He Makes Me Lie Down

The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want (Ps. 23:1).

The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want to go to some of the places he leads me (Ps. 23:2, 4).

These work together: God’s care for us and his insistence on calling us away from our natural desires.

If we could lead ourselves, we would not need the Shepherd. But as it is, we cannot navigate our way to green pastures. By intuition, we trod toward a sharp cliff. This is why his staff comforts us, even if it moves us away from our chosen route (Ps. 23:4). We know it belongs to One with a better view.

But the pull of the rod is always painful in the moment. It never feels good to move away from what we thought was best—especially when God’s preference is the valley of the shadow of death.

It is in the low places that we slow down. In the desert, we learn how to dine. In the drought, God makes us overflow. The green pastures of abundant life come because, not despite, the valley we crossed.

Indeed, the twists and turns we thought were worst for us become the greatest manifestations of the Father’s love. We enter the valley thinking evil lurks behind—but as we leave, we discover that all along, God’s goodness and mercy were on the chase (Ps. 23:6).

God’s destination for you all along is the pasture. The problem is, left all alone, you would walk right past it.

So God makes you lie down. Through diversions in your plan, he shows where the green grass is found—not in attaining all your desires but in “returning and in rest”—“in quietness and in trust” (Is. 30:15).