Psalm 118:5 and 6 "I called upon the Lord in distress: the Lord answered me, and set me in a large place...The Lord is on my side; I will not fear..." How has your day been? Have you had some rocky places? I often do. I have my day all planned, but before many minutes pass, frustrations begin to block my way. They loom before me like mountains. I go for a walk to calm down, but when I return, there they are are, still staring me in the face. I start to become irritable and tense. I forget momentarily that God is on my side. I forget to trust Him. But God sends those rocky places to try us. The Lord is my Shepherd. I am one of His sheep. My Shepherd doesn't always lead me in smooth paths, or by still waters. Sometimes there are hills to go over and rocks to go around. The hills tire me. The rocks hurt my feet. I try to avoid them, but in so doing I begin to stray from the flock. It can happen in a day, in an hour, in a minute. I lose sight of my Shepherd and try to go my own way. I am lost. I cry out, "Oh Shepherd, please help me. I don't know where I am. I can't see You. I can't find my way back. And now I can hear the wolves. Oh! I forgot about the wolves. They are getting nearer. HELP ME!"
Psalm 118:5 and 6 "I called upon the Lord in distress: the Lord answered me, and set me in a large place...The Lord is on my side; I will not fear..."
In my panic I forget this, but the Shepherd knows where I am all along. He is keeping an eye on me. He lets me go my own way for awhile just to show me that I do need Him. He knows about the wolves. He is keeping His eye on them, too. He won't let them get at me, but He allows them to frighten me to teach me a lesson. But now He comes along. I feel the momentary pain of the crook of His staff as He lifts me up and sets me into an open place, safe from the marauding wolves.
Does this sound like you? Or am I the only one who sometimes strays--just a little, perhaps, but far enough away that I lose sight of the Shepherd.
"I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away." Ezekiel 3:16.
"For thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out….I will seek out my sheep, and deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered…. Ezekiel 34:11 & 12. (paraphrased)
And when I am willful, and from Him I stray,
He seeks me and finds me. He is not far away.
He guides me and shepherds me, day after day.
I am so thankful that the Good Shepherd doesn't let me stray too far, aren't you?
© Helen Dowd
