Feasting on the True Pasture
Posted: Sun Mar 16, 2008 9:55 pm
Having grown up on a dairy farm in southern Ontario – where our cattle grazed on the same field from spring to autumn – I can hardly imagine the nomadic pursuit of green pastures over hundreds of miles. The Bedouin certainly would not take nourishing grass for granted! Their quest for rain-fed lands speaks to me of the priority – but not the strategy - of seeking God’s provision for our own lives and those of our flock. There is no question that we need God to spread a table for us in the wilderness. Unlike the shepherds of the Near East, we do not need to roam around the countryside in order to find it.
A number of years ago, I read Eugene Peterson, Under the Unpredictable Plant, and was struck by his assertion that, like Jonah, every pastor is called to “Nineveh� (which is most likely where we are currently serving) – but is tempted to seek out the seemingly greener pastures of “Tarshish.� This, of course, is an illusion and idol. It is far easier to imagine how much more fulfilling it would be to serve somewhere else than it is to seek God’s provision as he offers it right where I am. Roaming for nourishing pastures may be good shepherding strategy for the Bedouin, but it can be disastrous when applied to life with God.
I like Timothy Laniak’s distinction between viewing God as the giver of the things that sustain life and understanding God as life itself. While both are true, the deeper truth that the Lord himself is our pasture assures me that Provision is available any place, any time. It takes away my anxiety that I might somehow be missing out on something where I am, leaving me with gratitude for the abundant feast that is already waiting for me, if only I take the time to receive it. That is what I want to pursue with the intensity of a shepherd seeking out lush fields - and what I want for my flock!
A number of years ago, I read Eugene Peterson, Under the Unpredictable Plant, and was struck by his assertion that, like Jonah, every pastor is called to “Nineveh� (which is most likely where we are currently serving) – but is tempted to seek out the seemingly greener pastures of “Tarshish.� This, of course, is an illusion and idol. It is far easier to imagine how much more fulfilling it would be to serve somewhere else than it is to seek God’s provision as he offers it right where I am. Roaming for nourishing pastures may be good shepherding strategy for the Bedouin, but it can be disastrous when applied to life with God.
I like Timothy Laniak’s distinction between viewing God as the giver of the things that sustain life and understanding God as life itself. While both are true, the deeper truth that the Lord himself is our pasture assures me that Provision is available any place, any time. It takes away my anxiety that I might somehow be missing out on something where I am, leaving me with gratitude for the abundant feast that is already waiting for me, if only I take the time to receive it. That is what I want to pursue with the intensity of a shepherd seeking out lush fields - and what I want for my flock!