The Four Conditions for Rest

According to author Phillip Keller, four characteristics must be met for a sheep to rest: no fear, no stress, no parasites, and no hunger. Sheep cannot fulfill these four requirements on their own; the help and intervention of the shepherd are necessary.

Freedom from fear: Sheep are shy and easily frightened, so to rest they must not be afraid. The presence of the shepherd and being in a safe place helps them to feel confident. In the Bible, we often find the Lord telling us, “Do not be afraid,” because we, too, need to be free from fear.

Freedom from tension: Rivalry and competition cause tension in the flock. So also in our life, when we encounter rivalry at work, problems in our marriage or with our parents, and uncertainty due to financial problems, these things prevent us from resting in the Lord. However, they do not keep us from His presence. It is the presence of the Shepherd that calms this competition and friction.

Free from aggravation: Sheep must be free from the torment of parasites and insects. They can’t rid themselves of these pests alone, so they try to find some relief in the bushes. In our case, perhaps our annoyance comes from a disease or some grievance that has been done to us. These distract you and make you turn your attention to solving these problems. Our Shepherd helps us to eliminate these distractions and gives us the solutions for our grievances through forgiveness and grace.

Freedom from hunger: When sheep are hungry, they can’t rest. Neither can we; all we can think about is food. Pastures represent not only a place of rest but also a place of abundant food for the sheep.

Lord, we are so thankful that we are Your sheep and that You have already given us everything we need. Make us free from fear, as we believe that You are with us all the time as Jesus promised. Dissolve any tension in our life by Your unmistakable presence. Thank You that we can give You our burdens. May Your grace help us with our grievances. Let us extend Your grace to others as forgiveness, just as we received it from You. And let us be filled with Your fullness, that we may never hunger because Your Word is our bread of life.