e-mail 10/01/06

The Psalms are full of beautiful verse that tell us of Praise for our Hevenly Father, God's law, His will for our lives, judgments and much more. This morning, I am looking at Psalm 23. It is believed that when David wrote this Psalm, he was a young shepherd boy. If not, perhaps he was remembering the times when God delivered him from the bears or lions that would atack the sheep.

David writes, "The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want." Jesus said in John 10:ll, "I am the good Shepherd. The good Shepherd gives His life for the sheep."

Sheep are strange yet cute little animals. Sheep will follow the shepherd wherever he leads them, no questions asked, just follow. Jesus often referred to his followers as sheep but today it seems like his sheep want to tell the shepherd where the good grass is or the direction they want to go and when they want to go without suffering the consequences.

The Psalmist says, "He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters, He restores my soul;He leads me in the paths of righteousness, For His name sake.

The Good Shepherd will never take His sheep down the wrong path, He will never lead us into a den of wolves or lions or bears. I heard a minister say that God will lead us in the direction we should go but He will not make us follow. When we get into trouble, He will be there beside us to help us find our way when we cry out to Him but we still must suffer the consequences of taking the wrong path.

Several years ago, Bob and I went to a Sunday School Week at Ridgecrest, NC with a team of Sunday School workers from a local church. A minister named "Bobby Welch" preached on the Good Shepherd. During the sermon that already had everyone in the 2500 auditorium absolutely breathless, Bro Bobby heard a small lamb bleating in the upper balcony. He stopped his sermon and started speaking softly as if to the sheep, offering comfort while weeping and saying "Hold on, little one, I am coming." We watched as Bro Bobby climbed the stairs at the end of the stage and up into the balcony area that stretched around 3 sides of the auditorium, still comforting and calling out to the little sheep. He envisioned a little lamb over the railing and we watched as he climbed over the railing, wrapping his leg around a post, hanging there and reaching as low as he could, stretching, to pick up the little sheep and cradle it into his arms. All the time the Shepherd was speaking comforting words so the little one would not be afraid.

While holding his envisioned lamb, Bro Bobby climbed back up over the railing and came back down on the stage, gently laid the little lamb down and gave the invitation. People who had never before seen the love in action of the Shepherd, saw that night just a glimpse of the lengths and depths that God will go for those He loves. There was not a dry eye in the auditorium (mine included), hearts were convicted and, Oh how much I thank God that I was there to see and to understand the things I saw. If Bro Bobby had fallen he would probably have died or broken his back and other limbs. I saw a preacher who was willing to lay down his life for us to understand the love of the Good Shepherd. He had no rope, no net to catch him, just love and wanting so badly for us to see the lengths that God goes to for us.

John 3:16-18 says "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

Jesus said, "I am the good shepherd and I know My sheep and am known by My own" John 10:14.

Are you following the Shepherd? Do you fully understand what His love has done for you? Do you choose to go your own way because it looks like the grass is greener somewhere else and would be more fun or perhaps more profitable?

Father, help me this day to remember the heights and the depths that you go to that I may be safe. Lord, today I need to be cuddled in your arms like the little lamb that the minister showed us. I need to feel You near me. Lead me beside the cool still waters where my soul can be refreshed. Lord, I will not be afraid though I go through troublesome times, wipe away my tears from pain and give me Your peace and Your comfort. I know Lord that You will lead me all the days of my life, I want to live in the house with You forever. Help me Lord to share Your love with others. I love You Lord. You alone are worthy of all my praise.
Amen

Sharing God's Love,
Peggy