Psalm 23 – He restores my soul – Too Comfortable
Once a sheep is cast down, he cannot return to his feet without the help of the shepherd. To understand what it means to be cast down, please read previous post. Over and over Scripture compares us to sheep. For example, Isaiah 53:6 – We all like sheep…If we are like sheep, it is wise to see how! Let’s have a chat to see how a sheep becomes cast down.
Sheep Like to Get Comfortable
As we have seen, sheep are not able to survive on their own. In fact, their place on the food chain is low. They are, as we have said before, defenseless, and they are happy doing as little work as possible. When sheep graze in a field, they like to lie down. And I’m not talking just take a quick breather rest. The sheep want to relax for a prolonged period of time. They want to get as comfortable as they possibly can!
In effort to get comfortable, the sheep snuggle the ground only to find themselves rolling further than they intended. Their desire to be comfortable can lead to a sheep being cast down. Once they become cast, they are unable to get back on their own feet. The sheep frantically fight but their efforts are in vain. The cast sheep is in a dire situation and their death is imminent. Their desire for excessive comfort renders them useless, a sitting duck from future predators. Only an outside force can rescue the cast down sheep. Thankfully, the diligent shepherd continuously makes sure all sheep are present. When one is missing, he finds them and restores them!
We Like to Get TOO Comfortable
We all like sheep…We like to get comfortable. In fact, if we are honest, we spend more time and money on our comfort than we would like to admit. When we are consumed with our comfort, we become cast down just like sheep. We frantically fight and kick trying to get to that point in our life when we are satisfied with comfort. The problem – trying to become comfortable is an insatiable pursuit. There is always something else you can have to make you more comfortable. Therefore, your desire for comfort renders you useless to advance the Kingdom of God. Why? You cannot focus on God’s Kingdom when you are so consumed with your own kingdom. When we become so focused on ourselves, we miss the mark. Our focus is taken from Him who deserves our adoration, and we place the adoration on our own life. We are not made to exalt ourselves; we are made to exalt God in whose image we are made.
