The Lord is my Shepherd {to feed, guide and shield me}, I shall not lack.
He lets me lie down in {fresh, tender} green pastures. He Leads me beside the still and restful waters. He refreshes and restores my soul (life).
(Psalm 23:1-3a) Amplified

And He humbled you and allowed you to hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you recognize and personally know that man does not live by bread only, but man lives by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord.
(Deuteronomy 8:3) Amplified.

Trust in the Lord, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. (Psalm 37:3) NKJV

I wait {patiently} for the Lord, my soul {expectantly} waits,
And in His word do I hope. (Psalm 130:6) Amplified

Certain words in the above scriptures bring, in some cases, new perspectives, and in others, vivid memories. This is why I like to use different versions of the bible. In the the verses from Psalm 23, “He lets me lie down,” has a different feel to me than “He makes me lie down,” and the addition of “fresh, tender,” to “green pastures” calls up a memory of walking barefoot in dew wet grass in the early morning.

The Deuteronomy passage reminds me of times in my childhood when money was scarce and food was simple and repetitive. We lived for a time on a dry land farm where we didn’t have much in the way of vegetables or fruit. Because we had chickens and cows, we had eggs and milk, cream and butter. Most breakfasts included oatmeal, and our bread was often biscuits. Sandwiches would be cold biscuits with whatever was available to put between them.

Psalm 37 encourages me to trust and be nourished by memories of how God has been faithful in providing for my physical needs, and especially needs that I’ve had when grieving loss.

Psalm 130:6 points out that growing in the Lord takes time, and that scripture is rich with his words of hope and restoration for my soul.

How about you? Do you have favorite scriptures that are “green pastures” and “still, restful waters for your soul”? There are so many scriptures that can draw us closer to our Father in Heaven, our Good Shepherd, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit living inside us – to bring to our memory help in times of need. Listen to the song, You Restore My Soul.