He Is Our Shepherd

Meditation

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

(Psalm 23:1-3)

How much do I really trust God to direct my path and supply my needs? God gave me certain talents I used to provide for my family. However, before I was saved, I coveted my neighbors’ possessions. I wanted the things they had that I couldn’t afford. When I gave my life to Jesus, I started to realize how wrong those desires were. I thought I needed a better house, a newer car, and nicer things in general. Jesus gave me a new heart and I no longer wanted all those things. I had everything I needed to live because of his provision.

A good shepherd will guide his flock away from danger and leads his flock to the best pastures. Some of the things I coveted would have been dangerous, not physically but spiritually. Additionally, a good shepherd always walks in front of his flock and his words are what the flock follows. When I put my faith in Jesus, I was much happier. When I began to follow his words written in scripture, leading me through the trials I face, I found a more peaceful life. He helped me realize that what I had, where I was in life, was where I needed to be. He gave me a feeling of contentedness. He gave me a place to rest in his pasture.

It wasn’t just my physical wellbeing that Jesus secured and provided for. Before my salvation, my soul was dead. I didn’t realize it, but I was blindly moving through life, bumping into one problem after another. He has restored my soul to new life and made me a new man. With regular prayer and worship the Lord repaired and rebuilt me into stronger and more righteous person. The example of my new life, where I’m trying to mimic Christ’s life, gives praise and glory to the Father who has loved me before I was even born.

I recently buried my father after a long struggle with Alzheimer’s Disease. He was a very good man who didn’t deserve the prison sentence of being lost in his own mind. I asked God, many times why it happened. I quoted the whole Psalm at his graveside and in the reading, I finally found peace. God didn’t give Dad that horrible disease, but he did use it to test my faith. Many times, I wanted to blame him for the torture of watching my father’s decline, but I kept leaning on him for strength. He provided, and I am thankful.

Prayer Time

We love you and give you glory, Lord, because you are good. We exalt you and seek your face every day. Lord our world is going completely off the rails. We are witness to political strife, natural disasters, wars in various places, murders and other violence happening all around us. If you weren’t our Shepherd, we would be hiding in the corner, shivering in fear. We thank you for leading us to your rest. We thank you, Lord, for your promise to give us respite with you in heaven after this life is over. You take care of all our needs, so we do not go without. Whenever we do fall into fear because of our human weaknesses, you are there to bring a calm to our spirits. You have given us your Spirit to guide us in our every day walk. He makes sure we find the righteous path. When we veer from that path, he steers us back. You care that we are righteous, not so we’ll think more highly of ourselves, but so we can bring honor and glory to your name. In the name about all names. Amen!