“He makes me to lie down in green pastures…” – Psalm 23:2a NKJV

“[For sheep] it is significant that to be at rest there must be a definite sense of freedom from fear, tension, aggravations, and hunger. The unique aspect of the picture is that it is only the sheepman himself who can provide release from these anxieties.

– W. Phillip Keller, “A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23”

“Green pastures were not the natural terrain of Judea. The hills around Bethlehem where David kept his flock were not lush and green…hence when David says, ‘He makes me lie down in green pastures,’ he is saying, ‘My Shepherd makes me lie down in his finished work.’ With his own pierced hands, Jesus created a pasture for the soul. He tore out the thorny underbrush of condemnation. He pried loose the huge boulders of sin. In their place he planted seeds of grace and dug ponds of mercy. And he invites us to rest there.”

– Max Lucado, “Traveling Light”

Is your soul genuinely at rest today? His pasture is well-prepared…

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures…” – Psalm 23:1-2a NKJV