The Lord Is Your Shepherd Series

The Lord Is Your Shepherd – Part 3

“Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou annointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.” Amen

Psalm 23 : 5-6

God is so intentional in all that He does. You know, one would assume that followers of Christ like you and me would trust the Sovereignty of God more often than we do.

But we get it wrong when we forget that it is all for His glory and His glory alone, not ours! I mean, why should’t God get ALL the glory? We are a reflection of HIS Great work and majesty. The Lord does all these things…

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies…”

When we come across great opposition, in our discomfort, we forget the intentions of God. We forget that He has prepared a table before us in the presence of those who oppose us and God’s will in our lives. God knows what He alone has planned for you. He is your shepherd. If He has you in a place of discomfort, it is not without purpose.

Friend, I hope you recollect today that the Lord your God already has a table prepared for you even in the presence of opposition. You just have to make your way to the table in Jesus name.

Thou annointest my head with oil…”

The verse does not acknowledge your boss, your parents, or your best friend for helping you out to get to where you need to be. It is all GOD! God is the one who has annointed you for greatness. I say this with emphasis because often times we are mislead by the voice of the enemy that tells us that we owe our success to anything or anyone but God! God did it! HE annointed you! HE chose you! HE preserved you! It is by His annointing that you are where you are today!

No doubt, humility should always be at your breastplate and gratitude to those that help you is a must, but not at the expense of forgetting that it was in the will of your Maker.

My cup runneth over…”

Not only does God fill your cup, He overflows your cup! God is compassionate and generous towards his children. God, knows what we need and exactly how much we need.

Ever had a situation when you were in need but didn’t share with anyone the amount you needed? But when the time came for your need to be met, God gave you exactly what was needed…and then some! We serve a good God.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life…”

The first word connote the assurance in this text. There is no doubt whatsoever about the promises of God. His goodness and mercy shall be with you all the days of your life. All the days, not some of the days.

And I for one can personally attest to a time of unknowing when I thought that God’s mercy and goodness were not with me. The toxic place I found myself, blurred my vision so I could not see the merciful hand of God even as He pulled me out of that place.

I wonder if you have been through times like these or if you are in it right now. Friend, God’s mercy and goodness is His promise to you for all your days… God is NOT a liar.

And I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever…” (Amen)

No matter where you are or where you have been, the house of the LORD will always be a place to dwell for ever.

May the Lord your Shepherd continue to keep you and guide you through His promise and purpose for your life in Jesus name. Amen.

The Lord Is Your Shepherd – Part 2

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; they rod and thy staff they comfort me.”

Psalm 23:4

This particular verse goes far beyond the prayer against fear and for protection.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death…”

Often times, we reference an unfamiliar place or a dangerous place when we recite these words. I realize now through the lenses of the Spirit that it is so much deeper than that.

Could it also be that the valley encompass trials that could have been avoided but you walked into out of disobedience?

Could it be that this valley that we are so used to praying for protection from, is the one we construct out of our own waywardness?

Friend, it is more clear to me now that often times, we fail to acknowledge that this particular part of verse 5 is a plea to our Father to forgive us for the temptation we walk into with full knowledge but a lack of wisdom.

Read it again, “Yea, though I walk…”

As if to say, “Yes Lord, I know I may walk the wide road from time to time even if I know better, but I am counting on your love to abide with me.”

It’s as though we are confessing our missteps to God and trusting in his Sovereignty as our all-knowing Father no matter what we bring upon ourselves. Lucky for us, we serve a good, good Father whose love for us surpasses the ills of our flesh and the sins it often drives us to commit.

I will fear no evil…”

There is no power on earth greater than that of the Most High God! No evil in the world greater than the goodness of our Almighty Father! He Alone Is God, and every knee shall bow! Every principality shall confess, that God is God! So let no fear of man paralyze you for you serve a God whose name is greater than all other names!

For thou are with me…”

The enemy would have you believe that God is no longer with you. Even other believers, whose hearts are not yet filled with God’s own love, would have you believe that God is only with you when you do things His way and not your way. True enough, God will not bless what He has not ordained, but it is His promise to you that He is still with you. Christ gave you that grace.

Even in circumstances where it seems practical that God should depart from us because of our disobedience and wickedness, God never leaves. We are the ones who stray.

Thy rod and they staff, they comfort me…”

If you are like me, the only reference to a rod or staff that you can make, is the one Moses used to lead God’s people out of Egypt.

But did you know that God’s own rod and staff steers his children into His glory and His path of safety? Even though we are not always allowed to see the mighty hands of God unless revealed by the Spirit, we, you and me, have been granted the comfort of God as we walk through the chaos of this world.

Friend, God is always comfort.

So no matter what valley you find yourself walking through today, please remember that the Lord your God, who is your shepherd, still reigns with His mighty rod and staff in hand to comfort the ones led by HIM.

My prayer for you today is that you will come to trust in the will and leadership of your Shepherd in Jesus name. Amen.

The Lord Is Your Shepherd – part 1

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He makes me to lie down in green pastures: he leads me beside still waters.

He restores my soul: he leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. “

Psalm 23 vs 1-3

When I was first instructed to learn to recite this bible chapter as a little girl, I was eager. Then as a youth, my mother often reminded me that this was a psalm to remember through the journey. I thank God for the memory of his sweet word.

Recently, I became more attentive to every single verse of this psalm and just how powerful it was as a message from our Most High God.

The Lord is my shepherd.”

Aside from the more common definition of a sheep-herder, a shepherd is someone who guides or directs in a particular direction. God is your shepherd. He is the almighty One who guides and directs the footsteps of your life according to His divine purpose for your being. As a shepherd, the Lord knows when you need to eat, drink, sleep, and more importantly, when you need to stop. God knows all that you need friend because He is your shepherd.

I shall not want.”

There is nothing you need or could ever need that your Father in heaven will withhold from you. In other words, friend, if you do not have it, you do not need it. For God is purposeful in granting us the blessings that He alone deems fit. This is why we must lift our worries about tomorrow to God and trust in His word that promises us that we shall not want for anything.

He makes me to lie down in green pastures…”

When green pastures come to mind, it is easy to consider the tranquility of an environment that feeds you both literally and figuratively. This place, this state, is where the Lord your God makes you to lie down. Not to stand anxiously, or bend without grace in one same spot, nor is it in chaos, agony, or deception, but in green pastures where the grass is full, is where God lies you down.

He leads me beside still waters.”

Still waters connote even more the idea of God’s gentle way of dealing with us as his children. Regardless of what the enemy tries to say or do, it is God who leads and goes before us until we are brought to a place of stillness and serenity. It is not wonder we all crave a little quiet time from time to time. Perhaps when the noise of the world is tuned out, we are able to hear God better and feel His leadership for it is He who leads us and feeds our soul along the journey.

He restores my soul.

We serve a God of restoration. The Lord restores your soul as He guides and leads you in life. When we feel as though we have lost time and effort in the endeavors that don’t pan out like we hoped, we have to remember that God restores. There is no loss so great the Lord your God cannot restore. And the wonderful thing about God’s restoration, is He gives you so much more than what was lost.

He leads me in path of righteousness for his name’s sake.

Because Righteous is He who made us, we ourselves become followers of righteousness as we draw nearer to our heavenly father in our walk with him. With God as our leader, we are led in the path of righteousness amidst the temptations that surround us, seen and unseen.

Friend, being your shepherd is the cap of what God does out of his unconditional love for his children, for you and me.

May God grant us the faith to trust only HIM as our shepherd in Jesus name. Amen