The Good Shepherd Guides
The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
for his name’s sake. Psalm 23:1-3
Just as a good shepherd leads his sheep on the good paths to protect his sheep from harm and danger, so the Lord knows the best paths for our lives.
The world has much stress and anxiety associated with it. Many try to figure out life on their own and live like a sheep without a shepherd who is unprotected and helpless. Jesus invites people to come and take His yoke, so they can find rest for their souls and feel safe in the Lord’s presence.
As for God, His way is perfect;
The word of the Lord is proven;
He is a shield to all who trust in Him.
For who is God, except the Lord?
And who is a rock, except our God?
It is God who arms me with strength,
And makes my way perfect. Psalm 18:30-32
I love the above passage because it tells us that God’s ways are perfect and that He makes our ways perfect. First and foremost, Jesus declared Himself as the way, the truth and the life (See John 14:6)! This is very important for all His followers. I have been guilty of seeking His way more than desiring to know Him, the Way!
When we get to know the heart of Jesus, we begin to see what it looks like for His Kingdom to come and for His will to be done. He has a worldview that is so different from the world. The ways of the world is to seek power and control over others.
To the contrary, Jesus teaches us to yoke ourselves to Him because He is humble and gentle (See Matthew 11:28-29). He is not looking for crowds or their shouts. He is not seeking popularity or the numbers of followers. He is looking for people whose eyes have opened to the reality of the Kingdom of God and its opposition to the kingdom of this world. He is looking for people with circumcised hearts who are seeking to lead their lives in truth and righteousness. That’s the kind of life that brings the ways of peace, righteousness, and justice.
Praise God that He always desires to lead and guide us. There is so much peace and rest when we know we are safe and protected by following our shepherd’s path. These passages have given me much peace over the years because we don’t always know which direction we should go. Also, the Lord guides us for His name’s sake. When a child of God lives a life full of wisdom and righteousness, it brings glory to God and shows the world that God’s way of living is the best way to live.
Are we willing to be yoked to the Lord and allow Jesus to lead the way!? His way is perfect. If we stop arguing with him and stop pulling away from the yoke, we will have greater peace and contentment. And we will also allow Jesus to lead us in God’s perfect ways. Our ways are perfect when we are yielded to His Ways and allow Him to lead us in the right path. Praise the Lord!