The Still Waters
Psalm 23:2, "He leadeth me beside the still waters.”
When I meditate upon the splendor of the scene before us here, I am compelled to cry out with the psalmist; “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits” (Psalm 103:2)! As you read the progression of this passage, you will find the psalmist considering the various terrains along which the Shepherd will guide us in this life. You will also see him contemplating the various troubles from which the Shepherd will guard us. However, in this opening portion of the text, he is concentrating on the various treasures which the Shepherd will give us!
In reality, the psalmist is pondering the providential provender that is afforded us as we make this journey through this world as “strangers and pilgrims” (1 Peter 2:11)! When he declares that “He maketh me to lie down in green pastures”, he is speaking of a perpetual provision. When he says, “He leadeth me beside the still waters”, he is talking about a steadfast supply! Regardless of “the paths of righteousness” in which our Great Shepherd may direct our steps, he will always give us the sustenance described in these statements, for we need them in order to travel the trail and face the foes!
As we have begun to see, the sustaining and strengthening supplies which He has given are the “green pastures” in which He feeds us, as well as the “still waters” beside which He leads us. When we pondered the “green pastures”, we discovered that they are none other than the precious Word of God! As we peruse the pages of Scripture, we find in them the grasses of God ever accessible for us to graze upon! But that is not all we find available to us here in God’s field. What about the “still waters”? What is it that they represent? Consider what we see when we meditate upon this magnificent truth!
The word “still” comes from the Hebrew word (manuchah), which means rest, quietness, or resting place. Thus, these “waters” are a quiet resting place for the sheep of God. These are not fast moving rivers, for how could raging rapids be of comfort to the restless and agitated sheep? Sheep would never drink of such waters. The Great Shepherd is careful to lead us to the “waters” which are “still”; so that there we may drink and find an unending source to satiate our parched lips and our thirsty souls!
So then, if these are the type of waters we need, then we must know the place in which we find such a supply? I believe that the answer is the sweet Holy Spirit of God! I don’t want to be speculative here, so let’s seek to make this case from Scripture. First, consider this. Just because these “still waters” are quiet and calm, that does not indicate that they have no flow at all! I do not believe that the “waters” are a fast flowing river, but I do believe that they are a bubbling spring!
In Isaiah 49:10, we read an interesting verse, “They shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall heat nor sun smite them: for he that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even BY THE SPRINGS OF WATER SHALL HE GUIDE THEM.” Notice something about this last phrase. God promises to “guide them”! The Hebrew word for "guide" in this text is the same Hebrew word used for “leadeth” in the phrase, “He leadeth me beside the still waters”. In fact, it is the exact same stem and verb tense as well. However, in this case the waters to which he “leadeth” or will “guide them” are not called “still waters”. Instead they are “springs of water”!
Here, I believe, is a very vital point. These are not speaking separate watering places, but they speak of the same wonderful well at which the people of God are refreshed! So then, what is the key distinction in the phrases? In the one, God describes the ESSENCE of the waters, namely that they are “springs”. In the other, God describes the EFFECT of the waters, that is, that they are “still”. You see, I believe that our text not only speaks of the Holy Spirit, but it speaks particularly of his inner workings in man’s heart.
It is both interesting and important to note that our Lord described the ministry of the Holy Spirit using the analogy of water on two separate occasions. In John 4:14, Jesus said, “But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.” Then in John 7:38 He declares, “He that believeth on me, as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.” So, what is it that we learn about the Holy Spirit in these two texts?
Let’s begin by understanding that both of these passages implicitly state that salvation is the prerequisite to the Holy Spirit’s continued working within the heart. John 4:14 says, “Whosoever drinketh”. John 7:38 gives further clarification by saying, “He that believeth”. In both cases, it is salvation that prequalifies the promises that Christ is making. With that being established, let’s delve further into the particular parts of these promises.
There is a three-fold working of the Holy Spirit described by Christ in these two verses. First, Christ accounts for the INDWELLING work of the Spirit. John 4:14 states, “But whosoever drinketh…the water…shall be IN HIM A WELL of water”. Thus, Christ states that the Holy Spirit would be IN the believer who drinks of the salvation that He offers. But then, he goes on to describe an INFILLING work. He says, “The water shall be…a well…SPRINGING UP into everlasting life.” Then, in John 7:38 He describes an OUTFLOWING work. He says, “OUT OF his belly shall flow rivers of living water.” It is the second work, the INFILLING work that we want to consider.
In order to understand this, let’s look at the structure of the statement that Jesus makes in John 4:14. Christ begins by describing a one time event, which is salvation. He says, “Whosoever drinketh”. The verb “drinketh” is in the aorist tense, which simply means that it describes a punctuated, single action, rather than a continuing one. You only need to be saved once! Then it is given in the subjunctive mood, which is the mood of possibility. Not all men will be saved, but it is possible for all men to be saved.
For those who do receive Christ by faith, this salvation gives way to a promise. Jesus says, “The water that I shall give him shall be in him”. In both cases here, the words “shall give” and “shall be” are in the future tense and the indicative mood. The indicative mood indicates a statement of fact. Christ promises that if one believes the Gospel, He would indeed place within them the ever present “well of water”, which is the Holy Ghost!
Now we come to the last portion of the phrase. Christ says, “The water…shall be…a well…springing up”. The words “springing up” are a present participle. This simply means that they speak of the Holy Ghost doing a perpetual work in the heart of man. And isn’t that what the Spirit of God seeks to do in us? Is it not true that He is ever longing to bring forth the fruit of His indwelling presence? Is it not true that he ever seeks to fill us so that the “fruit of the Spirit” (Galatians 5:22) may abound?
And what is that fruit? What does it entail? Consider it dear friend! Galatians 5:22-23 states, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance”! Notice that the first workings of the Spirit described here, are inward workings, for that is where God’s work must always begin! God could never do a work THROUGH us, until He has first done a work IN us!
Think of it dear friend! “Love, joy, PEACE”, these are the internal blessings that are afforded us through the INFILLING work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. It is these blessed truths that supply the “still waters” of rest to which the psalmist refers in Psalm 23:2. Oh that we may ever stay near these “still waters” which Christ has availed to us! May we allow the INDWELLING Holy Ghost to do His INFILLING work in our lives! May the “springing” waters of this internal “well” bring that peaceful refreshment which compels us to say, “I shall not want”!
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