Green Pastures Still Waters

The Lord is my shepherd;
  there is nothing I shall want.
Fresh and green are the pastures
   where he gives me repose.
Near restful waters he leads me,
  to revive my drooping spirit.
Ps.22:1-3

The Lord God himself shepherds me. And where does he lead? To green pastures and still waters.

I recall tramping in rugged bush near Lake Tarawera and coming across an unexpected small lawn of verdant grass next to the Tarawera River. At that point the river was smooth as glass, while up and down stream boulders made the river froth and churn. This image of green pastures and still waters has stayed with me as an idyllic place of rest and repose.

 Why, of all places, does the Lord lead me there? Why not to a mountain top or a sunny beach. Just like my mini shangri-la in the Tarawera bush, green pastures and still waters are remote and quiet. My drooping spirit is revived. I want for nothing.

While a physical location can help, spiritual stillness and refreshment can happen anywhere. Today I choose to listen more and say less, to be consciously calm within the rushing stream of life.

Thank you Jesus, my Good Shepherd, for leading me to green pastures and still waters. I place my trust in you.