Part 2 of 2

One man challenged another to an all-day wood chopping contest. The challenger worked very hard, stopping only for a brief lunch break. The other man had a leisurely lunch and took several breaks during the day. At the end of the day, the challenger was surprised and annoyed to find that the other fellow had chopped substantially more wood than he had.

"I don't get it," he said. "Every time I checked, you were taking a rest, yet you chopped more wood than I did."

"But you didn't notice," said the winning woodsman, "that I was sharpening my ax when I sat down to rest." (Source Unknown)

Physical and spiritual rest sharpens our focus and abilities. It is vital that we learn to rest in the Lord!

Review from Part 1: Remember, sheep cannot rest with certain obstacles blocking their pathway. Last week we looked at the first two obstacles: freedom from fear and freedom from rivalries. This week we will begin this post with the third obstacle.

3. Free of Pests

Freedom from the torment of parasites and insects is essential to the contentment of sheep. Sheep, especially in the summer, can be driven to absolute distraction by nasal flies, bot flies, warble flies and ticks. When tormented by these pests it is literally impossible for them to lie down and rest. Instead, they are up and, on their feet, stamping their legs, shaking their heads, ready to rush off into the bush for relief from the pests.*

As a teenager going to a Christian summer camp in the south, I had to learn to deal with the gnats. They were everywhere. One day in the week the camp scheduled a lunch in the woods for fun…the fun was difficult to find with the constant cloud of gnats that surrounded us all! Yawning, a big hearty laugh, or loud cheering were all guarantees of extra protein you would receive from the herd of gnats flying in your wide-open mouth!

A good shepherd will apply various types of insect repellents to his sheep. He will see that they are dipped to clear their fleeces of ticks. And he will see that there are shelters of trees and bush available where they can find refuge and release from their tormentors.*

There are bound to be many small irritations in our daily life! Consider the common pests we face:

1. There is the constant drain on our finances with unexpected bills – medical bills, car repairs, clothes for the kids, and a tool for work.

2. There are the interpersonal relationships that are in a position of conflict.

3. There are constant health concerns.

4. There is the person at work, a friend, or a relative that never stops talking about one specific subject ... and you do not agree with their opinion.

On a side note: There are also things that Christians do that drive non-Christians crazy; like: a judging spirit, living hypocritical lives, and being pretty bad at friendship.** It is often harder to see how others view us. We sometimes think we are easy to get be around and it is only others who drive us crazy. Well, the truth is, we can drive the unchurched world (and others in the pews) crazy, too! Unfortunately, we can be pretty good at being pretty bad.

So, what is the antidote to “being so bugged!?”

The answer is found where it is always found – in God Himself. We, the church of Christ, have the wonderful privilege of the indwelling Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit does the work of teaching and convicting our hearts. So, we have four antidotes to pursue:

One: Look in the Mirror. We need to ask the Lord to help us see our side of the wedge. Sometimes we are so overcome by what we feel are our unwanted pests that we do not even consider we could be the “pest” for the one on the other side of the wedge! Philippians 2:3. I Timothy 4:12.

Two: Change the Reflection. If we already know, or when we can see, our sinful choices, then we must confess them to God. The first step to true change is confession of sin. Embrace humility and release the baggage that comes with sinful ways. Romans 6:13; James 4:6-10.

Three: Blurred Vision. If we feel the presence of pests and are driven to distraction, we need to take time to evaluate our thankful spirit. When was the last time we gave God thanks? Is our mind so overcome with thoughts of the “pests” that we can only speak of the pests? Are we quick to give God thanks? Psalm 100:4; 107:1; I Thessalonians 5:18

Four: Focus. We cannot lose sight of our mission: disciples of Jesus Christ. Matthew 28:19. It is a grave mistake (that has eternal consequences) to allow “pests” to drive us mad and compromise our testimony for all the world to witness. The salvation and spiritual growth of others is of greater eternal value than banging the “pests” into submission. Also, the banging of our heads to remove the pests hurts our own persons more than the pest. One more thing, the lost are acting like…the lost. Are we (the church) living like a forgiven child of God indwelt & controlled by the Holy Spirit?

Often, a helpful approach is to simply state, “Lord, this is beyond me. I cannot cope with it. It is bugging me. I cannot rest…please take over!”

With true dependence on the Lord comes true rest from the pests. I am then able to lie down in green pastures – to rest – all because of what He does and who He is!

4. Free from fear of hunger

Many great sheep countries of the world are dry, semi-arid areas. Most breeds of sheep flourish best in this sort of terrain. They are susceptible to fewer hazards of health or parasites where the climate is dry. But in those same regions it is neither natural nor common to find green pastures. Palestine (where David wrote this Psalm and kept his father’s flocks) is a dry, brown, sun-burned wasteland (especially near Bethlehem). Green pastures did not come by chance in this region – it came by the owner’s choice of hard work and preparation of land to bring about green pastures. This requires lots of skill and hard work! But the green pastures are essential to the success of the sheep.*

This is much the same picture as the Lord does in the fields of our lives as we move from sin into the transformed life of victory! Look at the skills of the Good Shepherd in the fields of our lives as His sheep:

…He removes the rocks of stony unbelief

…He removes the destructive roots of bitterness

…He works to break the hard, proud heart like the shepherd does the hard sun-dried clay!

…He then sows the seed of His Word

…He waters it with the presence of His Holy Spirit

…He continually cultivates the ground to bring about a beautiful green pasture!

Our Good Shepherd brings us to such green pastures and demonstrates His desire to see our best interests served! His care for me and for you is really beyond our comprehension!

We are all offered options, like lying or the truth, hard work or laziness, love or hate, and forgiveness or bitterness. Sometimes, we find our way to logically reason that bad is good and good is bad. In other words, we somehow logically reason in our minds that my way of sun-dried barren brown ground is somehow better than God’s green pastures. You see, the sheep cannot cultivate the green pastures like the Good Shepherd is constantly work to provide for His sheep.

Our Good Shepherd cares for His sheep! Do not turn to the barren, brown, sun-dried clay the world offers as something “good,” lie in the green pastures the Lord has so wonderfully prepared for His sheep! But to do that, you need to find God’s provided freedom from fear, rivalries, pests, and hunger. So, run to Christ!

*Source: A Shepherd’s Look at the 23rd Psalm, by Phillip Keller

**Source: Carey Nieuwhof blog