In Pastures Green

Notes from Tom

This simple, short song flows straight out of Psalm 23, with its quiet confidence:
“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want… He leads me beside still waters.”

It doesn’t quote Jesus directly, but his voice is in every line. When he said, “I am the Good Shepherd” (John 10:11), he wasn’t just using a comforting image — he was claiming the very identity of God, who has always been Israel’s Shepherd (see Ezekiel 34).
This song is about what it means to let Jesus lead — not just when life is peaceful and green, but especially when it’s dark and uncertain. It’s about trusting His presence more than our circumstances.
I was tempted to add more to this song, but decided to keep it short and focused on the comfort of knowing Jesus is my refuge every day.

A note on the music

I can’t claim any tower experience for this tune. It actually came to me when I was working out at Planet Fitness last fall and listening to a playlist of some of my 1970s-era favorites.

Fleetwood Mac’s Songbird inspired the slow, deliberate tempo. But instead of using a piano to accompany the sung melody (like Songbird does so beautifully), I wanted a clean electric guitar sound being picked, like the guitar that starts out Cheap Trick’s The Flame.

So there you have it. Both those songs were on my playlist that day in October. The result is this song — wholly inspired by 1970s soft rock ballads more than anything sacred or classical. But if you like the sound (like I do), I think it still gives glory to God, don’t you?