January 23, 2024 

Slow Down

Rev. Xavier D. Wright

Psalm 23:2-He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside the still waters.”

“Slow Down” is what God told me to do. Did I perceive it? I heard it through wise counsel during my catechism from my doctor to take it easy with my recreational activities. I even heard it in a movie I was watching during that same time frame. It was evident that I needed to slow down. 

The idea of slowing down is significant in my life because a lot of it is spent on the go: getting ready for the gym around 4 a.m. three times a week, being a husband/father, a school teacher, and a youth leader, I was instructed by the Lord to slow down. Have you ever felt like it’s always go time? 

David picks up on this idea while reflecting on his life in Psalm 23:2: “He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside the still waters.”God orchestrates the break when we are not obedient or wise enough to recognize when we need a break. 

David declares that, “He makes me lie down in green pastures.” These green pastures are where the sheep would go for nourishment for their bodies and a time of refreshing. Laying down in green pasture is likewise a position or posture God wants us to be in. We are concerned about anything else which is going on. We are resting because the Shepard will provide for all of our needs.        

When God “leads me beside still waters,” we are led by God and going at His pace. This is a lot different than our own pace. He is in no rush; His pace is a pace we cannot comprehend because we are not Him. We are surrounded by still water: tranquil, peaceful, calm, different from other waters.

Slowing down is not stopping; instead, it reorientates what is relevant. God has to be a priority in our life. What I did was good, but the order needed improvement. So, in my extracurricular activities, before leading youth, before being a husband/father, I must make sure I put God first because I would have none of these things without him. 

Without God, we are not be able to do all things well. Without God, all of these things will fall apart, and God is the only one who can keep them together. 

These are some things we can reflect on when we take the time to slow down.