week-2-psalm-232

Week 2 - PsALm 23:2

3/30/2020

If you haven't yet, watch this week's video here

In a comment at the bottom of the page, answer some or all of the questions below:
(Some of this content is taken from the study guide. For more in-depth personal study download the study guide here: STUDY GUIDE )

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

As Matt pointed out in the session, God invites us to follow him out of drought and weariness and in to spaces of rest. It’s a perpetual invitation because our need for rest ebbs and flows throughout life, but it will always remain a need this side of glory.

What does your land of drought look like? Where do you find yourself facing weariness? What causes that exhaustion?

What are some ways that you have sought rest outside of the Lord as a response to your exhaustion, either today or at some point in the past?

How are those pursuits unable to give you the rest you are looking for?

John 10:9
I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.

How does Jesus provide the rest we are looking for? How have you seen this in your life? How do you need to pursue it today?

23 Comments

Toni Muller

3/30/2020 08:38:53 pm

This lesson really hit home for me. I had tears in my eyes because Matt obviously "gets" how exhausted we can feel in this life. And because he clearly presents how Jesus is the one who leads us out of the drought/weariness/exhaustion. I had never heard "green pastures" explained in that context.

For many years, the word that has come to mind when people ask how I am is "tired." I don't usually say it and I try not to live there. Some of ways I have sought rest outside of Christ are: escapism through entertainment/screen time, food, running to people (not that getting support or encouragement from our Christian family is wrong, but sometimes I go there before or instead of going to Jesus).

These counterfeits sometimes provide temporary relief or at least distraction. But they can never give the true rest and satisfaction that Jesus does. And sometimes they have undesirable side effects.

How does Jesus provide rest? There is something truly supernatural about turning to Jesus. His Spirit moves within us and His word brings life. No other book is living and active like the Bible. Sometimes I can point to specific verses, thoughts or promises that are brought to my conscious mind, but it is the application of these by the Spirit that brings rest and comfort deep in the heart. Because of this, I need to pursue His rest by open, honest prayer and being in the Word (neither of which I pursue as I ought).

James Brown link

3/31/2020 07:32:11 am

To your post I believe that Paul wrote of this very thing by the unction of the Holy Spirit in Romans 7. Paul's conclusion was not as Solomon's in Ecclesiastes but was "O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord." Romans 7:24-25a. And later writing in 2 Timothy 1:12b "for I know in whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day."

Laurie Christianson link

3/31/2020 03:03:14 pm

Thank you, dear sister, for sharing your life and your challenges! You have always been such an encouragement to me. May our dear Savior continue to give you rest and repose as He supplies your every need. Aren't we so blessed to have His Word!

Renee Stebbeds

4/4/2020 12:20:06 pm

Toni, thank you for sharing. I so relate to and was ministered to by your response.

Eric Rossman

4/6/2020 12:50:28 am

"Sometimes I can point to specific verses, thoughts or promises that are brought to my conscious mind, but it is the application of these by the Spirit that brings rest and comfort deep in the heart. Because of this, I need to pursue His rest by open, honest prayer and being in the Word "

Something that God has been encouraging me with is helping me look back to see how I struggled to trust certain verses or promises in the past, but how slowly over time I grew in my trust of them and found rest in them. Not that I perfectly believe them now, but rather they guide my actions and feelings far more often than before. I think of Paul saying I LEARNED to be content in any situation. The Spirit overtime helps us to grasp and trust in the promises of God, often through specific things he takes us through.

3/31/2020 07:18:47 am

Question 1 [3 parts]: "Brethern, I count not myself to have apprehended: but (this) one thing (I do), forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:13-14

Question [2 parts]: By not having "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, he shall direct thy path." I do see this also in John 10:10 that not only to have life but to have His life and that more abundantly.

