totallylovedbygod65
Member
VS 2-3
He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.[a]
He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness[b]
for his name's sake.
THE SHEPHERD'S LEADING
We have seen that the Lord is my shepherd and that he is our provider.. Now let's look in more detail at what he provides and how he leads.
Please note the key word here, it is HE。 Not only is HE the Lord, but he is the leader.
A shepherd seeks to give his sheep certain things;
Food; all of us need food to survive, sheep like grass, so the pasture that the shepherd finds for them, is called green pasture, it conjures up the image of a lush green pasture filled with lots of grass for the sheep. Likewise, the Lord leads us to a place that is filled with all good things for us, he is an expert at leading us to the right place.
Water; All of us get thirsty, we need water. The shepherd seeks a place where there is water, and not just any water. These are still waters and this speaks of a place of security.
Rest; We all need to rest, sheep are always on the move, so the shepherd seeks a place of rest for his sheep, likewise the great shepherd of his sheep, seeks and finds a place, where his sheep can be revived and can rest.
The Right Path; The shepherd leads his sheep on the right path, he does not and will not lead them into danger and likewise, our shepherd, will not and cannot lead us into danger. He knows the best way to go and he leads his sheep on the right path.
Why can we trust him to lead us?
For his name's sake, because God is who God is. He is faithful, true to his sheep.
We were sheep without a shepherd, but now we are in the care of the great shepherd.
Trust Him to lead you
He is willing and eager to lead you.
God bless you
KK
Psalm 23
4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff,
they comfort me.
The Loving Shepherd
The Lord is my shepherd is a truth that applies to God's people in every situation. We face every enemy in the knowledge that God is with us and stands by our side.
The greatest fear of anyone is death, fear of this fact grips millions of people, they seek remedies to prolong life, to avoid the fact that one day, they will die. Many will die alone, but not the believer, he/she does not fear this evil.
Why because the One who is guiding him/her, is the very one who has conquered death and the grave, Jesus Himself.
Matthew Henry says this:
[1.] It is but the shadow of death; there is no substantial evil in it; the shadow of a serpent will not sting nor the shadow of a sword kill. [2.] It is the valley of the shadow, deep indeed, and dark, and dirty; but the valleys are fruitful, and so is death itself fruitful of comforts to God’s people. [3.] It is but a walk in this valley, a gentle pleasant walk. The wicked are chased out of the world, and their souls are required; but the saints take a walk to another world as cheerfully as they take their leave of this. [4.] It is a walk through it; they shall not be lost in this valley, but get safely to the mountain of spices on the other side of it.
We know that our Saviour will guide us by His rod and His staff, He will guide us through many dark valleys, even the darkest one of death. We can fully trust our Shepherd; He has been through the valley before us
Again, Matthew Henry states:
The good Shepherd will not only conduct, but convoy (protect) His sheep through the valley, where they are in danger of being set upon by the beasts of prey, the ravening wolves; He will not only convoy (protect) them, but comfort them when they most need comfort. His presence shall comfort them: Thou art with me. His word and Spirit shall comfort them—His rod and staff, alluding to (suggestion of) the shepherd’s crook, or the rod under which the sheep passed when they were counted (Lev. 27:32 ), or the staff with which the shepherds drove away the dogs that would scatter or worry the sheep.
The Precious word of God, which contains all the promises of God and the Blessed Holy Spirit, will be and is our comfort. They are our assurance, we are sealed by the Spirit, we are HIS. Jesus assures us that none of His true sheep will be lost, Paul states that nothing can separate us from the Love of Christ.
Nothing will take you true believer from out of the Father's hand, not death, not tribulation. Nothing can separate you from Jesus.
He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.[a]
He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness[b]
for his name's sake.
THE SHEPHERD'S LEADING
We have seen that the Lord is my shepherd and that he is our provider.. Now let's look in more detail at what he provides and how he leads.
Please note the key word here, it is HE。 Not only is HE the Lord, but he is the leader.
A shepherd seeks to give his sheep certain things;
Food; all of us need food to survive, sheep like grass, so the pasture that the shepherd finds for them, is called green pasture, it conjures up the image of a lush green pasture filled with lots of grass for the sheep. Likewise, the Lord leads us to a place that is filled with all good things for us, he is an expert at leading us to the right place.
Water; All of us get thirsty, we need water. The shepherd seeks a place where there is water, and not just any water. These are still waters and this speaks of a place of security.
Rest; We all need to rest, sheep are always on the move, so the shepherd seeks a place of rest for his sheep, likewise the great shepherd of his sheep, seeks and finds a place, where his sheep can be revived and can rest.
The Right Path; The shepherd leads his sheep on the right path, he does not and will not lead them into danger and likewise, our shepherd, will not and cannot lead us into danger. He knows the best way to go and he leads his sheep on the right path.
Why can we trust him to lead us?
For his name's sake, because God is who God is. He is faithful, true to his sheep.
We were sheep without a shepherd, but now we are in the care of the great shepherd.
Trust Him to lead you
He is willing and eager to lead you.
God bless you
KK
Psalm 23
4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff,
they comfort me.
The Loving Shepherd
The Lord is my shepherd is a truth that applies to God's people in every situation. We face every enemy in the knowledge that God is with us and stands by our side.
The greatest fear of anyone is death, fear of this fact grips millions of people, they seek remedies to prolong life, to avoid the fact that one day, they will die. Many will die alone, but not the believer, he/she does not fear this evil.
Why because the One who is guiding him/her, is the very one who has conquered death and the grave, Jesus Himself.
Matthew Henry says this:
[1.] It is but the shadow of death; there is no substantial evil in it; the shadow of a serpent will not sting nor the shadow of a sword kill. [2.] It is the valley of the shadow, deep indeed, and dark, and dirty; but the valleys are fruitful, and so is death itself fruitful of comforts to God’s people. [3.] It is but a walk in this valley, a gentle pleasant walk. The wicked are chased out of the world, and their souls are required; but the saints take a walk to another world as cheerfully as they take their leave of this. [4.] It is a walk through it; they shall not be lost in this valley, but get safely to the mountain of spices on the other side of it.
We know that our Saviour will guide us by His rod and His staff, He will guide us through many dark valleys, even the darkest one of death. We can fully trust our Shepherd; He has been through the valley before us
Again, Matthew Henry states:
The good Shepherd will not only conduct, but convoy (protect) His sheep through the valley, where they are in danger of being set upon by the beasts of prey, the ravening wolves; He will not only convoy (protect) them, but comfort them when they most need comfort. His presence shall comfort them: Thou art with me. His word and Spirit shall comfort them—His rod and staff, alluding to (suggestion of) the shepherd’s crook, or the rod under which the sheep passed when they were counted (Lev. 27:32 ), or the staff with which the shepherds drove away the dogs that would scatter or worry the sheep.
The Precious word of God, which contains all the promises of God and the Blessed Holy Spirit, will be and is our comfort. They are our assurance, we are sealed by the Spirit, we are HIS. Jesus assures us that none of His true sheep will be lost, Paul states that nothing can separate us from the Love of Christ.
Nothing will take you true believer from out of the Father's hand, not death, not tribulation. Nothing can separate you from Jesus.