The Lord...is my shepherd.

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.”David became a shepherd and use to watch his father’s flock on the hills surrounding Bethlehem. He knew what it meant to take responsibility for helpless sheep that were always getting into trouble. David knew without doubt that God was his Shepherd.  Jesus said “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of my hand.” The shepherd is the source of the flocks’ contentment; they know his voice and they follow him.

“He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me besides the still waters.” Shepherds, raising sheep in the dry-arid region surrounding Bethlehem, would have had to work hard to find and prepare fields for their flocks. Brush needed clearing, rocks removed and soil prepared for the sowing of seed. The shepherd knew just the right time to throw out seed; as  spring rains  transformed the hillsides into lush green feeding grounds. A healthy animal was one that did not have to run around in search of food but could lazily graze in one lush pasture with plenty of opportunities to rest.

Good, clean water is essential for all life. The shepherd would have searched out the best places to get water. He would lead his flock past stagnant pools of still water, infested with a multitude of parasites and onto a known source of clean fresh water. Jesus told the Samaritan woman at the well, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, Give Me a drink, you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water."  Jesus Christ went on to explain to the woman “Whoever drinks of this water (from the well) will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life."

“He restores my soul; He leads in me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.” We are all like sheep and have gone astray. All people are born into sin, original sin, and need to be restored back to health. As we walk through life we ultimately make bad choices that lead to painful consequences. We all have a need for Christ to redeem us by paying this debt. Jesus is the Good Shepherd who genuinely cares for His sheep. He knows what we have been through, what we are going through and desires to lead us, if we will only follow, back into fellowship with God. 

The shepherd knows when it’s time for the flock to move on and he knows the way. He carefully watches out for ever present danger and he will not abandon the flock when the lion or bear comes to attack. Truly the entire earth was blessed as the Savior is born to the world. God promised Abraham that all the families of the earth would be blessed through his seed and it’s for His name’s sake that we can trace Jesus Christ’s lineage back to King David through Abraham’s son Judah. 

“Yea, 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.” As the shepherd moved his flock to new pastures he would eventually have to lead his sheep through some very dark and dangerous valleys as he started climbing to higher elevations. It’s in these valleys that the shepherd would stay even closer to his sheep, always on constant alert for danger. This is true in our own lives; that we are never closer to God then when we travel through dark valleys of pain, grief and suffering. What a comfort it is to see the Good Shepherd’s staff, knowing that He is ready to catch us when we stumble and fall. Likewise the shepherd’s rod, symbol of His authority (the rod of His Word) is always a comfort to the flock.

“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over.” Our Good Shepherd, just before His death made a New Covenant with us in His blood. He promised us eternal life and commanded us to remember His sacrifice every time that we sat down to eat and fellowship. Then He gave us the Holy Spirit (oil) as a seal and promise of His return for us.  

“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever”

Job

Never was there a man like Job. In fact there are only a handful of men, who show up on the pages of the bible, whose lives could be characterized by upright, blameless and surrendered. Joseph, son of Jacob, is one name who rings true and also the apostle Paul lived a life of no compromise when it came to putting God first. 

The book of Job opens as the Sons of God (angels) come to present themselves before God. Satan also shows up in the crowd as God inquires where and what this fallen angel has been busy doing. Satan describes how he’s been walking down upon the earth just snooping around. Then God asks him if he had by chance observed his servant Job; an upright and blameless servant.

In a rare snap shot from the bible we get a glimpse of how Satan spends most of time; accusing the sons and daughters of Adam. “Does Job fear God for nothing? Have you not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But now, stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face!” Job 1:9

The book of Job gives us some unique insights into the heavenly realm and the role of Satan. We are told elsewhere in scripture that while Satan is the accuser of the brethren he does not have card Blanche to attack us but must ask permission from God. On another occasion, Jesus told Simon “Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you like wheat.” Luke 22:31. Later that night the rooster would crow as Simon Peter adamantly denied for the third time that he did not know Jesus. 

Satan is only given permission to cause calamity on Job’s material possessions. As destruction hits several servants escape to inform Job that all his livestock, real estate and children have been destroyed. Job tore his robe, shaved his head and fell to the ground and worshipped saying “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, And naked shall I return there. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord.” Job 1:21

What a great example of faith can be found in this man. Job, even in the midst of great mourning and grief, knew that God was his source, sustainer of life and he believed He would continue to provide for him. The first mention of bodily resurrection is found in Job where he believed God would one day restore his family, even if they were dead, through a bodily resurrection. “For I know that my Redeemer lives, And He shall stand at last on the earth; And after my skin is destroyed, this I know, That in my flesh I shall see God”. Job 19:25

The book of Job is a masterpiece, a work of incredible literary genius that will leave the true bible scholar looking for more. Deep within its pages are proof texts that have only been discovered in the past century as more and more powerful telescopes see further out into the cosmos.  In chapter 38 while God is revealing His omnipotence He asks Job several questions about the universe around him.

