Psalm 23:2-3
"He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul."
Week 2: Peace
There is a biological reason the Shepherd leads the sheep to "still" waters.
Sheep are notoriously poor swimmers. Their heavy wool coats act like sponges; if they fall into rushing water, the weight of the water drags them down, and they drown. Because of this, sheep have an instinctive, paralyzing fear of moving water.
They will not drink from a rushing stream, even if they are dying of thirst. The fear is too great.
The Shepherd knows this.
He doesn't just force them to drink; He changes the environment. He finds the quiet cove. He dams up the stream. He engineers a space where the chaos of the current is removed so that the fear can subside.
Biblical Peace (Shalom) isn't just a feeling of relaxation. It is the restoration of the soul that happens when we trust the Shepherd to handle the current.
If your life feels like a rushing river right now, look for the Shepherd. He is the only one who can lead you to the quiet place where you can finally drink.
Send Peace to someone.
Do you know someone whose life feels chaotic right now? Send them this visual reminder of the Still Waters.