He Makes Me Lie Down

This year I learned to love Jesus more through resting. The rest I am talking about was not brought about because of a deliberate celebration of Sabbath or an extended sabbatical. The rest entered my life violently in the form of a motorcycle accident that found me face down on the concrete in a pool of my own blood. 

In the initial stages of my concussion recovery I kept convincing myself I was fine. It had already been a week so surely I could get some email done. But 10 minutes in, I would find my mind working so hard to find the simplest word. I was a trainer and a coach-my whole professional missionary life revolved around my ability to think. Who was I if I couldn’t even do this simple task? And subconsciously I was left wondering how do I demonstrate my love for Jesus without performance?

Many of us who work cross-culturally have our own self constructed “personal salvation project” as Thomas Merton calls it. We have become loyal to these self-imposed systems that help us determine if we have earned God’s favor and love. We say we are driven by our love FOR Jesus and that is why we do the things we do, but often we are driven by our fear that we need to earn love FROM Jesus. We are like the Galatians who have started with grace but then use our own merit-based framework to maintain God’s favor. 

We forget “The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.” We live like we lack. Like we lack God’s love, his concern, his approval and his favor. We strive to earn the things he has already freely given us. We strive to earn his love and approval. We forget we have a shepherd who has designed our journey to take us to quiet waters, to restore our soul.

When I wanted to resist the rest I needed the words of this Psalm played on repeat: “He makes me lie down, he makes me lie down, he makes me, he makes me …” 

He makes me lie down so that I realize I lack nothing. He makes me lie down so that the props of performance are removed and I can recognize that I am loved, I am protected, and I am cared for simply because I am a beloved sheep. I don’t have to do anything to earn this experience of his provision and love – the Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.

We don’t have to keep walking the same rutted path of performance and achievement to make up for our perceived lack. Our shepherd longs to lead us on a lush path to quiet waters and to refresh our souls simply by being in his presence. Reminding ourselves that THIS is how we are loved should make us fall in love with Jesus in a fresh way. I know it did for me. We are loved because we belong to him. We lack nothing.

Key Quotation

We forget we have a shepherd who has designed our journey to take us to quiet waters, to restore our soul.

Question

Where is Jesus making you lie down? Where are you living like you lack?

Beth Eckstein, SEND International