A close friend of mine is a workaholic. He devotes a minimum of 120% of his energy and time to his job! Though his doctor and family had often told him, “Slow down! Take time to relax! Don’t overdo it!” he just kept right on going until finally the inevitable happened. He had a heart attack.

Fortunately (and all glory goes to God), the attack was a mild one. Yet, it was severe enough to keep him flat on his back for several days. Arriving at the hospital and finding that my friend was not critical, I walked into his room and said, “Stan! I have but one thing to say: He makes me to lie down!”

The 23rd Psalm is a beautiful picture of God’s love and care for His own. Drawing from scenes of his childhood as a shepherd, David recalled leading the sheep out to the hillside for pasture. After the sheep had walked some distance, he, as the tender shepherd who cared greatly for his sheep, would lead them into green pastures and make them lie down to rest. Occasionally he would have to help the more stubborn sheep, who persisted on walking further, by lifting them up, bending their legs, and forcing them to lie down.

God, our Father, in His infinite wisdom, often does the same to us. Sometimes we refuse to rest. We want to overdo, and in the process fail to focus on Him. So He leads us into situations where we’re forced to lie down. Surely, such a situation may not be what we want; and we may even think that such a situation does us harm; but God always knows and does what is best for His own.

Notice what follows in David’s picturesque Psalm. “He makes me to lie down in green pastures …” (… a place of feeding), “He leads me beside the still waters …” (… a place of refreshment), “He restores my soul …” (… He gives needed rest to build our strength for the journey).

“At first,” my friend Stan told me, “I could not understand what God was doing in my life. A heart attack, though mild, was a devastating thing. Then, when I had nothing but time on my hands, I read my Bible, prayed and discovered new spiritual truths, as I drank from the spiritual well that refreshed my soul with new fellowship with God. Actually, the heart attack was just about the best thing that ever happened to me!”

Is that not always true? When the adversities of life bring everything to a screeching halt, we must not ask “Why?” but, “What?” Knowing that God allows only what He will for a predetermined plan and purpose because He loves us. So, the next time you feel overwhelmed by adversities, know that God is in control only when we release our control into His hands.

• Pastor Jerry L. Dunn, Oak Street Baptist Church