Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
(Matthew 28:19)

Summer 1986. The 1985 growing season here at Psalm 23 Camp was a great one for green pastures. We had a long grazing season with abundant pasture and hay – the best since we returned to the home farm in May 1982. Green pastures are a delight to the shepherd as well as his flock. Few things equal the pleasure of letting my sheep into a pasture that has lush green growth. Anytime I walk through a pasture, and my sheep sense that I am about to open the gate to let them enter a "green pasture", there is little that will stir their interest more as they come running and bleating toward the gate.

I must add that rotating sheep frequently to new pastures is a good soil and water conservation practice, and it provides the sheep with an excellent source of feed. The sheep can quickly obtain nourishment and spend more time lying quietly in the pasture. Without this type pasture the sheep must spend many hours daily in search of food, and each is continually in competition with other sheep for what little grass there is, plus they ingest large numbers of destructive parasites.

Jesus must surely be delighted to see members of His flock that are eager to come running to the gateway that leads to the green pastures He has for us. He will certainly lead us to green pastures if we will but follow.

You might ask, "Why not open all gates on the farm or ranch and let the sheep find all the green grass?” Nice thought, but it does not work well because given their own will the sheep pick favorite grazing spots such as areas near water, shade, and salt. Then overgraze these areas. This will eventually bring destruction to the land as well as the sheep. This happens as the sheep become parasite infested and the overgrazed land looses life-giving topsoil from erosion. Furthermore the ungrazed areas become a wasted resource; the land grows up in tall grass and woody plants (brush) that no longer convert plants into food and fiber for man.

If you and I try to graze without guidance from the Good Shepherd, we will bring destruction to ourselves and to others who we lead astray. Furthermore we will waste God's resources. Would you rather graze near the shade (that comfortable pew located in an air-conditioned building), salt (that inspirational message your pastor gives each Sunday), and water (the fellowship with friends each week); or, would you answer the call of Jesus when He said, "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." (Matt:28:19)

Be assured, I am not condemning comfortable church buildings, Christian fellowship, and "good preachin'" when put in proper perspective. Some of the best grassland we have here at Psalm 23 is near water and shade. However, I plan to put some temporary electric fence around one magnificent sugar maple tree that has a stream nearby. At times last summer I saw more than two hundred sheep under the shade of that one tree. They not only damaged the grass under the tree and deposited the valuable fertilizer where it will not be used; they over grazed the grass near the tree and failed to harvest the distant pasture. Consider these facts; less than two percent of Christians' income is given to Christian causes, and of the total given only one-half percent goes to global missions. It's obvious that professing Christians spend too much time around the watering hole and favorite shade tree.