Lessons From the Secret Place – Intimacy- Lesson 3: Rest and Provision in Christ

Today we will continue our study on intimacy with God by continuing our journey through Psalm 23. 

Psalm 23:2a, He makes me lie down in green pastures. 

Sheep are basically timid animals who tend to graze in flocks and are almost totally lacking in protection from predators.i  The shepherd must make sure the sheep lie down after eating. After eating, the sheep needs to rest. She lays down and while resting, chews her cud and digests, as the sheep is a ruminant. Sometimes she won’t lie down on her own. She needs to be made to lie down.ii The shepherd makes them lie down by providing the condition in which the sheep feel comfortable enough to lie down.  Sheep will only lie down when: they are free from fear, free from friction, free from tormenting parasites, and free from hunger.

First, free from fear. 

2 Timothy 1:7 says, For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. (NLT)

When we feel fear, we must remember that it has only one source, the enemy of our souls.  God has spoken repeatedly in the Word about fear. Following are just a few examples of God’s promises to us, his sheep, regarding fear. 

Isaiah 41:10, Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will help you, yes, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. 

Joshua 1:9, Have not I commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” 

1 John 4:18, There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. Whoever fears is not perfect in love. 

Psalm 34:4, I sought the Lord, and He answered me, and delivered me from all my fears. 

Proverbs 29:25, The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever puts his trust in the Lord will be safe. 

Psalm 56:3-4, But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you. I praise God for what he has promised. I trust in God, so why should I be afraid? What can mere mortals do to me? 

Secondly, free from friction.

Sheep cannot rest when there is conflict within the flock. The same holds true within the body of Christ. God’s desire is that his sheep live in peace with each other because he understands that conflict hinders unity and spiritual growth.  Even when there is conflict between only a small group of individuals this friction impacts the entire congregation. When there is conflict within a congregation it quenches Holy Spirit’s ability to flow freely, disrupting unity and stunting the spiritual growth in the members.  

It is our responsibility to maintain unity and peace within the local church as well as the body of Christ at large.  Below is a short set of verses that address what we can do as individual members of the body of Christ to maintain peace and unity. 

Proverbs 15:1, A soft answer turns away wrath, but grievous words stir up anger.

James 4:1-2, Where do wars and fights among you come from? Do they not come from your lusts that war in your body? You lust and do not have, so you kill. You desire to have and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have, because you do not ask.

Ephesians 4:26, Be angry but do not sin. Do not let the sun go down on your anger.

Matthew 5:9, Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God.

Colossians 3:13, Bear with one another and forgive one another. If anyone has a quarrel against anyone, even as Christ forgave you, so you must do.

Romans 12:18, If it is possible, as much as it depends on you, live peaceably with all men.

Ephesians 4:31-32, Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, outbursts, and blasphemies, with all malice, be taken away from you. And be kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ also forgave you.

Next, free from tormenting parasites.

When sheep are plagued by tormenting parasites such as lice, for example, they cannot lie down and rest.  It is the responsibility of the shepherd to check each sheep daily to be sure that they are free from parasites.  This same principle applies to Christians as well. The parasites that hinder our peace are demonic spirits sent by the devil to torment God’s flock. God has given us authority to “de-louse” ourselves so to speak. In Luke 10:19 Jesus told his followers, “Look, I give you authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy. And nothing shall by any means hurt you.”

Throughout the New Testament we find instructions on how we are to use this power in our daily lives.  

James 4:7, Therefore submit yourselves to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Ephesians 4:26-27, Be angry but do not sin. Do not let the sun go down on your anger.  Do not give place to the devil. 

1 Peter 5:8, Be sober and watchful, because your adversary the devil walks around as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

Ephesians 6:10-12, Finally, my brothers, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For our fight is not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, and against spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

2 Corinthians 10:3-5, For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds, casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,

Finally, free from hunger. 

If sheep have not had enough to eat, they will not lie down.  They will wander looking for nourishment.  Additionally, if the sheep are forced to go without proper nourishment for too long, they will become weak and sickly.  Humans are much like sheep in this regard.  Like physical hunger our spiritual hunger must be satisfied. We all know of someone personally or have heard about someone who has gotten mixed up in a cult or other demonic activities because they felt a hunger for something greater than themselves. 

God created that spiritual hunger in each of us with the intention of filling it with himself, however, the enemy has been actively working overtime for centuries to fill that place in mankind with his demonic agenda.  Sadly, the voices of the demonic have spoken louder and with greater persistence than have the voices of God’s people for far too long.  Thus, causing spiritual weakness and sickness in our society!

The Word tells us that if we hunger after God, truth, righteousness… we will be filled.  We need to be careful that we are feeding on the right stuff if we are to stay spiritually strong and healthy.  

Matthew 5:6, Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.

Luke 6:21a, Blessed are you who hunger now, for you shall be filled.

John 6:35, Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to Me shall never hunger, and whoever believes in Me shall never thirst.

Matthew 4:4, But He answered, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.’”

1 Peter 2:2-3, Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.

Nehemiah 9:15, You gave them bread from heaven for their hunger and brought water out of the rock for them for their thirst. You told them to enter in order to possess the land which You had sworn to give them.

Isaiah 55:1, Ho! Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat. Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.

May we, like well cared for sheep, lie down in the rest and comfort of our Good Shepherd today!!!  

Note: All Scripture is MEV unless otherwise noted. 

Works Cited:

  i https://www.britannica.com/animal/domesticated-sheep

 ii https://the-end-time.org/2018/09/15/a-day-in-the-life-of-a-shepherd/