“He Maketh Me Lie Down in Green Pastures”

Start each time of study with prayer. Ask God to speak to you personally through this study. Read the whole chapter first then go back and reread it to answer the questions. Some questions may take time, especially the personal ones. It’s ok to take a couple of days before you answer some of them. Use the back of the sheet if you need more room.

Mr. Keller says it is almost impossible to get sheep to lie down unless four requirements are met. This week we are going to look at the ways to find freedom in those areas of our lives.

• They need to be free from fear. Is there anything in your life that you want to, “get up and run” from? What is it?

Write out a situation in your life where you have been fearful, but God proved Himself faithful.

How can you apply Psalm 27:1 to your life?

• They need to be free from friction with others. Have you been hurt by the “pecking order” in Christianity? Write out the situation, then give it to the Lord and let Him heal you.

Do you ever practice the Christian “pecking order” to keep your place? Read Psalm 75:6-7.

As you read this chapter, Mr. Keller spends most of this chapter discussing friction with others. Why do you think he spends so much time on this subject?

Can you think of anyone you know that has hurt people in the body of Christ because they had to be the top sheep? Will you forgive that person if you have been hurt and make the commitment to pray for them?

• They need to be free from pests. Are there things in your life that irritate or “bug” you? What are they? Will you pray and ask the Lord to give you patience to handle them?

Do you let the Holy Spirit bring quietness, serenity, strength and calmness in the face of frustrations and futility? If not, will you decide now to let Him? He offers this to you, but you have to let Him. What stops you from doing this?

• They need to be free from hunger. In our Christian walk, the old saying is very true spiritually, “You are what you eat.” Do you spend time feeding on the Word of God or do you feed on the “barren ground” of this world? What changes has the Lord shown you that you need to make in what you fill your life with?

The content of this lesson originates from here.