Resting In God’s Green Grass

“The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul” (Psalm 23:1-3).

There’s just something so alluring about a picnic lunch in the park. You can spread out your blanket, enjoy sandwiches and fruits, and relax as you lie back and gaze up at trees and sky. Perhaps you hear a nearby stream gurgling, birds singing, or a squirrel eating a nut in the soft green grass. But why is it that in life, the grass is always greener on the other side?

It’s always amusing to hear contestants on televised talent shows jumping with joy over the prospect of going to Hollywood. The fame, fortune, and all the glitter is so alluring. Yet at the same time, many Hollywood celebrities wish they had a normal life away from the snapping of shutters, the rumors, and the prying Paparazzi. Other greener grasses include

• “I wish I were married.”
• “I wish I were single again.”
• “I wish I had more money.”
• “I wish I didn’t have this big house to keep up.”
• “I wish my life weren’t so boring.”
• “I wish I had a single second to myself.”
• “I wish I had children.”
• “These kids are driving me crazy!”

Why is it that the grass is always greener on the other side? And then when we get to that other side, we find an entirely new set of realities to deal with that in some ways are better, and some ways worse? Why can’t we ever find that happy medium?

Though most of us will probably always want something or another other than what we already have, God challenges us to focus on Him rather than what we have or don’t have. Sometimes we think we know what would make us happy, but in reality we aren’t seeing the full picture or what the end result would be like.

But God does see the full picture. He sees what your life would be like if your desires were granted, and He sees what your life would be like if they weren’t. He knows if that thing you really want would benefit you, or whether it would do you harm.

God promises that by placing your focus on Him for the things you desire in your life, He will give you peace. Are you resting in His green grass today?

“The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul.”