Question 3: In Ecclesiastes 12:8 I read this: "Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher, all (is) vanity." To them in the dispensation of law they [Israel] were to; "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole (duty) of man." What were those commandments? Keep the law, be circumcised, be baptized for the forgiveness of sin, believe that Jesus was/is the Christ the Son of the Living God. But now in this the dispensation of the grace of God we are to "believe"; believe what? "Moreover breathern, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he arose again the third day according to the scripture>" 1 Corinthians 15:1-4

In relation to the questions and the thoughts this week I will add "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I Live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me, and gave himself for me. I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness came by the law [me doing anything] then Christ is dead in vain." Galatians 2:20-21

Joyce Lanz

3/31/2020 11:44:58 am

Jesus said, I am the way so He who says I am the way also knows the perfect way to lead me to those still waters where my journey ends in heaven. The drought and turbulence takes place in my life when I start indulging myself in the affairs of the world and see iniquity gone rampant. It is during those moments I become perturbed, afraid, angry and resentful, SCARED at the affairs of the world and atmosphere I live in and forget that there is no place dark enough and no wall thick enough where God's grace cannot reach.

4/4/2020 08:19:05 pm

So true, dear sister! When I have pasted myself to the news for way too long and seen so much of the wreckage from the fall of man, it can take me into so many different emotional places, but never into rest. I'm working on just getting some information and then praying over it, asking the Lord to be glorified and exercise His grace, mercy, patience, and lovingkindness to bring many more souls into His kingdom as a result of what He has, in His wisdom permitted. Thank you so much for sharing your heart!

Steve and Laurie Christianson link

3/31/2020 03:00:48 pm

1. Both Steve and I have come from performance based backgrounds. Steve was raised in the Catholic Church and was always trying to 'be perfect' and I didn't grow up in the church but was expected to get straight A's to gain the approval and attention of my parents. We brought this weariness into our our relationship with our Great Shepherd and unfortunately did not get the kind of teaching that effectively refuted these ideas. We have been so blessed to be here at EBF where we have been grazing and drinking freely and finding freedom and rest!
2. Steve pursued this in his work at the shipyard, putting in incredibly long days, as well as TV and over-focus on watching professional sports. For me, I have gotten on a treadmill of constant activity to try to please the Lord. Worry, fear, trying to control my circumstances, people-pleasing, and the misuse of food have been some ways I have used to try to gain rest. They have only created greater weariness!
3. For Steve, work became a black hole he couldn't escape, because the excess work became an expectation at the shipyard and he feared losing his job if he didn't keep going. And since he didn't understand that God is for him, he just escaped into the screen when he was home. For me, the performance idol is also insatiable, because you are only ok for that moment. There is never a moment when you don't need to do something else. There is never any rest.
4. We have both been encouraged by the truth that Jesus LEADS His sheep. Steve has tended to hang back in fear that the Shepherd is not really for him. Today he knows that is not the truth and is thinking that his first thoughts in the morning can be directed to asking and praying to Jesus to know how he is to follow him for today. For me, I have always tried to run ahead of the Shepherd to try to make sure I'm ok. When those anxious thoughts want to take over, I am learning bit by bit to confront them. I have been so incredibly transformed by the study of Hebrews, especially in chapter 2, where the author states that both He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are from one source, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren. My Savior has suffered to make me His sister of whom He is not ashamed, no matter what is going on with me. Thank you so much dear Jesus!

4/6/2020 12:56:51 am

Thanks for sharing guys. I find it helpful when you share your different performance backgrounds. I think everyone has one. For example, I grew up outside the church and I also didn't have the pressure of getting straight A's or anything. But where I do see the pressure looking back was one of personality. My brother was really funny and had a lot of friends, and I think I always felt that pressure to be funny and outgoing and keep that up. Though I was good at it to a certain degree, I also found myself dreading times were people expected me to entertain them.
I think no matter what if we are not finding our identity and hope in Christ, we are finding it in some sort of performance on our parts. This is why the promise "come to me and I will give you rest" is for everyone. Jesus gives us an identity and standing that is not based on our performance. And he is the only one who can do that.

