You and I live in a world that tells us to be on the go, stay busy, and hustle. We often find our value in the chase, filling our schedules to the brim, and wearing exhaustion like a badge of honor. Is it not weird that we often need rest after our vacation? Even our time off is scheduled and rushed. We are not slowing down, just changing scenery. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but let’s not pretend it’s rest.
Even when we don’t know we need it or even want it, God knows we need rest. This is why God takes the lead in making sure we get a break if we aren’t too stubborn to take him up on it.
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul.
Psalm 23:1-2a (ESV)
Oftentimes, when we read this popular Psalm, we focus on the serenity of the moment—a lush field of grazing sheep, chilling beside a pond so peaceful you can hear the smallest ripple echo its way through the quiet void.
But the sheep didn’t find this moment of rest on their own. The Shepherd made them lie down.
When the King James Version translators wrote, “He maketh me to lie down,” they were actually translating a single Hebrew word: yarbîtsēnî (יַרְבִּיצֵ֑נִי). This singular Hebrew word can be broken into parts to give us a fuller picture of what David, the author, is trying to convey. It’s kind of like when a quarterback calls a play in the huddle. Every word means something specific, just like in Remember the Titans when Coach Herman Boone called, “Fake 23 Blast with a backside George reverse.” Play calls are not just gridiron poetry. Each layer gives specific instructions. That’s what this one Hebrew word does.
The main part of this verb just means to lie down. That’s what sheep and humans do when we chill. David uses a special Hebrew verb form called the Hiphil, which means the action is being caused to happen. In other words, the sheep didn’t think, “Hey, I sure have been on the go a lot lately, and I need to recalibrate. I’m going to get off my feet and relax in this lovely green pasture and get the rest I need.” No, the Shepherd stepped in and made them do it.
How does he “maketh me lie down?” Sometimes it is through circumstances that are out of our control that force us to slow down. You know, those unexpected interruptions of your perpetual rhythm that made you clear your calendar and rethink things.
Sometimes that rest comes by conviction as the Lord does a work on our hearts—a passage of Scripture, a sermon, or a thought grounded in the truth of God’s Word. These moments of clarity bring us to confess, “Lord, I need your rest.”
Whatever method God uses to bring you to that point of rest, you are better off taking him up on his offer. He will provide many days for you to work from the sweat of your brow, but don’t forget to let him let you take a break. The Shepherd knows when it’s time for you to chill.
Bee-Attitude
Blessed are those whom God has made to rest in green pastures, for they will arise renewed and ready for the next task.
Grant Turner is the editor of the Barnesville Buzz and an educator, coach, and writer based in Barnesville, Georgia. He shares stories that bridge community, faith, and personal growth. In addition to teaching and coaching, Grant is Director of Musical Worship and a Sunday School teacher at New Hope Baptist Church in Zebulon, Georgia. He lives in Barnesville with his wife, Haley.
