Are You Hearing and Following the Good Shepherd?

Are You Hearing and Following the Good Shepherd?

Good Morning Friends,

Passover begins in about a week so it is a good time to meditate on the Good Shepherd and how He gives us direction in our lives. Sometimes it is His rod and staff manifested through scripture or the guidance of other Christians…the experiences of life …and sometimes it is The Spirit’s nudge. Are You Hearing and Following the Good Shepherd?

Scripture: The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest 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.

Psalm 23 (KJV)

At that time the festival of the Dedication took place in Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the portico of Solomon. So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.” Jesus answered, “I have told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name testify to me; but you do not believe, because you do not belong to my sheep. My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. What my Father has given me is greater than all else, and no one can snatch it out of the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one.”

John 10:22-30 (NRSV)

Message: This Sunday we will be singing a variation of Psalm 23 in worship. Psalm 23 has been set to music by composers such as J.S. Bach, Anton Bruckner, Leonard Bernstein and Ralph Vaughan Williams. We will be singing in worship the words of Sir H. W. Baker arranged by Edward C. Bairstow to the tune of an ancient Irish hymn melody. The key to understanding today’s Psalm is not so much in its singing but, I think, begins with understanding the relationship between the Shepherd and His own sheep. Because a good shepherd will give His life…. because He restores our souls…because He calls us by name…because He leads us… we are to respond with obedience, trust, and a desire to be close so He can take care of us. Friends, the Good Shepherd has us covered when we are in a relationship with Him. The Shepherd goes with us through times of difficulty and stress to help us handle adversity. In His promises we are secure. In His care our good memories of the past and our future anticipation of what is to come is available to us right now. The image of the shepherd in our expression of faith is strong. We each have a picture in our mind of Jesus with a lamb on his shoulders. It is not surprising therefor that Psalm 23 has become the most well-known Psalm in the Bible. It is shared in countless funerals as a comfort for those in pain… for those mourning the death of a loved one and also for those who are dying. But its application as a gateway to other scripture is profound. Its benefit for daily living is undeniable. It was a comfort for David when he wrote it and can be a comfort for you today.  In it we learn that the Good Shepherd meets the needs of the inner man. He gives direction to our lives. He provides us protection. He becomes our host in heaven. Here we begin to learn that because He laid down His life for us, nothing is beyond His experience. He reflects something that happened in the past, is happening in the present and will continue to take place in the future. Here we listen for a voice that proceeds from the mouth of God to instruct our hearts to action. And here it is not so much a written word but a hearing word that prompts faith to action and trust.  Friends, the Good Shepherd loves us throughout all our life. Are you listening for the trust, intimacy, and tenderness of the Shepherd?

Pray with praise for the Good Shepherd who helps us find our way back home. Pray with praise for the Good Shepherd who puts us back on the path of righteousness. Pray with praise for the Good Shepherd who causes our cup to overflow with goodness and mercy all the days of our lives. Pray that one day we will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Pray we experience, with confidence, the truth of God during times of difficulty. Pray we not want. Pray we not fear. Pray we dwell in the Lord. Pray we drink deep. Pray it overflows with abundant grace. Pray the cup of salvation fill us with satisfaction and joy. Pray we be filled with the Holy Spirit. Pray that our walk of faith and the reality of life in relationship with the Shepherd bring a bit of heaven to earth.
Pray that we become honest, caring and compassionate like Christ. Pray that we discover to trust the good in the Good Shepherd…to believe He will provide for us and will defend us and will know us and claim us as His sheep even as He teaches us to be shepherds. Pray we serve faithfully until He returns. Pray the Lord quicken His Word in our hearts. Pray we slow down, calm down, wait on the Lord and listen to His call so we might move forward in faith. Pray we renew our trust in the Lord. Pray we experience the Shepherd on the journey, in the Temple and at the table of his Body and Blood as a foretaste of the messianic banquet which awaits us in heaven.

Blessings,

John Lawson