Stephanie Bolme

4/1/2020 11:25:03 am

To me resting in the Lord doesn’t mean storms don’t come. It means He holds us until the storm ends. He began to teach me this during my first marriage, which was abusive in many ways. This was a period of deep exhaustion, because I saw no way out. I didn’t want to fail my Lord and my daughter and end the marriage. I knew I couldn’t end my own life, as appealing as that seemed at times. I tried to find my rest in avid running and spending hours at my piano writing songs. (Being a storyteller by nature, I had narratives of being a world class marathoner and revered singer/songwriter running through my head. :D) All these things did was provide a temporary distraction from the storm. It was when the Lord finally brought me to a point of complete surrender to Him that I found the rest I so desperately needed in a storm that was about to get a lot worse.

There have been storms since then. Twice I was faced with losing Mark, once to a heart attack, and once to cancer. Both times, because of what the Lord had already taught me, I was able to rest in His peace. There was fear of course, but I didn’t fret. I knew if He called Mark home, He would get me through the dark days that would follow.

4/1/2020 11:40:38 am

Thank you for your amazing perspective, Stephanie! One of the things I have really appreciated about this Bible study is that I have learned things about my precious brothers and sisters which I never knew before. It is the Lord's gift to us that He is using other means of connecting while we are physically separated. It is so encouraging to read the stories of others' struggles and how the Lord's faithfulness has been so evident in the midst of the trial.

karan

4/5/2020 07:05:02 pm

"...He holds us until the storm ends." I love this thought. Well said. "It was when the Lord finally brought me to a point of complete surrender to Him that I found the rest I so desperately needed...
What a precious truth wrought in the refiners fire. A wonderful testimony of the good shepherd sustaining you and growing your trust in his care. Thank you for sharing your story.

It reminds me of Psalm 131.

Jessie Litchfield

4/1/2020 11:25:42 am

My “land of drought” is a place of anxiety and fear.

I also came from a performance based background, I was the youngest in a very large family and grew up with a need to set myself apart, work the hardest, never show weakness. We were Christians, and I was taught the gospel from a young age, but left with the idea it was a privileged thing and only the wise reach certain understandings.

I stopped going to church as an adult but that performance mindset continued, as a journalist I set out to work harder than everyone else and while it resulted in success, it was also never enough. I suffered from anxiety and bouts of insomnia.

The first church Charlie and I attended together brought back more of those childhood feelings, that Christians look and act a certain way and when you reach a certain level of understanding you’ll be “in.” All the moms had five children, looked great, homeschooled, and never complained. My mention of struggle with comparison was met with a blank stare. When we moved to Oregon I legitimately feared there weren’t any Christians here:)

I too am so grateful for solid teaching, God’s patient work in my life to reveal there aren’t varying levels of standing at the Cross. I face the most weariness when I find myself wandering back to my to-do list for comfort and the lie that if I cross everything off and reach every goal I’ll find rest, it’s a myth and I cross off one list fully aware another is looming. It’s a constant reorientation from my effort to finding rest in the Lord and what he’s provided. But he is gracious and patient, even when I think I’m in charge of my own sanctification.

During a hard period a few years ago, the verses from Philippians 4 came up in about a dozen ways so I memorized them and have found a lasting comfort in what they promise:

“Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.

Be anxious for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

4/1/2020 11:35:40 am

Thank you so much for sharing your struggles, Jessie! I remember being a homeschooling mom and thinking our family had to look a certain way to really be acceptable to the Lord. I felt that, if I didn't do everything just right, my children would not grow up to be Christians and it would be my fault. I'm so grateful for the Lord's patience and kindness toward me! I realized that much of my labor was done out of fear of being alone, as I had felt very alone growing up in our family. When everything fell apart during the high school years, I was asking the Lord why and He made it clear to me that He had to pull it all down, so I would know I was not and never had been alone! Wow! I still battle the performance idol, but I have so many more tools to bring to the struggle and Jesus is just so faithful! Thank you again for your transparency.

