My Shepherd

 Psalm 23:1
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

The familiar Psalm is a favorite for many. It is a Psalm of comfort and reassurance. Jesus is the good Shepherd that will give us peace during troubled times. In this life there will be trials and tribulations. Trouble times will come, and storms are inevitable. Sorrow and suffering come to all who live, the just and unjust. But those who have put their trust in the Shepherd have been given the promise of peace. Jesus said, “Let not your heart be troubled, you believe in God, believe also in me.” When we find ourselves going through the valley of despair, He is there to lead us and walk beside us. We are prone to fear and fret about tomorrow because it is our human makeup to stress and worry about “What if.” But the Holy Spirit gives us the strength and power to lean on Jesus and let Him direct our paths. I find comfort in the song written by Bill Gaither, “Gentle Shepherd.” For there is no other we can turn to show us the way and give us peace and comfort. 

Gentle shepherd come and lead us.
 For we need you to help us find our way
Gentle shepherd come and feed us
For we need your strength from day to day
There's no other we can turn to
Who can help us face another day
Gentle shepherd come and lead us
For we need You to help us find our way

Enter the Door

 John 10:9
I am the door: by me if any man enters, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.

There are many who will claim that there is more than one way to have eternal life, to have life more abundantly. Religions throughout history have pointed people to a way of life that will bring peace and life. Jesus says that all these religions are false, and are like thieves and robbers, deceiving people to follow them. To the Pharisees, He tells them that He alone is the true way to God. Following all of their forms and rituals will not bring fullness of life. Christ is the only gate (door) that a sheep can use to find pasture to feed and live life to the full. Those who listen to His voice and respond to His calling will be saved. There are many voices out in the world that call, and Satan will do all he can to lead the sheep to follow him, but those that heed God’s word, listen to what God has to say and follow it, will find that Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and Life. Don’t be fooled by those who say there is more than one way. They have been deceived and the devil uses them to destroy life. They are out to steal and rob your soul. Follow the voice of Jesus, heed His calling and enter the door that leads to green pasture.

Shadow of Death

 Psalm 23:4
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me..
Walking through the valley of life we often find ourselves traveling through dark places. Places unknown and uncertain. The shadows of death are places where we fear for our lives or the lives of others, financial uncertainty, broken relationships,  the shadows that are cast in our journey cause apprehension of what the future holds and fear that we will not be able to handle the burden set before us. We are grateful for the support and prayers of others around us, but the pain is still real and we may fear that we will not make it. The enemy is tempting us to doubt God’s love and care for us. But in the mists of the dark shadow, God is there, He has promised never to leave us or forsake us. He is there in the good times and in the bad times. He is the Great Shepherd, and He will take care of His sheep. He will guide and protect us as we walk through the valley of the shadow of death.

Be Not Afraid

 Luke 2:10
 …“Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people…”
Being afraid is a natural instinct of humanity. Fear is an emotion that kicks in when we sense danger. We are not safe and there is a possibility that we are in harm's way. I have seen inscriptions on hats and T-shirts with the words “Fearless”. The message implies that they are not afraid of anything. The reality is that we have an element of fear that God puts in us. The shepherds in the field were not chastised for their fear. Who would not be afraid if angels all of a sudden appeared all around you and a supernatural light glowed all around them. The comfort comes when we are assured that God is in control and putting our trust in Him means that we do not have to fear. When God says, “do not fear”, we can believe that He knows where we are and what we are going through. We no longer have to hold on to our insecurities and fear the unknown. We can let go and rest in the knowledge that God is good and has our back. 

In The Shadow of Darkness

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Psalm 23:4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me;…

The shadow of darkness makes it way as we walk through the valley. We are surrounded by circumstances that mount higher than mountains. The light of His presence and glory are obscured by the clouds above. It would seem that darkness is all around us and we begin to fear what lies ahead. But even as we walk through this darkness, our faith reaches out to Him and the light begins to break through and fear is vanquished. The evil that would consume us flees. He reaches out to us with His rod and pulls us close to His side and carries us to safety. Safe in the arms of Jesus. The Shepherd of my soul. “Jesus, I will fear no evil, for you are with me, even in the valley of the shadow of darkness.

The Good Shepherd

Ezekiel 34:12, 16  As a shepherd seeks out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep…I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick:

All we like sheep have gone astray. The good Shepherd seeks out the sheep to gather them under His protection. The sheep are so easily lead away by other shepherds that don’t really care about the well being of their sheep. Satan tempts the sheep by showing greener pastures, but fails to reveal that there are wolves that linger near by.  Sin is enticing and gratifies and bring temporary pleasure to the flesh, but the end always ends up in destruction. The Good Shepherd in love and mercy will seeks out the lost, the broken in heart, those that have been trapped by sin’s allure. Let us hear the call of the Good Shepherd and let Him bind us and make us whole again.

Seeking The Lost

Luke 19:10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

We all are lost. We entered this world not knowing that sin is rooted in the heart of all that are born to this life. Our personality may be formed and taught to be pleasant, good natured, and even kind, but the nature of sin still lives within each one of us. Like sheep without a shepherd, we wondered about life trying to find our way. The great shepherd of our soul, the Son of God came to earth as a man to seek and save us who are lost. The problem with most people is that they don’t think they are lost. They don’t accept that they need a God, for they are a God unto themselves. God sent His Son to give His life for the world. His coming was not just for a selected few who He choose to save. Being saved is to believe that we are lost and to believe that we can be found by believing in the only begotten Son of God, Jesus.

Gentle Shepherd

Isaiah 40:11 1 He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.

“Gentle Shepherd, come and lead us, help us find our way” We live in a world where on every side we are bombarded with conflicting opinions. The authority of God’s Word continues to be challenged by skeptics and by those who desire to be a god unto themselves. On the right, are those who would bind us with chains of legalism and have you live according to a set of rules beyond what God requires. On the left is the ever danger of every man doing what is right in their own eyes, living to please and satisfy the lust of the flesh. Without a shepherd to guide and led us, we are easily led astray to follow a path that will led us to destruction. If there is ever a day that we need a shepherd, today is the day. “Gentle Shepherd, there is no other who can show us the way and lead us into life eternal” 

I Am The Door

John 10:9 “I am the door; by Me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”-

To enter into the Kingdom of God one must pass through the door. Heaven’s gates are open only to those who have right of passage. Many will attempt to find their way to God through some other way. They will claim that the way to eternal life and peace is to be a good person and treat people with respect, others will say that as long as you are sincere in your worship to a god, you will be allowed to enter into heaven. Those who don’t want to offend anyone, will say that their are many ways to God and that Jesus is not the only way. There are those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God, but require that getting through the doors of heaven one must follow all the rules of the church, rules that were man written. Jesus is the only Shepherd that stands at the door of heaven’s gate and all who desire to enter into the shepherd fold must do so through Christ. For those who enter, they listen to the voice of the shepherd and desire to obey His word. It is a witness of God  that the sheep know their shepherd because they hear His voice and follow. All who refuse to listen and follow do not belong to the Shepherd. They are pretenders and they will be revealed as the black sheep in the day of judgment.