The Secret To A Restful Life Series

The Secret to a Restful Life!

Psalm 23:2a

Introduction:

Cf. in this verse it’s as if the Holy Spirit through the Psalmist David paints a beautiful picture upon the canvass of our minds… lush, green meadow w/ a nearby pond with its still crystal clear water, dotted along the hillside are contented sheep… lying with their legs folded under them and in the back backdrop stands their shepherd vigilantly watching over his flock.

The scene is one of serenity and peace. A picture of rest, refreshment and satisfaction. Fosters within us a longing to be in such a place… free from the stress, anxiety and cares that fill our noisy hearts.

Without a shepherd sheep can’t rest. And without a shepherd neither can we.

Good News: Because the Lord is your Shepherd, you can enter into His rest and experience His peace!

Each of us chooses to live on one of two planes: “Worry-free” or “Worry-filled;” a “Fretful life or a Restful life.”

In Psalm 23:2, our faithful Shepherd teaches us the secret to a restful life.

I. THE DELIVERANCE FROM A FRETFUL LIFE!

Look: v.2 – “He maketh me to lie down… He leadeth me” – action of the shepherd. The rest pictured in Psalm 23 is not the sheep’s rest but the shepherd’s rest.

Sheep by their very nature are restless animals and are easily agitated… which in turn makes it almost impossible for them to lay down.

Quote: Phillip Keller in his book on Psalm 23 makes an interesting observation about sheep. He writes:

"The strange thing about sheep is that because of their make-up it is almost impossible for them to be made to lie down unless four requirements are met… Owing to their timidity they refuse to lie down unless they are free from all fear, Because of their social behavior within a flock sheep will not lie down unless they are free from friction with others of their kind.

If tormented by flies or parasites, sheep will not lie down. Only when free of these pests can they relax.

Lastly, sheep will not lie down as long as they feel in need of finding food. They must be free from hunger." (1)

Sheep have to be made to lie down… that takes place when they are undisturbed by the things that would normally disturb them; those things that perplex and agitate them… making them uncomfortable, distressed, and restless. Sound familiar???

No predators to frighten them, no spats to ruffle them, no bugs to annoy them and no empty, grumbling stomachs to agitate them. When all of these needs are met… sheep will naturally lay down.

That is the scene we have before us… a flock of sheep… restfully lying down, munching on rich green grass without a care in the world… these sheep are a picture of a worry-free life.

A. Deliverance from the Perplexities of Life

Just like sheep, we become easily agitated, distressed, restless, anxious and worried… because of the perplexing things of life.

We worry over…

Finances = how are we going to make ends meet? Bills coming due, will my job last? Health? Marriage? Family? The list of our worries is endless!!!

Understand that this picture of sheep lying in green pastures in no way suggests that all the things that could cause the sheep to worry have been eliminated.

No, the coyotes, wild dogs and bears are still out there. The dangers are still real. The bugs and flies are not on the endangered species list. These little irritants still exist. There are still dry places and dry spells when the grass is not readily available. Hunger is an ever-present reality. However, in this picture the sheep are just not worried about all these things.

Matthew 6:

“Green pastures” = (lit) pastures of tender grass; the first young tender shoots of grass or vegetation that springs up. Choice grasses.

Judean countryside where David led his sheep was not a vast expanse of rolling meadows and fields of green that stretched as far as the eye could see. It was largely a very rocky, dry and barren place… but the good shepherds knew where the shady areas were that held rich green patches of grass and led their sheep into those little wilderness oases. There the sheep would contentedly feed on the dew drenched grass, drink from still pools of fresh water and lie down free from the worrisome things around them.

They are content in the tender care of their shepherd who provides all these things.

A worry-free life does not mean that we have nothing to worry about. It does mean that all of the perplexities of life have been eliminated.

A worry-free life means that we refuse to be disturbed by the many fears and agitations that seek to crowd their way into our minds filling us with stress, anxiety and worry.