Karan

4/3/2020 08:43:25 am

"It’s a constant reorientation from my effort to finding rest in the Lord and what he’s provided."

Jessie,
I couldn't agree more with this statement. As a sheep that wanders in my heart when worries capture my attention, it's the good shepherd that faithfully calls me back to his provision for rest. How easily I forget to cast my cares on him and instead seek to comfort myself in an effort to find rest for my soul. I think I will retrace my steps back to the cross most of my life.

4/4/2020 12:25:22 pm

Jessie, I so relate to your “works based” feelings....
Thank you for sharing your thoughts.

Carolyn Rust

4/4/2020 08:31:01 am

The weariness I feel always comes from working under my own power. The dry and barren land that surrounds me is ever present so I close my eyes and just do what is expected. I don't notice when our good shepherd moves me into the green pastures until I look on Him and hear his voice.

Mornings spent in the word, even just a few minutes, helps me open my eyes to see him. He brings songs and scripture to mind so that I will dwell on that rather than the escapism I lean toward naturally. I have found the more I settle into walking at His pace the less I long for the distractions of old. I still get worn out by my life, but once I stop trying to do it alone Jesus is right there ready to lead me again.

4/4/2020 12:22:16 pm

Amen, Carolyn.

4/6/2020 12:59:54 am

Thank Carolyn. I love when Jesus brings things to mind at just the right time for us to see how we need to find rest in him.

Karan link

4/4/2020 02:33:23 pm

What does your land of drought look like? Where do you find yourself facing weariness? What causes that exhaustion?
It's in some of my relationships. I get weary when I try to get the relationship to the place I want it to be. Or I give up on the relationship because it feels impossible that the problem can be resolved. My worry and striving causes the exhaustion. It's my response to the problem that causes my lack of peace and rest. This is painful to come to grips with.

Ways that you have sought rest outside of the Lord? I try to figure out what I'm doing wrong and what I need to do differently in order to fix the problem. It's called worrying and taking on the job of being my own shepherd. That's an exhausting job. I don't know all the facts. I'm not able to control everything. When I'm relying on myself and faced with my limitations, it causes me to feel anxious.
The lie I'm believing is that rest is found in getting life arranged the way I want or need.
How does Jesus provide the rest we are looking for? How have you seen this in your life? How do you need to pursue it today?
We have peace with God through the blood of Christ.
God's salvation to me is a far greater reality than whatever I tell myself about my failures. His blood cleanses me from all sin and failures. Rest is found in following him by faith in obedience to his word.

4/4/2020 08:24:35 pm

I so relate, my sister! And worry is soooo exhausting! Second guessing and trying to help and then things so often just get worse! I have been through times when I can imagine the Lord saying to me, "I was building a road into that situation, and you have just caused a giant log to lie across it!" I'm so grateful that I am His lamb, of whom He is not ashamed and that He never gets tired of picking me up, putting me on His shoulders and carrying me, when necessary to a place of rest. Thank you for your helpful post!

sheri

4/5/2020 04:13:17 pm

My land of drought will look dry and empty. When I stop the discipline of being with Him in His Word and prayer time daily, I get thirsty. If I do not drink from Him, then the land is not only dry, it gets wrinkles and no fruit grows. I find myself facing weariness when I am waiting on the Lord. I know He is working, I just get impatient and that causes despair. BUT He is always faithful to change my perspective and increase my faith. The weariness comes from my sin of unbelief. I turn to leaning on my own understanding and strength in that weariness, I get sad and frustrated and then that leads to unbelief. I know where to turn, thank you Jesus, and He is always faithful, of course. I just wish I would stop doing that and rest fully in Him always...always!!!

Week 2 - PsALm 23:2

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