A psalm of David.
1 The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,... Psalm 23: 1-2
Living like a sheep can bring you incredible peace of mind! The biblical shepherd knew everything about his sheep. He understood what foods were best for them and what would harm them. He knew when they should eat and when they needed their thirst quenched. The shepherd was an expert of the terrain and was aware of the best places for food and water. As long as the sheep trusted and followed their shepherd, they would always have their needs met at the right time. The shepherd would give them the best he had.
Do you have absolute trust in your Good Shepherd? Do you value the nourishment that comes from Him more than any you might obtain from the world? Do you ever worry that God might be withholding from you something that you need? The Psalmist was convinced he would "want" for nothing.
Have you allowed your focus to shift from the Shepherd to what the Shepherd gives you? If you find yourself "wanting", it is not that your Shepherd is unable or unwilling to perfectly meet your needs. Could it be that you have become dissatisfied with what your Shepherd has been providing? Are you missing the joy that comes from having a Shepherd who cares for you? Return to Him and trust Him to meet the needs in your life that only He can.- Experiencing God- Henry Blackaby.
I love the first line of the last paragraph above: Have you allowed your focus to shift from the Shepherd to what the Shepherd gives you? Powerful!
It is when we look to what the person can give instead of who the person is then we begin to get their value in our lives skewed. If we begin to see Jesus merely as a Heavenly issued ATM for money, dreams, wishes and aspirations, we totally lose the concept of what having a Good Shepherd is all about. Just like as when we see people only for what they can give us and not for who they are in and of themselves, we begin to abuse the relationship and someone, if not all involved get hurt.
Take time today to reevaluate how you look at your Savior. Does your relationship with Jesus ebb and flow based upon how your prayers are answered or what you go through in life? Our relationship with Jesus and His/Our Father should be based solely on WHO they are, how they love us and the lengths they go to secure for us our souls and the Heavenly home some day. The relationship basis, love, was laid centuries ago when the plan of salvation was first put into motion.
If Jesus would come to this sin-sick world and die upon a cross for me, why should I ever question how I am being taken care of? I doubt if He would go to that depth of pain and anguish for us then to not care for us and give us what we need now! The problem is how we look at things and our self-centeredness that tells us we should it better in life or that we deserve more.
Remember, the Christian journey is a marathon; not a sprint. We have the greatest Shepherd/Trainer we could ever have and He knows exactly what we need to finish the race strong! Follow and trust the Good Shepherd!
God's Got This!!!