MARCH 3

OUR PERSONAL PROMISES

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Isaiah 53:6

“All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord has made to light upon Him the guilt and iniquity of us all.”

2 Peter 2:15

“Forsaking the straight road they have gone astray; they have followed the way of Balaam [the son] of Beor, who loved the reward of wickedness.”

Psalm 95:7-8a

“For He is our God, And we are the people of His pasture, And the sheep of His hand. Today, if you will hear His voice: harden not your hearts….”

Matthew 18:12

“What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray and gets lost, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountain and go in search of the one that is lost?”

John 10:9

“I am the Door; anyone who enters in through Me will be saved.  He will come in and he will go out, and will find pasture.”

John 1:29

“The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”

Hebrews 13:20-21

“Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,  make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.”

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Our book for this month  is called “100 NAMES OF GOD”  written by Christopher D. Hudson.  Each day we’ll take one Hebrew name for God as given in the Bible to study and relate to.

JEHOVAH – RA’AH

THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD

“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

A popular personality test compares people to animals.  According to the profile, you are either like a lion, an otter, a beaver, or a golden retriever.  According to the Bible, however, the creature we are most like – all of us – is a sheep.

It’s not exactly a flattering comparison.  Sheep are notoriously dim-witted.  They’ll eat deadly herbs if you don’t watch them carefully.  Or they’ll panic and wander straight into danger.  That’s double trouble when it happens, because sheep can’t defend themselves against predators.

Thankfully, if we are like sheep (and it’s true – we are), God is like a Shepherd.  This is the great idea of Psalm 23, the world’s most beloved Bible passage.  In it, David, the former shepherd, shows how God faithfully tends to all our needs.

The primary meaning of “shepherd (Ra’ah) is to feed, to tend, to lead to pasture.  To do all this, a shepherd has to be up close and personal, intimately aware of the needs of his sheep.  Also a shepherd is a protector of his flock.  This is why he carries a rod – to fight off predators that would harm even one of his rams, ewes, or lambs.

If all that is what a shepherd does, what’s the job description of sheep?  Easy.  A sheep trusts its shepherd.  As sheep, we follow.   We go where our shepherd leads.  We do what He tells us to do.  We look to Him to supply all our needs.

When we follow our own instincts and go our own way, we show disrespect to our Shepherd.  We are saying we don’t trust Him.  We also demonstrate arrogance in saying we know better about how and where to find “green pastures.”  What’s more, by leaving His protective care, we open ourselves to unnecessary dangers.  Even more, we could lead others astray, even if we don’t mean to.

When you say, “God is my Shepherd,” you are humbly admitting and gratefully and unashamedly acknowledging, that you need the Lord to guide you and meet the deepest needs of your life.

In what ways has God been a good Shepherd to you?

PRAYER

Jehovah, Ra’ah, You are my good Shepherd.  Please help me to trust that You see what’s coming on the horizon and that You know the best path for me.  Amen

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