The Green Pasture Buffet

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. Psalm 23:1-3

WE ALWAYS LOVE talking about those green pastures, don’t we? If life were a buffet, I’d load my plate with green pastures, skip over the dark valleys of the shadow of death, and take a side of still waters and a restored soul. Thank you very much.

But I tend to miss the fact that no matter what spiritual environment I’m in—deep valleys, lush pastures, still waters, or dry deserts—God is my Shepherd. And no matter how I feel about the particular place I’m in, He is still with me, shepherding.

There is not one place He will not be with us, shepherding. We are His sheep. He is our Shepherd. This is how the relationship works.

Every morning in our household provides a window into this shepherding relationship. On school days, we are a bustling mess of book bags, breakfast, and bickering. We have showers, hair drama, and search parties for socks. We are often tripping over and trying hard to love one another as we fumble around. And without fail, every morning my daughter, who cannot tell time yet, is afraid I will not tell her when she needs to leave for the bus.

I cannot believe she forgets my faithfulness to get her to the bus on time. As her mother, this is my job (among many other things). And I do it. Every single day. My prayer is that someday she will trust me, stop asking, and be at peace as I shepherd her.

God wants the same for us. He is faithful and shepherds us perfectly, even when we are unsure and feel a million things contrary to this truth. At some point, I will most likely fail my daughter on timeliness, and we will all remember grace and keep going; but the beauty of a perfect God is that He will lead us and guide us perfectly every time. His timing is perfect, and “late” is not in his vocabulary—even through the dark valleys. Even as He led His Son through His crucifixion and death. Because this led to the most unbelievable result: Jesus’ defeat over death through His resurrection.

We can trust God to live up to His name. We can trust Him to be our Good Shepherd day after day. In the green pastures, in the still waters, in the deep valleys, He is with us restoring our souls.

GRACE REFLECTION: Pray with me, “God, thank You for being my Good Shepherd all the time. You are trustworthy, Your timing is perfect, and You are always beside me. Teach me to trust Your shepherding and to listen for Your voice. Amen.”