Day 81

By
A Good Shepherd

Weekly Devotional

March 21— Psalm 23: My Guide and Protector

Reflection

Samuel's life starts with dedication to the Lord, and as a faithful servant of the Lord he becomes the transition figure from the judges to the kings. As the conscience of the nation, he oversees the reign of Saul, whose promising beginning as king is soon cut short by rebellion against God. And so a young shepherd boy is anointed king, despite the fact that Saul holds on stubbornly to his crown.

The humble shepherd boy is groomed to lead God's nation. But he himself put his trust in God, who is our loving, caring, heavenly Shepherd. David recorded his thoughts about the Lord in Psalm 23. Let's use his words as a springboard for our own praise and worship of God today.

Guidance and Protection

Some of the most noted men in Scripture were shepherds. Here are just a few:

Joseph was a shepherd (Genesis 37:2). Along with his eleven brothers, he tended the flocks of his father Jacob. Unknown to Joseph, God was preparing him for the day when he would shepherd the nation of Egypt through seven years of famine.

Moses was a shepherd. For forty years he learned to cope with balky sheep in Midian, not knowing that soon he would be putting his pastoral education to work leading a balky nation of Israelites.

Then there's David a shepherd. As a young boy he learned the harsh realities of the Judean wilderness as he nurtured his father's flocks, unaware that soon he would be anointed to shepherd God's people.

For David, likening God to a loving, caring Shepherd in Psalm 23 was natural because David knew firsthand the role of a shepherd. Let's restate Psalm 23 in our own words, using a metaphor we are familiar with firsthand. Here's some examples: The Lord is my Boss. The Lord is my Teacher. The Lord is my Pastor. The Lord is my Coach. The Lord is my Father. 

Prayer

Yes Lord you are our loving caring Shepherd. We love you for it—for guiding us through this thing call life without not even a blemish. You are indeed our guidance and protector. Thank you for turning all our sunsets into sunrises. Bless your Holy name and to you and only you we give you all the glory! In Jesus name, amen!


Sunset to Sunrise!










© Odessa Mathis about my Father's business! 2019

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