He Rescues Sheep
Welcome friends to another week. This morning, as I peered outside my window, I noticed people walking their pets, others driving, and birds and bunnies playing. It occurred to me that we, for the most part, do not lack anything. Even the poorest of the poor find food and shelter depending on the country. God takes care of us. We can trust him. As I thought about all these things, the 23rd Psalm came to mind.
King David penned it many years ago while ruling Israel. "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. 3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 4 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. 5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever."
The above verse is one of the first verses, most of us hear, learn, or recite. That said, this Psalm is one of the most well-known passages in the Bible. When we think about shepherds, farmers may come to mind as well. If we wrote a shepherd's job description, it would most likely be this: to care for and love the sheep; protect them from predators, and guide them to market. Similarly, if we wrote our job description as pet parents, it would be to care for and love our animals; seek medical attention as needed, and protect them from harm. Likewise, Christ is the ultimate Shepherd. He ensures our spiritual growth through his word (2 Tim 3:16) and paid the ultimate price- death on the cross (Eph 2:13) because he loves his sheep. He restores us to the fold (John 21:15-17). He cares for us more than we can imagine and leads and guides us in righteousness (Psalm 23:3). He is there in challenging times (Psalm 9:9-10). God is our comfort (Psalm 46:1-3). He keeps us safe (Psalm 140:4). When we die, he welcomes us home if we are born again; therefore, even in death, he provides for us.
In the Old Testament, David herded sheep in his younger years before becoming King. (1 Samuel 16:19) Just as a car salesman knows cars; a veterinarian knows animals, David knew sheep, and he also knew people, which is why he compares us to sheep. We go astray, don't listen, and can be prideful and hardheaded. Therefore, David compared God to a sheepherder who finds the best pasture, keeps his sheep safe, saves them and loves them. If a sheep wanders away from the fold, shepherds leave the others to rescue the lost sheep. Once the shepherd finds the sheep, he returns it to the fold. God does the same with us. He does not leave us but waits for us to return to him. Sometimes it may take years; however, he still waits.
As sheep trust their herder, David trusted God. He did not trust anyone else with his life, necessities, family, or kingdom. When we accept Christ as our savior, we accept him as our chief shepherd. We are no longer sheep gone astray and on our own. He becomes our savior and King. He is everything in our lives. God takes care of our past with forgiveness, our present with hope, and our future with the promise we will be with him. https://www.bibleinfo.com/en/questions/psalm-23-meaning
I always include the following gospel in my blogs. Many have never heard of the gospel of our salvation. Or heard it but not know what it was. Christ is the chief shepherd who waits for us to accept him at his word. He loves us but cannot look upon sin. (Habakkuk 1:13). God seals us with the Holy Spirit once we become saved. Ephesians 1:13-14. When we do things we should not do, it grieves the Holy Spirit; however, God does not leave us. Ephesians 4:30. As we see the days becoming more wicked, please know Christ will return for the church (Revelation 19:7). Will you be ready? He will rescue his sheep.
Paul's gospel is the gold standard, as I call it. Once we believe this verse from the heart, God saves us from wrath. They read: Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. 3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
I hope this blog is a blessing to all who search for Christ. His love is unmatched and will always continue. He offers salvation- no questions asked. I'd love to hear from you. Please email me at mailto:dorothy@savedheartfaith.com or mailto:dburrell38@yahoo.com I hope you have a great week. Please do not forget to visit YouTube for the shortened companion video to this blog. Thanks for stopping by.