He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. Psalm 23:2-3
With Jesus My Shepherd, I Have Rest
In classical Greek and Roman literature, an idyll was a short poem about shepherds. Later, the term was broadened to include poetic depictions of peaceful countryside settings in general. The “idyllic life,” so to speak, was supposed to exist somewhere between the untamed wilderness and the bustling city, in the quiet green meadows where the grass is soft beneath your feet, and the wind softly rustles in the branches above your head. Can you picture yourself as the shepherd gently resting there with his flock? It may have taken a little hike to reach the spot, but once you’ve arrived, you can linger and lounge and maybe even find yourself dozing off. In such a tranquil setting, there is no hurry, no threat, no pressing need. A bubbling brook with clear, cool water is nearby, should you get thirsty. And there’s plenty of grass for the sheep to nibble on, should they get hungry. Surely, shepherds and sheep can tarry in such a place for a while.
King David, a former shepherd himself, may have longed for such simpler days later in life. But even in the worst of times, David knew where he could find rest. The Lord himself would refresh his soul with promises of love and forgiveness.
When your soul is weighed down by sin and all its nasty consequences, Jesus gently invites you: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Mt 11:28). See, your guilt has been removed in your baptism in the name of the Triune God! When your conscience is stirred up by the memory of your many failings, insisting you need to make things right, you need to make it better. Look to your Lord Jesus, who has already given you his own right that you need to make it better. Look to your Lord Jesus, who has already given you his own righteousness so that you stand before God holy and blameless. He gives you strength for the journey and refreshes your soul with his word and sacraments. Calm your heart and rest in the Lord!
Prayer: (CW, 552:2)
Where streams of living water flow,
My Savior gently leads me,
And where the verdant pastures grow,
With food celestial feeds me. Amen.
