Psalm 23
1a The LORD is my shepherd.
WHO is our shepherd? The LORD! The One who made heaven and earth and all that is therein...the One who loves us more than anyone does…the One who loves us perfectly and before whose sovereign WILL we bow, saying, "Not my will, but thine be done…You are LORD! I am Yours, and You are mine!"
The Lord IS my shepherd!
Yes, He IS our shepherd IF indeed He is our LORD…And if is He is our LORD, we will follow him like a little sheep. It is not a MAYBE, but in truth and reality He IS my shepherd!
The Lord is MY shepherd!
For each one of us, if we are His little sheep, He is our PERSONAL shepherd. He speaks to us all, and yet He gives to each of us His personal, undivided and full attention! Praise be to His name that we can each say, You are MY shepherd!
The Lord is my SHEPHERD!
In Strong's Concordance the words for "shepherd" are "to tend a flock…to rule…to associate with (as a FRIEND,…companion, keep company with…feed…"
Because He is our shepherd, He "keeps company" with us! He is our BEST FRIEND at all times…He rules us and feeds us from His Word.
I find extreme comfort in Is. 40:11:
"He shall FEED his flock like a shepherd (Feeding from His Word!
) : he shall GATHER the LAMBS with his arm, (That's me and you, if we truly know Him ) , and CARRY them in HIS BOSOM."(A perfect place of safety! ) What PEACE and comfort! I am thinking here this morning not only about the LORD being MY shepherd…but also how I am the shepherd of MY "little flock" (my babies). As my LORD physically, emotionally, and spiritually feeds me, so I am to feed my babies in all these ways as well. As my LORD rules me in love, so I am called to rule by love. As my LORD is my best companion and friend, so I am to be my child's best earthly companion and friend. As my LORD, the good shepherd GIVETH his life for the sheep, so I am called to do the same…somehow, even in my illness, by His grace.
As my LORD lovingly protects me, so I am to protect my little ones, but sometimes He lets me go astray for awhile and learn the hard way….and I must do the same with my little lambs even though "letting go" is SO hard to do and hurts so much. There is so much in the word "shepherd"! The Lord brings to mind the words from the song:
"Saviour, like a shepherd, LEAD us, Much we need thy tender care."
I continually "bump up" against big questions and need GUIDANCE, and I run to my shepherd! I hope you do, too!
1) Which treatment/supplements should I pursue?
2) How should I deal with this child today?
3) Which materials, approaches should I use to teach each of these precious children TODAY? (For yesterday's plan is no longer "working"!)
The SHEPHERD sometimes changes the course for us from month to month, week to week…even sometimes day to day. We must keep our eyes on the shepherd so that we can go over the hill with Him and not be left behind!
I love these words from W.M.Thornson, P.D. in "The Land and the Book"! I want to be like the sheep he talks about at first, don't you?
He writes,"Some sheep always keep near the shepherd and are his special favorites. Each of them has a name, to which it answers joyfully, and the kind shepherd is ever distributing to such, choice portions which he gathers for that purpose. These are the contented and happy ones. They are in no danger of getting lost or into mischief, nor do wild beasts or thieves come near them. The great body, however, are mere worldlings, intent upon their mere pleasures or selfish interests. They run from bush to bush, searching for variety or delicacies, and only now and then lift their heads to see where the shepherd is…"
Let's stay CLOSE to the SHEPHERD!
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