Psalms 23:2-3. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the path of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Here are four blessed things that the Lord does for the believer. "He maketh me to lie down:" he gives me rest, perfect rest and he gives me so much spiritual provision that I am unable to take it all in, so I lie down and rest in it as a sheep does in the deep pastures where it seems lost in the provender. There are such deep doctrines, such glorious privileges, such wondrous revelations of the heart of God in this blessed Book, that you and I cannot comprehend it all, but we can lie down in it; "He maketh me to lie down in green pastures." Take a good stretch, brethren and sisters in Christ. Some are afraid to lie down in the green pastures of the Word. I know some of God’s saints who seem to be afraid of being too happy; they do not like to be too restful. Let no such fear ever cross your mind. "He maketh me" - and he would not make us do what was not good for us, -"He maketh me to lie down in green pastures." Then come those three sweet words, "He leadeth me," which in themselves are full of music.
"He leadeth me. He leadeth me.
By his own hand he leadeth me."
You know how our song makes these words ring out over and over again and it is truly charming. "He leadeth me." The Holy Spirit is our Guide, and as the softly-flowing river of grace marks our trackway, we sing, "He leadeth me beside the still waters." You and I sometimes go wandering by the noisy brooks that ripple over the stones, and make such a noise because they are so shallow; but when the Spirit guides us, it is beside the deep rivers, the deep still waters, that he leads us. "He restoreth my soul." Is not that a blessed little sentence? When my soul gets empty, he stores it again, re-stores it. When it goes wandering away from him, -
"He brings my wandering spirit back.
When I forsake his ways."
And when I get spiritually sick, he gives me a sweet restorative, and renews my health: "He restoreth my soul." Blessed be the name of the great Restorer." "He leadeth me" - here comes those sweet words again, - He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness." They are very pleasant paths, for nothing is more pleasant to a believer than to be walking in "the paths of righteousness." God has so constituted his people that, if they get out of the right way, they get out of the way of peace. He has so re-made us that our peace and our righteousness agree together; and as long as we are led in the paths of righteousness, we are a happy and a restful people. The Lord does all this for us "for his Name’s sake."
Psalms 23:2-3. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the path of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Here are four blessed things that the Lord does for the believer. "He maketh me to lie down:" he gives me rest, perfect rest and he gives me so much spiritual provision that I am unable to take it all in, so I lie down and rest in it as a sheep does in the deep pastures where it seems lost in the provender. There are such deep doctrines, such glorious privileges, such wondrous revelations of the heart of God in this blessed Book, that you and I cannot comprehend it all, but we can lie down in it; "He maketh me to lie down in green pastures." Take a good stretch, brethren and sisters in Christ. Some are afraid to lie down in the green pastures of the Word. I know some of God’s saints who seem to be afraid of being too happy; they do not like to be too restful. Let no such fear ever cross your mind. "He maketh me" - and he would not make us do what was not good for us, -"He maketh me to lie down in green pastures." Then come those three sweet words, "He leadeth me," which in themselves are full of music.
"He leadeth me. He leadeth me.
By his own hand he leadeth me."
You know how our song makes these words ring out over and over again and it is truly charming. "He leadeth me." The Holy Spirit is our Guide, and as the softly-flowing river of grace marks our trackway, we sing, "He leadeth me beside the still waters." You and I sometimes go wandering by the noisy brooks that ripple over the stones, and make such a noise because they are so shallow; but when the Spirit guides us, it is beside the deep rivers, the deep still waters, that he leads us. "He restoreth my soul." Is not that a blessed little sentence? When my soul gets empty, he stores it again, re-stores it. When it goes wandering away from him, -
"He brings my wandering spirit back.
When I forsake his ways."
And when I get spiritually sick, he gives me a sweet restorative, and renews my health: "He restoreth my soul." Blessed be the name of the great Restorer." "He leadeth me" - here comes those sweet words again, - He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness." They are very pleasant paths, for nothing is more pleasant to a believer than to be walking in "the paths of righteousness." God has so constituted his people that, if they get out of the right way, they get out of the way of peace. He has so re-made us that our peace and our righteousness agree together; and as long as we are led in the paths of righteousness, we are a happy and a restful people. The Lord does all this for us "for his Name’s sake."