Related commentaries – Thirst

Longing For The Living God – Psalms 42:1 – 42:8

A Sheep Doesn’t Eat Lying Down

A shepherd, who had spent many years with flocks on the hills of Scotland, asked me if I had ever seen a sheep eat while lying down. When I confessed that I had not, he told me that no one had ever seen a sheep eat in that position. “If a sheep is lying down,” he continued, “there may be a lovely tuft of grass within an inch of her nose, but she will not eat it. She will scramble to her feet, lean over and eat the grass that was in easier reach before."Thus when the Lord, our Shepherd, makes us lie down in green pastures (Psalm 23), that means we have had so much, we just can’t take any more. We are beside the still waters and He has already satisfied our thirst. (Donald Grey Barnhouse).