He maketh me to
lie down in green pastures:
he leadeth me beside the still waters.
Psalm 23:2
When Americans go to foreign countries, they often need to be careful about the water they drink. In many countries, it’s because the water is not pure. It is filled with bacteria and contamination.
In Germany, Americans are careful about the water they order for another reason. Germans tend to serve a carbonated seltzer water. Most Americans like to order, therefore, stille wasser, which is our more familiar “still” (or non-carbonated) water.
Several years ago when I went to Germany on a mission trip, I remember sitting in a German worship service, understanding very little of what was being said. Suddenly the person beside me lit up! He turned to me and said, “They’re praying the twenty-third Psalm.” I looked at him quizzically, “How do you know.” He smiled, “They’re talking about stille wasser!”
The first line of Psalm 23 announces the character of God: He is like a good shepherd. And it’s more personal than that: He is my shepherd. That means two important things. First, I know him and follow him. Second, he knows me and cares for me … personally.
Verse two elaborates on God’s generous care:
- He nourishes me, drawing me to green pastures so that I can be nourished.
- He refreshes me, satisfying me with fresh, clean water.
- He protects me, giving me a safe place to “lie down” and watching over me there.
Which of those three do you need more fully today?
In Christ’s Love,
a guy who all too frequently
needs refreshing
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