I read psalm 23 again today with fresh eyes. I noticed the verbs that were used – ‘makes’, ‘leads,’ ‘restores’ and ‘leads.’ How interesting, ‘He makes me to lie down in green pastures.’ My God knows I’m always on the go and trying to achieve so many things, so He makes me and probably you, to lie down. It is an order, we have to do it or else we would burn out.
I have a mental picture of lying in a wild flower meadow, the sounds of myriads insects buzzing in my ears. I feel completely enveloped by the scene. The blue sky is above and the tall trees sway in the zephyrs. My mind is relaxed and at rest. I feel God’s restorative powers working in my body. I am so pleased that God ‘makes’ me lie down. It is not left to me to decide; He knows how much we all need it.