Green pastures and still waters

 

Reflection Sunday 25^th April 2021

 

Psalm 23 is so full of comfort isn’t it? It can be that Psalm of refuge which reminds us of God's constant companionship and God's faithfulness. It can keep us focused and it can feed our undernourished souls.

The part I want to look at today is verse 2 and part of verse 3. 

2     He makes me lie down in green pastures;
he leads me beside still waters;[a]
3     he restores my soul.[b]

I think the reason this Psalm resonates with so many people is because there is a deep spiritual hunger in their lives. People spend time and money trying to find peace in their lives.  And while doing so, we reject the simple for the complicated; the new for the old; the untested for the proven.

So, let's look at some of the ways the Good Shepherd Restores our Souls.

First, the Good Shepherd restores our souls through green pastures. A Pasture is both a place of Rest and a place of Refreshment or nourishment.

We live in tough times. This last year has been draining for all of us. And for others it will be more so as people have experienced unexpected deaths, people are losing jobs, children’s mental health has been under strain and so on.

Our world is shrinking. and it's becoming more complicated at the same time. We need a place where we can recharge and be fed and nourished. We need a green pasture where we can rest. For in that rest we put our feet firmly back on the strong foundation of God. We regain our balance, so we don't stumble and get lost or get swallowed whole by the uncaring world. In a green pasture the stress is removed and we are recharged, so we can make a difference in the world.

The Christian writer, Gordon MacDonald, says that "God built a rhythm of rest and work into human existence. Rest wasn't meant to be a luxury, but rather a necessity to those who want to have growth and maturity." It doesn't do any good to have a strong body and a weak and shallow soul.

The green pasture is also a place of nourishment, too. A place where we are fed.

Worship, Bible Study and even life in our families is where we learn Christian principles. It is in these environments of trust, love, caring, comfort, compassion etc., that our spirits are fed. Even if we don't like the food that's put before us.

The church often offers things we haven't acquired a taste for. We think discipline is like broccoli, cauliflower or brussel sprouts. We know they are there and they're good for us. You can eat them if you like them but please don't put any on my plate.  We know our physical bodies require a balanced meal, we need the green stuff. We need antioxidants and vitamins that can only be found in vegetables and fruit. It's the same when we seek to nourish our souls. They need the good stuff, they need to be fed and cared for. The Apostle Paul called it Pure Spiritual Milk.

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Worship, prayer, study and the Sacrament are all integral parts of the green pasture which the Good Shepherd provides for us.

The Good Shepherd also leads us beside still waters where our thirst can be quenched. For me, this is our involvement in the Christian community. This is where we drink deep of the relationship with Christ, through our relationships with others. Most of the time, we don't even know what kind of impact our faith walk makes on the lives of others. But our faith journey can bring refreshment to others too just as we are refreshed by them.

When our lives reflect the love of God, when we are trying to live our best even when we fail, our lives become Still Waters for others. And you never know what a simple drink of water can do or the impact an act of kindness can have.

We can't really know what the impact of our faith and faithfulness will have on others. So, let Christ lead you so you might partake of the still waters of Christian Fellowship.

While Green Pastures and Still Waters bring about Restoration to the body, there is only one thing that can bring restoration to our soul. And that's God's Forgiveness.

The restoration the Psalmist talks about here can only come through that personal and individual relationship with Christ. We can feed in the green pastures and drink of the still waters. We can get rested and refreshed. But it's only when our experience of faith and forgiveness becomes personal and individual, that the Good Shepherd can restore our souls.

A preacher had a friend he thought he knew pretty well. He was a powerful and successful businessman, the kind who makes decisions easily but always drove a hard bargain.

One day this preacher was having dinner with the businessman's son, and they were talking about the father – the businessman. The son revealed something new about his Dad. It seemed that the son had been in the army and during his service he made a terrible mistake. He got into trouble and was given a dishonourable discharge. The son said he knew what he'd done had disgraced his family. And he was absolutely certain his father would be outraged.

But he also felt he owed it to his father to tell him what happened and try to ask for forgiveness. So, he did. This young man sent a text to his father explaining what had happened. The father sent a text back. The text had three sentences in it:

"I will stand by you no matter what happens. I will be there in the morning. Remember who you are."

That's the way our personal relationship with God works. This father was disappointed, his heart was broken, but the loving, caring relationship wasn't.

God wants each of us to experience the restoration of our souls. Be nurtured at the green pastures and drink deep from the still waters. But then, he wants us to renew our relationship with him. Leave that which has burdened your heart and soul at the foot of the cross. And then leave as a soul restored.