WHAT DO WE NEED MOST TODAY?
Psalm 23:2, “He makes me to lie down in green pastures.”
THE SHEPHERD CAUSES US TO RECLINE CHEERFULLY IN LUSH GRASSLANDS
Let us pray, “Father, I do thank you that when I sleep, you do not. Thank you for working on my concerns,
answering my prayers, sustaining my world, and doing your work while I sleep. I cannot comprehend it, but I
am truly thankful that you are the God who does not tire or grow weary in doing what is good and what is a
blessing. I recognize that all the good things I have in my life have come because of your blessing. I praise
you for your mercy and grace that sustain me. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”
I. WHAT DO YOU GUESS? I Will give you the consequences can you guess the cause? 70 million
Americans suffer from it and it causes 38,000 death in a year. The productivity that is lost cost the USA $70
billion a year. 64% of our teenagers have poor performance in school because of it. It is between the ages of
30-40 that people suffer most severely. In those over 60 years of age 50% are impacted by this condition. The
treatments to help this are everything from mouth guard to herbal teas to medications. What is your guess?
Some of you might say abuse, divorce, long sermons, Internet information, reading to much news or listening
to it. The answer is insomnia. America does not get enough sleep. Let us think what happens to many people.
They crawl in bed. We want to turn over and fall asleep but all of a sudden our minds go to work on all the
things that we need to do. So we toss and turn until late. We get up and drink a glass of milk and say now I
will sleep as we take our minds off of our to do list but now people come to our minds and we lay awake
wondering about them or maybe it could be money or maybe physical pain. No matter what it is, we wake the
next morning still tired because of all our thinking.
II. How do we handle our need?
Since we do not sleep it gives us a second problem, we do not perform well at what we have to do doing the
day because we are half a wake or we even catch ourselves taking a nap when we should we doing something.
So everyday 30 tons of aspirins, sleeping pills and tranquilizers are taken every day so that we might sleep.
So if we would ask an alien to analyze our problem he would say everybody needs to sleep. But we laugh
for we need to work hard, there is money to be made, degrees to be earned, ladders to be climbed and doesn’t
the Bible have a verse that says, “business is next to godliness?”
Have we gotten wiser with age? In 1910 people slept 9 hours a night, but if we get in 7 hours we think we are better
off, but we are tired. Our minds are tired. Our souls are tired. Our bodies are tired. It seems that in God’s economy He
has made man so that he needs 8 hours of sleep each night.
Real church is not a museum to be enjoyed but a restaurant where we get our souls fed. We choose if we will eat.
This is what used to be called walking in the light and Scripturally still is.
In the Lord’s prayer we say “Give us this day.....” So everyday He supplies. Elijah, Israelites, sparrows. Now there
are some who would like it perhaps if they could go to church once a year and have enough so they would not have to
go back again. God says once a week you need to meet Me in my house. So if you have trouble with this, talk to Him.
Lets look at the other creatures in this world that do not have our trouble. Dogs, they doze. Bears they hibernate. Cats
are always finding a warm spot and sleeping. Sloths sleep 20 hours a day. There are animals that sleep standing up. Most
animals know that they need rest and take it. There is one to which the Bible likens to us that do not sleep well and that
is sheep. For the sheep things have to just right. No tension in the flock. No wolves on the lurch. No bugs in the air. No
hunger pains. With sheep they do not know how to find safe pasture, or to spray insecticide on themselves, or deal with
frictions or find food. They need a shepherd to lead them and to help them lie down in green meadows. You see without
a shepherd they can’t rest and with us we do not either. It is the Lord that makes us to lie down, He does not force us
to do so. We see not a picture of the shepherd pushing his sheep to the ground, nor tipping them over or pulling their
feet from under them. It is being in a lush green field that makes them want to lie down. They lie down because the
shepherd provides for them. A mother will not force a baby to sleep by holding its eyes shut but feeds it so it
is contended and wants to sleep. When sheep are standing or moving about or wandering they do not have
time to listen to the shepherd. They must be lying down or resting before they will hear and be satisfied
III. OUR NEED IN THE LIGHT OF ETERNITY. Then we get to thinking, we are eternal creatures and we
ask the questions, “Where did I come from?, Where am I going when life is over?, What is the real
meaning of life?, What is the difference between what is right and wrong?” These questions left
unanswered steal from our rest. Form the Bible we see that there were those who saw the waves and
did not see the Savior. those who saw many hungry people but failed to see the One who is the Bread of
life. Many saw the darkness of that Friday of crucifixion but missed the brightness of the Son On Sunday.
Most sheep lie down when they get sleepy. They do not sleep well standing up. When do sheep lie
down? When they have finished the days work. They find it is time for rest, sleep, food or just to be near
their shepherd. When a Shepherd sits down to rest that is when the sheep come near to him to lie down.
As people we crave to be loved and desire affection so when God gives us rest we know that as we
stay close to Him we are at rest. The Shepherd does not take us to pastures of the past because though
they were good at their time now they do not offer much. Every day He leads us to fresh green pasture.
He does not lead us to pastures that will be good in the next season of life for they are not ready yet for
our taking and we are not yet in need of them. It is daily that he leads us to fresh tender grass. It has
what is needed to satisfy, it is tender and easy to chew and digest. He gives us what is best and what we
will enjoy. His desire is for us to be strong and healthy. He has the pasture for us but we must partake of
it. We see in Ps 23:2 “He makes me”, “leads me.” So we have to ask who is in charge of your life? The
Shepherd does all that needs to be done to give us pasture. The sheep’s job and our’s is to watch and
follow the Shepherd. Is 26:3
We are in need of a change of focus and attitude that we might relax. If you have never
accepted God’s forgiveness, you can do that today by praying a simple
prayer such as the following: "Dear God, I confess that I am a sinner and
am sorry for all the wrongs that I have done. I believe that your Son,
Jesus Christ, died on the cross for my sins. Please forgive me. I invite
you, Jesus, to come into my heart and life as Lord and Savior. I commit and
trust my life to you. Please give me the desire to be what you want me to
be and to do what you want me to do. Thank you for dying for my sins, your
free pardon, your gift of eternal life, and for hearing and answering my
prayer. In Jesus’ name, amen."
IV. THE COMMANDMENT THAT NEEDS OUR ATTENTION
Don’t you find that Life sometimes can get so loud that we forget to shut down. Can you go with me to
the ten commandments and see which one occupies the most space. We dwell on murder, adultery,
stealing or coveting. We find that God used only five words to condemn adultery and four for thievery and
murder. One commandment takes up more than one sentence and it is the fourth one. One day of the
week we are to rest. We are to say “NO” to work and “YES” to worship. Way back in Genesis it says that
God worked six days and rested so could we not say that “If creation didn’t break down when He rested
it is possible it will not break down when we rest.” When we read or hear the Word of God we need to
give attention that we understand it and obey as we should. Every word of God is inspired and has an
important meaning for us. So if we are to be spiritually healthy we need to know that Word and hide it in
our hearts and take time to meditate on it. May we pray- “Lord we want to thank you for the food you
give us in the green pastures. Thank you for your provision. I have never gone hungry when I have taken
time to rest in Your presence. I thank you for your faithfulness. I know that when I am in your presence
there is more than enough food. Thank you for providing for all the food I will ever need.”
My Shepherd makes us to lie down after His finished work on the cross. He has done all that needs to
be done that we can rest from our toil and pain and enjoy eternal life. He wants you to lie down in green
pastures at His feet. Are you doing that?
