity—even with
worthwhile things—God often gets our attention by making us “lie down.”
Rest is a gift—a good gift from our Creator who knows exactly what we need. Praise Him that He sometimes makes us “lie down in green pastures.”
