Let’s Go!

He lets me rest in green meadows; He leads me beside peaceful streams. Psalms 23:2

It is said that some of the positive characteristics of sheep are gentleness, emotional complex, innocence and being highly intelligent!  On the other hand, a couple of negatives are: lack of sense of direction and stubbornness. David who wrote Psalm 23 was a young sheep shepherd. He was later chosen by the Lord and anointed by Samuel to be a godly people shepherd to lead Israelites after king Saul. As long as the Israelites were obedient and focused on God, their journey went really well but the moment they disobeyed their lives were chaotic.

There is a true story told of some sheep who used to lay down on the road daily in a marketplace and would not move. Traffic had to go around them to get to where it was heading to. It happened that the owner of the sheep was not always there to lead the sheep well.

Our relationship with the Lord, our Good Shepherd is beautifully outlined in Psalm 23 that states: “I have all that I need; he lets me rest in green meadows; leads me beside peaceful streams; he renews my strength; guides me along the right paths.” The Lord, our Shepherd walks ahead and the sheep (God’s people) follow him and have the capability of recognizing His voice. We are so blessed to have Jesus as our “Good Shepherd”.  He said in John 10:14 “I am the Good Shepherd, I know my sheep and my sheep know me”. He steps up for us each time to defeat our terrifying enemies around us! A good example is found in1 Chronicles 19 when David sent his ambassadors to king Hanun with a good gesture but they were shamed and disgraced by this king's officials thinking they were spies! As a result, God gave David victory over the same Ammonites. Has this ever happened to you?

Some characteristics humans share with sheep are the ability to feel afraid, angry, bored, sad, and happy. A responsible shepherd takes good care of his sheep and even knows them by name.  The Bible reminds us that Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice laying down His life for the sake of us, His sheep.  He knows us each by name and loves us more than we can imagine, and we can trust Him with our lives daily.  

Lord, Your presence in my life gives me great comfort and confidence. Thank you for shepherding me and for being Jehovah Nissi, who fights the battles I encounter.

Reflection:

What action would you take this week to be in the posture that would enable you to experience rest in green meadows and peaceful streams?