Psalm 23 – Verse 2

He makes me to lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside the still waters. – Psalm 23:2 NKJV

We are continuing our study of Psalm 23, and today we are looking at verse 2.

He

Notice in these words the role “He” takes. The Lord and the Shepherd is the one who is in control. The sheep doesn’t lie down on his own. The sheep doesn’t find his own way to the still waters. The Shepherd led him there. When the sheep needed rest or water, he didn’t have to worry about getting access to them. The Shepherd took care of those needs for him.

Our God will supply all of our needs when we allow Him to be our Lord. We don’t have to worry about a thing when we are following our Shepherd.

As apostle Paul wrote, “And my God will liberally supply (fill until full) your every need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19 AMP).

The Amplified version broadens our understanding with these words: liberally, fill until full, and every need. These words help us see the Shepherd’s love. He gives us plenty of what we need. He always has more than enough to give us. We can rest easy when we are in God’s hands.

He makes me to lie down in green pastures.

Lying down in green pastures might sound like something a sheep would willingly do. However, according to W. Phillip Keller in his enlightening book A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23, “The strange thing about sheep is that because of their very makeup it is almost impossible for them to be made to lie down unless four requirements are met … It is significant that to be at rest there must be a definite sense of freedom from fear, tension, aggravations, and hunger.” [1]

This sounds a lot like humans, doesn’t it? We often tend to have worries and fears on our minds. Life brings stress and tension our way. We have a myriad of things that cause aggravation. And we sometimes allow hunger (for food or for other things) to keep us unsettled. All of this keeps us from finding true rest and contentment.

But Keller goes on to reflect, “In the course of time I came to realize that nothing so quieted and reassured the sheep as to see me in the field. The presence of their master and owner and protector put them at ease as nothing else could do, and this applied day and night.” [1]

Now that’s a beautiful picture and one we can learn from. When we keep our focus on the Good Shepherd, we find peace. As it says in Isaiah 26:3 (NKJV): “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.”

Even in the midst of our worries, we trust that He is in control and He is on our side. Psalm 56:9b (NLT) reminds us, “This I know: God is on my side!”

When we allow our Shepherd to lead us, we can find rest from life’s ups and downs. But it’s important to remember – “There is a direct link between our surrender to God and the rest we receive from God.” [2]

Wow. That truth really hits home for me. Does it for you too? We tend to get in our own way. There are many reasons why this could be so.

It could be that relinquishing control to God makes us uncomfortable because we are used to handling everything ourselves. Or perhaps the challenges in front of us are so great that worry overcrowds our minds. Even just the fact that God is out of sight, but our problems are right there in front of us, can cause us to struggle with surrendering to Him. And it might feel like God isn’t working fast enough, so we take matters into our own hands.

I think it would do us all some good to prayerfully seek ways we might be getting in our own way. Why aren’t we allowing ourselves to fully surrender to God? What would it take for us to completely rest in Him?

When we learn to truly trust God and allow Him to lead, we will find the peace that surpasses understanding (Phil 4:7). Even in the midst of life’s difficulties, we can lie down in green pastures knowing that our Heavenly Father is watching over us and handling our concerns.

He leads me beside the still waters.

The Shepherd is the one that leads His sheep to the water. It is His responsibility to make sure His sheep aren’t dehydrated. W. Phillip Keller wrote, “It will be noticed that here again the key or the clue to where water can be obtained lies with the shepherd. It is he who knows where the best drinking places are. In fact, very often he is the one who, with much effort and industry, has provided the watering places. And it is to these spots that he leads the flock.” [1]

When we stay close to the Shepherd, He will make sure we are never thirsty. Jesus is our source of living water. In John 4:14 (NIV) Jesus said, “Whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

Jesus fills us up and keeps us content. But how often do we run towards other things to fill us? This has always been an issue – from the Garden of Eden and every day since. We tend to reach for things that we think will satisfy us. Yet we are left feeling all the more depleted.

Something I find interesting is that sheep get much of their water supply from the dew that’s on the grass they are eating. Early morning hours when the grass is drenched is a key time for the sheep to get their nourishment.

W. Phillip Keller wrote, “In the Christian life it is of more than passing significance to observe that those who are often the most serene, most confident, and most able to cope with life’s complexities are those who rise early each day to feed on God’s Word. It is in the quiet, early hours of the morning that they are led beside the quiet, still waters where they imbibe the very life of Christ for the day.” [1]

This reminds me the importance of seeking the Lord when we start our day. In different seasons of my life, I haven’t always been consistent in this area. But when I am consistent, I can see a difference in my daily life. Seeking Him first thing helps set the tone for our day, brings us peace, and reminds us to follow His lead.

“It’s amazing how He will minister to your troubled heart—giving you unfathomable life, joy, peace, and direction—when you take the time just to sit in His presence.” [3]

I want to point out that the Shepherd doesn’t lead His sheep to just any kind of water, but to still waters. This, too, reminds me of how important it is to be still with the Lord. Savoring our time with the Lord is life-giving. When we turn down the noise of the world, we are more capable of hearing His gentle whisper (see 1 Kings 19). I dare say we’ve all had moments of clarity when we allowed our minds to rest. Perhaps we prayed about something. Then later when we went out for a walk, we received our answer. God wants to speak to us, but are we listening?

I just want to make a note that I am not saying any of this with judgment because I am preaching to myself too. Some of these things we might know in our minds, but it can be difficult to follow through with our actions. I pray we can remove any obstacles that are preventing us from seeking the Lord, and we can learn to truly rest in Him.

Bonus Reading – My friend Alicia recently reflected on similar topics, from her first-hand perspective as a goat keeper, in her inspiring post The Well Beaten Path.

Thank you for reading. I will be back next week to discuss verse 3. God bless!

© 2018-2025 Bridget A. Thomas. All rights reserved.

[1] A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 by W. Phillip Keller. Copyright © 1970, 2007, 2015 by Phillip Keller. Published in Grand Rapids, Michigan, by Zondervan.

[2] Psalm 23 – Bible Study by Jennifer Rothschild. Published by LifeWay Press® • © 2018 Jennifer Rothschild.

[3] Every Day in His Presence by Charles F. Stanley. © 2014 by Charles F. Stanley. Published by Thomas Nelson.