God asks Job in chapter 38 verses 31, 32. “Can you bind the cluster of the Pleiades, Or loose the belt of Orion? Can you bring out the Mazzaroth in its season? Or can you guide the Great Bear with its cubs?”

When you look up at the night sky most of the stars you see are in (our galaxy) the Milky Way Galaxy. They all might look close together but in reality they are thousands of light years apart. However, these two groups the Pleiades and the three stars making up the belt of Orion are actually relatively close to each other. In fact they are so close that they are gravitationally bound to one another. The Pleiades are actually eight stars whose masses influence each other and two of the eight stars are a binary system. God asks Job if he knew how to “bind the cluster” of the Pleiades or “loose the belt” holding the three stars of Orion?

So don’t accept what I’m telling you as truth but look up these facts for yourself. Discover what it means for stars to be “gravitationally bound” together. Think about why out of all the stars in the sky the writer picked these. Telescopes made it possible to see the wonders out in the universe but they weren’t invented until the late 1500’s A.D.  

Many Rabbis say  “Coincidence” is not a Kosher word.

Living water

Gloomy skies are now completely gone as the once heavy, dark rain clouds, that clung so close to the ground, have blown far away to the east. We need the rain and I do enjoy storms but I have been enjoying looking out my window these last few days and seeing everything growing so green, looking so healthy. It’s truly amazing how with just a little water and sunlight and the landscape begins to bloom as newly formed buds burst open. Every tall pine tree, directly outside my window where I’m standing, seems to be stretching all of its limbs in the warm sunlight. The trees seem to be pointing their needles toward the sky, yawning as if awakening from a long winter’s sleep.

We are very similar to these mighty conifers as they pull water from the air and soak up as much as they can through their roots. They surely thrive as the water and nutrients are absorbed and sent to the areas responsible for making needles and cones. Soon the cones will mature in the warmth of the sun, thrusting out newly formed seeds. These seeds will be launched into the air where, because of their unique shape, they  will helicopter away from the mature tree in hopes of finding a clear piece of un-shaded ground in which to sprout and grow into a sapling.

God has used this same analogy to describe the way our own spiritual health is maintained. People who are body-health conscience pay close attention to what they put into their stomach. Only the freshest raw, whole foods will suit their appetites and they are rewarded with good health because of their endeavor. The contrary is also true; we have all seen pictures from third world countries where children walk around starved with bloated bellies and others look like walking skeletons. When food is withheld, the body and mind seem to wither away like a newly sprouted seed that never covered with good soil. 

So in the desire to fatten you all up a bit with the refreshing Word of God, here is what the prophet Jeremiah wrote in 17:7-13   "Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, And whose hope is the Lord.  For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, Which spreads out its roots by the river, And will not fear when heat comes; But its leaf will be green, And will not be anxious in the year of drought, Nor will cease from yielding fruit.  The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?  I, the Lord, search the heart, test the mind, Even to give every man according to his ways, According to the fruit of his doings. As a partridge that broods but does not hatch, So is he who gets riches, but not by right; It will leave him in the midst of his days, And at his end he will be a fool. A glorious high throne from the beginning is the place of our sanctuary. O Lord, the hope of Israel, All who forsake You shall be ashamed. Those who depart from Me Shall be written in the earth, Because they have forsaken the Lord, The fountain of living waters." 

Along this same flow, it’s interesting that Jesus told the Samaritan woman at the well that she would thirst again if she drank from the water out of the well but, if she would drink from the “Living Waters” that Jesus offered her, she would never thirst again! It is true that we waste so much time and energy chasing after riches, fame and the latest and greatest when the real thing that matters has always been right in front of us all the time.

So much of our time is spent on useless folly. We spend a large percentage of our time either at work, in the gym or in pursuit of a selfish hobby but how much of our time is spent soaking up God’s word?  How much of our time is spent praying, meditating on God and His kingdom?  Good money is spent on the movies but how much of our money goes to supporting worthwhile projects in our community like a “Youth Center”, our local church or even a food bank? 

As we open the pages of God’s word it’s like planting our roots close to the shore of a mighty river and as we read we are washed clean through the water of the word.

 “I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star. And the Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.”