Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Still Waters

He Leads Me Beside Still Waters

Psalm 23:2 “He leads me beside Still Waters.”

     There are some days when I absolutely cannot move. Thankfully those days are rarer now that I am getting stronger in every aspect. But the days when I cannot do much of anything and sitting often is a necessity, those are the days I draw from The Well. Sitting outside or near an open window is very peaceful for me. Songbirds in neighbors' trees; squirrels playing on the utility pole and along our fences; traffic rumbling by somewhere close; these are the sounds of my days. But The Song in my heart never ceases to breathe life into me, stirring my soul with the call of 'draw close to Me and I will draw close to you.'
     His hands are gentle but firm; strong yet flexible. He picks me up when I stumble and nearly fall. (Literally, too. I weave, I wobble, but I never fall, for I believe He is near to hold me up and lift me up).
     My Shepherd's voice is pleasant when I am near, firmer when I wander a little bit away and used to be faint when I was not so near, not so close. I do not miss those days. With His gentleness and kindness He has brought me near to Him and I do not wander any more.
     No longer do I long for greener pastures on the other side of the fence, outside the safety of My Shepherd's pasture. The only reason the grass is greener on the other side is because it isn't really grass at all: it's fake grass, turf. Sheep cannot exist on fake grass; tasting it is nauseating; eating it is toxic, deadly. Both the body and the soul require real sustenance to be healthy and strong. One needs food and water, the other needs The Word of God spoken into it.


      Are still waters still? Yes. According to the Free Dictionary, still waters are defined as flat or level sections of water which have no flow or discernible motion. Yet, the water could either be shallow or deep; which is why the sheep would need a wise Shepherd to lead them while near it. Some still waters flow gently over large rocks, on mountainsides or through mountains. A Shepherd is necessary when it comes to being near still waters.
     Notice the word “waters” is plural. Sheep must be watered more than once in their lifetime. Just like we do. Our Shepherd leads us beside Still Waters. We are drawn gently to His side, as the classic hymn says, “Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling, Calling O sinner, come home.” In our daily lives there is so much noise and distractions calling us away from our Shepherd. The thief in the pasture removes one sheep after another by tempting it with greener grasses. Entertainments entice us and keep us amused for hours on end. Time passes. Life happens. And now many sheep have gone astray.
     But The Shepherd's voice still calls them to Himself. He never gives up on bringing His sheep home again, nor does He stop searching for them, wherever they may be. Wandering sheep browse the grasses, sometimes unaware that they have gone so far away. Until danger makes itself known and then the sheep bleat, letting The Shepherd know they are in immediate danger. And The Shepherd hastens to the crying voice of the lost sheep, seeking the cry of the heart that is terrified, weak, scared, alone, afraid, hopeless, lost.
      Finding the wanderer, The Shepherd fights for the lost sheep, defeating the danger and death which surely would have overtaken the sheep had He not arrived in time. The Shepherd cradles the lost sheep which is now found in His arms, holding it close to His heart, that the shaking sheep might calm and be at peace. Setting it down, He leads it back to the pasture, back to the waters, back home; where the sheep remains, staying close to/near its Shepherd. 
     My Shepherd defeated Satan when I was in his clutches. My Shepherd defeated death, hell and the grave for me. And He only had to do it once. There are many wolves in a wolf pack but there is only one leader of a pack; in the claws of evil that leader is the devil. And while he finds many ways to attack people and separate them from God's hands, the only One who can defend them from him is Jesus Christ, The Good Shepherd. He who died on the cross and rose from the dead; in life He submitted Himself to The Almighty God, His Father. In death, He fought the devil and won, overcame death and walked out of the grave when His Father rolled the stone away.
     My Shepherd not only has my back, He has all of me. Every breath, every heart-beat, every waking moment belongs to Him. I stay near Him now. He truly, truly leads me beside still waters. And for this I am thankful. I sure love my Shepherd.


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