It has been almost a year since the first state of emergency in Ontario was declared in March 2020. I remember gathering with our family in our living room to hear the Lord together and seek His direction in important decisions that had to be made – especially with regard to Darryl and Kayla’s personal training business (Shepherd Strength). As we meditated on Psalm 23, I saw a picture of a bent barbell. Through that picture, the Lord assured us that although the weight of challenges ahead was going to be abnormally heavy, the barbell would be resilient and would not break.
Psalm 23:2 also spoke to us about rest. “He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul.” When Darryl explained the importance of rest in training for building muscle size, strength and endurance, it became clearer that the “pause” in their business operations and our pre-pandemic life as we knew it would not be an ultimate loss, but a gain in strength and endurance if we continue to keep our eyes on Jesus, our Shepherd.
Since those initial revelations a year ago, I have also learned that when David wrote about “green pastures” in Psalm 23, he was not referring to lush, green meadows that we are more familiar with in the West. David’s world of sheep and shepherds was the wilderness of Judea – a hot, dry, barren and rocky land. A desert! As in the days of David, the “green pastures” where sheep graze in Israel even today are actually tufts of grass that grow around rocks where moisture from the limited rain or Mediterranean wind is found. From a distance, a grazing flock appears to be eating rocks! But actually, they’re eating the sparse tufts of grass around the rocks. Not much, but just enough for each moment. One mouthful at a time until they move on to another tuft as they follow the shepherd. It is the shepherd who knows where these green pastures are and he leads his flock there.
We all find ourselves in a “desert” season in life at some point – where life is hard and rocky, dry and barren, burdens are heavy, or the worry and anxieties of life just seem too much. Our human nature sometimes longs for the security and comfort of lush, green meadows where we can plant ourselves and enjoy everything we need and want for the rest of our lives. Instead, God comforts us with his rod (loving discipline and protection) and staff (support to lean on), training us to hear his voice as he leads us from one “mouthful of grass” to the next whenever we need it, whether it’s in the form of finances, healing, strength or wisdom. Looking back over the past year and beyond, we can testify that the Lord always provides exactly what we need. Just enough, just in time!
As I reflect on these meditations, I believe these assurances are not just for our family, but also for the Life-Spring family. In recent weeks especially, it seems like one family after another has had to deal with abnormally heavy loads, many involving health challenges. These barbell-bending weights are not meant to harm us, but to develop resilience in us. To build strength and endurance for the long haul. To grow us in maturity and train us in perseverance for life’s journey. And to give us a testimony of God’s unfailing love and faithfulness, especially through the “desert” seasons of our life. As we keep following our Great Shepherd, He will provide whatever we need when we need it. Just enough, just in time!
Learn more from Ray Vander Laan about green pastures in Psalm 23:
Understanding Green Pastures | Shepherd Lesson | Psalm 23 – YouTube