He Makes Me Lie Down

Sitting against the nursery door, I hugged my knees to my chest, lowered my head, and sobbed quietly as my baby sobbed (quite loudly) on the other side of the door. Yet again, he didn’t want to take his nap. I wanted to make the crying stop—to give in and to let my baby come out and play. But I also wanted what was best for him, and I knew that rest was what his little, over-tired body needed. 

My son is now three, and naptime is still a struggle (although rather than us both being in tears, you’ll now find me happily enjoying a cup of tea and a good book while my son contentedly plays with his stuffed animals in bed). Have you too experienced putting a resistant child down for a nap because you know it’s what’s best for them? I invite you to keep this image in mind as we ponder the rest God offers us as moms in Psalm 23. 

Psalm 23:2 says, “He makes me lie down in green pastures.” In studying this verse, I learned that the Hebrew wording here conveys being compelled to rest by an event or occurrence outside of oneself. In other words, the psalmist is saying that under the care of God our Shepherd, we as his sheep don’t just rest when we decide we need it. In his love, God makes us lie down to rest when he knows we need it. 

Now, the word “rest” might not be what comes to mind in a season of constant messes, diaper changes, or sleepless nights. While motherhood is certainly not a season of rest in the sense of relaxation, in many ways, motherhood compels us to rest from many of our pre-kids pursuits and speed of life. 

For example, maybe you left a job or reduced your hours to be with your kids, or maybe you’ve cut back significantly on the number of outside opportunities you take on. Maybe you find yourself declining more and more social invitations since becoming a mom—girls’ trips or late-night outings. Perhaps you’ve had to let go of certain efforts with your physical appearance—there’s simply not enough time anymore to spend hours at the gym or keep up with trends like you used to. Or maybe, you feel like you’ve been forced to rest from your perfectionism—of always having a clean house, an organized schedule, a completed to-do list. 

It seems one thing most every mom can resonate with is the change in speed that comes with motherhood. Everything takes more time . . . leaving the house, doing laundry, prepping and cleaning up meals. Especially in the little years, life seems to slow as a significant amount of your time is spent simply playing on the floor or rocking a sleeping baby. 

Ultimately, this “rest” is an act of faith—an opportunity to let go of our striving. But when we lay aside certain pursuits or preferences for a season, we might wonder: Will we be left empty-handed? 

The good news of Psalm 23 is that, as God leads us to rest, he always provides. As the psalmist David asserts, it is in green pastures that God leads us to lay down. The picture here is of a shepherd preparing sheep-beds with grass so that his sheep might find rest and relief in the shade. But what does it mean for us today that God himself is the place where we find our rest? 

Because of Christ’s death and resurrection on our behalf, we can cease striving before God and rest in the shelter of his grace. The blood of Christ is our covering, and there is nothing left for us to earn. God uses the “rest” of motherhood to help us see that our worth is not dependent upon what we do or produce:     

If we accomplish nothing else in our careers, his grace is enough.

If our social reach or popularity never grows, his grace is enough. 

If we don’t meet all the physical goals we have for our appearance, his grace is enough. 

If our home is always messy and our to-dos are never finished, his grace is enough. 

If we struggle through seasons of inefficiency and low output, his grace is enough. 

Moms, let’s consider—What is it that God might be calling us to release in this season? Where might he be leading us to rest in his grace, trusting it to be enough? Hear the invitation of      Psalm 23 to come to the Good Shepherd:           

It is God who makes us lie down;

God who leads us beside still waters;

God who restores our souls;

God who leads us in paths of righteousness;

God who is with us in the valley of the shadow of death;

God whose rod and staff comfort us;

God who prepares a table in the presence of our enemies;

God who anoints our heads with oil;

God who pursues us with goodness and mercy all the days of our life. 

Our one job is to become his sheep—to trust and depend upon the Shepherd’s grace and provision. From this place, we are freed to lay down our striving and enjoy his rest, for our worth is secure in the finished work of Christ on our behalf.