Green Pastures.

"The Lord is my Shepherd. I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures." - Psalm 23.

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Green Pastures.

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The phrase conjures up an image of grassy hills that stretch for miles, green and restful and inviting; It calls to mind a soft and restful place where we can relax and forget all our troubles.

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And yeah, that's a nice image...but it's not really true to form.

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You see, the life of a Middle Eastern flock of sheep is a lot different than the life of an American one.

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In Biblical Israel, shepherding was done in the desert, and most of the time shepherds were (and still are) young Bedouin girls or very young Bedouin boys (we're talking 10 years old here. Makes the story of David a little different, yeah?).

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It's the shepherd's job to lead the sheep to food. And because they're in the desert, finding daily food requires a lot of traveling, both for Shepherd and for sheep. In the desert, there isn't much food to be found in a one single spot.

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In fact, when you look across the expanse of the desert,

all you see is brown.

All you see is rock.

All you see is dust.

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Take a look at this picture. I took it while standing in the Judah Wilderness, only a stone's throw away from a young Bedouin girl and her flock.

This is what they call green pastures in Israel.

A tiny little sprout, no bigger than my finger.

These little plants are scattered sporadically along the desert floor, poking their heads out every so often in little groups, a few here, a few there.

And I got to stand there, in the Judah Wilderness, in Israel, and watch a young shepherd girl lead her flock from one group of sprigs to another. She would call to her sheep and they would follow her to a certain area. She would then sit there with them for a while, watching her sheep graze, and when they had eaten all there was in one spot, she would get up, speak again, and move on.

To the next patch.

All day, every day, the shepherd leads and the sheep follows. They have to in order to stay fed. It is a continuous journey for the both of them. Because the way that the desert and green pastures are set up in Israel, there is only enough food for the moment. Just enough to have your fill.

And even that small amount has to be constantly traveled for. worked at. sought after.

And you know what? That kind of set-up, that kind of Shepherd, fits so much better with my experiences of who God is and how He leads.

For example:

I have $324.00 in my bank account right now.
I have to pay rent in 10 days.
I have to buy groceries.
I have school loans.
I have to wash my hair and buy toothpaste sometimes.
And on top of all that? I feel like God is calling me back to Israel to minister there in some way.

Hmmmm.

Last time I checked, God, $324.00 doesn't stretch that far.

But slowly (and sometimes very slowly and with MUCH patience), through my circumstances God is teaching me what He means when He calls Himself my Shepherd.

He's teaching me that it isn't about tomorrow.

It's about trusting Him, and following him, right now.

It's not my job to figure out where the provision for the future will come from. It's not even my job to figure out where I'll get it today.

Because I'm the SHEEP.

It's my job to follow my Shepherd.
It's my job to learn His voice and know it.
It's my job to trust that my Shepherd knows where He's taking me, and that where He's taking me has what I need.

The LORD is my Shepherd.
I.shall.not.want.

That's all I really need to know. And when I lay my head down on my pillow tonight, I can once again say:

Thank you Lord, I had enough today. You fed me.

And Lord?....

I trust that you will do the same, tomorrow.

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One last thought: After Jesus had risen He came to talk to the disciples along the shore of Galilee while they were fishing. Do you remember what He said to Peter?

Feed. My. Sheep.

Not once, not twice, but three times, Jesus repeats it.

Feed my lambs. Take care of my sheep. Feed my sheep.

Jesus shepherds us. With what He teaches us, we shepherd others.

God blesses us. With what He gives us, we bless others.

We can't forget this step.

We can't forget that

it doesn't end with us.

He calls us to share it, too.