"1 The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want. 2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. 3 He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake." Psalm 23:1-3 NKJV
God wants to provide us with all that we will need in this life to be able to be happy and peaceful. He cares for us as His sheep and, He will take care of of each of us. Let us take a brief look at some of His provision:
* A shepherd provides a safe environment for his flock, a place where they can rest and eat. They feel safe with him or her. God does the same. We need His care and protection and it is good to know that, He has our back. He will never let us down.
* A shepherd provides rest, refreshment, satisfaction, happiness and peace for his sheep. It is God's intention to provide the same for us. There is so much unrest in our daily lives that at times, we do not know which way to turn. Jesus is there to point the way.
* The shepherd provides restoration from anxiety, weariness and stress. Sheep are very tender animals and do fret at times. God does the same for us. God does not wish for us to be anxious about anything. He is with us. There is no need to flap about things. Give them to Him and He'll take care of the rest.
Sheep are not the most intelligent of animals and need regular direction because they easily become lost. Shepherds have the responsibility to provide rest. They need to provide for their sheep; this includes food, protection and rest. It has been observed that some sheep will never lie down unless their fears are removed. Humans are no different, when we have things on our minds, things that are worrying us, it is never easy to sleep. We pace the house worrying and plotting how we can resolve something. It is much easier to give it, to our Shepherd.
The Lord restores our soul; this includes our mind, will and emotions. Restore means to 'turn back'. The grass can appear greener on the other side and we can become distracted by this. Before we know it, we have wandered away. It's very rare that when a sheep wanders off that it will return to the flock. This is why the shepherd goes out looking for it.
Someone you know may have wandered off from Jesus by looking at things they can't really have. But He is watching. He will never let them go and, without any force, at some stage He will bring them back into the fold.
The safest place to be in this world, is in the place where your Shepherd is. He knows you through and through. He is gentle, loving and kind, and if anyone tries to hurt you, He will drive them away, as long as you are walking with Him.
Isn't it wonderful that the Shepherd knows your name?
Copyriight 2021 Grahame Howard
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