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The Lord is my shepherd

~Psalm 23:1

Good morning dear sister!

Praise God for a new day! May He give us a fresh revelation of His faithfulness and care in our lives today!

He will do it if we dare to ask, but, as I’m about to testify, He is faithful and caring for us even when we don’t specifically ask, because He is the good shepherd.

Last January, Brother Gideon invited us to accompany him on another trip to India. Honestly, my first inclination was to say “no, thank you”, but I did agree to pray about it. It turns out, the Holy Spirit is hard to ignore and I couldn’t get the word “Go!” out of my head, even though I tried to silence it with arguments and tears.

So, in obedience, I started to prepare my mind and body for the trip, but my heart wasn’t really in it. Although I love the people that we met and the work that was accomplished, I had many reasons in my mind that made me resistant to God’s call. 

All of them were based on fear. Our faith becomes crippled when we begin to ponder our doubts and I had plenty of “what ifs”. I’ve only recently come to realize that I’ve spent the last ten months seeking physical solutions to my spiritual problems, trying to fortify my determination and my strength without really talking to my Abba too much about it.  

What about my faith? We proclaim “God is faithful, He’ll see me through”, but the struggle is real! The attacks of doubt and anxiety become stronger and scarier, chipping away at faith until we become resigned to misery or even turn away from God’s call. 

But I don’t want to turn away from God’s call! I don’t want to be a ‘chocolate soldier’, melting away in the tiniest heat of trouble! So, in my struggle, I repented. And God heard my plea. Even while still on my knees I felt His comfort and peace warming my whole being, I felt enveloped in His love and forgiveness.

So, now what? In His lovingkindness, the Lord is teaching me more about Who He is in our lives, and I hope to share that with you today, my dear sister!

The Lord IS our shepherd!

Know that the Lord Himself is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture. (Psalm 100:3)

We belong to the Lord, and we are in His care!

I shall not want!

“For the Lord God is a sun and shield; The Lord gives grace and glory; No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.” (Ps 84:11) He will provide our every need and more!

He makes me lie down in green pastures

Ahh, the peace, refreshment and restoration of fellowship that follows repentance!

He leads me beside quiet waters

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:1) Peace with God leads to a quiet soul.

He restores my soul

"And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you". (1 Peter 5:10) Amen!

He guides me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.“(Psalm 32:8) God’s counsel will always lead us the right way.

Even though I walk through the shadow of the valley of death

The shadows of doubt and the snares of fear and desolation may be in our path, but…

I will fear no evil, for Thou are with me

Comfort and courage don’t come from a lack of danger, but from knowing our Divine protector is walking with us! Don’t leave home without Him!

Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me.

The shepherd’s tools, the rod for defending against enemies and the staff for guiding and rescuing the Lord’s precious wayward or injured sheep

Thou dost prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies!

God is unfazed by the enemies of our souls! He continues to provide abundantly for us, even in the face of our doubts, fears, trials and crises!

Thou hast anointed my head with oil

Even in the midst of our trials, God’s Holy Spirit continues to guide, encourage and bless us with wisdom. 

My cup overflows

God supplies us with more than we can ask, think or imagine…. in every situation! He is generous with us so that we may be generous with others. In God’s economy, blessings are never diminished by sharing, but multiplied!

Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life

As sheep trust in their shepherd to lead, provide and protect them, we can trust our Good Shepherd to lead us into all that is pleasing to God and good for us.

And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever!

A precious promise for us now, as we dwell in God’s continual care and fellowship with Him and also for all eternity!

My dear sister, when God is with us, who can be against us?

So, have my fears been resolved? Of course, we’re taking every measure to be safe and non-offensive that we can, but I choose to stop looking at the ‘what ifs’ and put my confidence in the only One who is truly able to protect and provide for me! 

What kind of ‘what ifs’ do you have in your life? I’d be happy to pray with you if you’d like! We can encourage one another, it’s scriptural you know! (1Thes. 5:11)

God bless you, dear sister! Keep loving Jesus and moving forward!

With love, your sister, Celeste