Day 13: October 13th, 2009 - - Psalm 23 "The Lord is my Shepherd"

“POINTS TO PONDER” – Day 13Written by M. Hall
Please feel free to agree or disagree with points made, and feel free to comment if so desired. If you would like, you could write your own thoughts on the verse of the day, and include that in your own comments below. Thank you and may you be blessed!! =)

*Editor's note: Because of the long weekend, I was behind in my daily devotionals, and then laziness took effect and so I am catching up. This devotional for Day #13 will also be continued in Day #14. I chose one of my favourite passages from the Bible, so it is a lengthy devotional. This was actually written on the day it is published, October 15th, 2009. The first snowfall in Ontario (well our part anyway). Thanks for understanding! *

I'm a SHAGGY SMELLY SHEEP, how about you?

“The Lord is my shepherd; I have everything I need.He lets me rest in green pastures. He leads me to calm water.He gives me new strength. He leads me on paths that are right for the good of his name. Even if I walk through a very dark valley, I will not be afraid, because you are with me. Your rod and your shepherd's staff comfort me. You prepare a meal for me in front of my enemies. You pour oil of blessing on my head; you fill my cup to overflowing. Surely your goodness and love will be with me all my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.”
Psalm 23:1-6
Shaggy, smelly sheep - - what a picture that puts in your mind. Do you realize that your Father in Heaven compares you and me to sheep? Some find it to be a compliment, as sheep follow their Shepherd and know his voice. The Shepherd protects the sheep from harm. However, others find it to be an insult, as sheep are one of the lowest dirtiest animals, and shepherding is the lowest job in their eyes. Me, I personally like sheep, I collect them, as I have a “Psalm 23” theme in my kitchen. (I can hardly wait to have my own home, and my own kitchen to paint and decorate the walls with the verse).

Well, according to WIKIPEDIA, it says that “Sheep have good hearing, and are sensitive to noise when being handled. Sheep have horizontal slit-shaped pupils, possessing excellent peripheral vision; with visual fields of approximately 270° to 320°, sheep can see behind themselves without turning their heads. However, sheep have poor depth perception; shadows and dips in the ground may cause sheep to balk. In general, sheep have a tendency to move out of the dark and into well-lit areas, and prefer to move uphill when disturbed. Sheep also have an excellent sense of smell, and, like all species of their genus, have scent glands just in front of the eyes, and inter-digitally on the feet.”

Let’s look closer at those definitions;
1. Sheep have good hearing, and are sensitive to noise when handled. Sheep have to have good hearing, so that they are able to hear the Shepherd’s voice, and to hear when predators come its way. Sheep listen intently for the Shepherd and follow His leading. When a sheep tries to escape from the flock and it’s Shepherd, the Shepherd will search for the sheep, and it will break one of it’s legs, and carry it on his shoulders, so that it will learn and remain with the Shepherd. Over time it heals, and the sheep returns to the flock, and never tries to leave again, and follows the Shepherd down the path the Shepherd leads him to. Again, this is like our relationship with the Father. When we stray from His loving care, He seeks us out, and breaks us, so that we can be restored and renewed by His power and not our own.
2. Sheep are sensitive to darkness, and move into the light, how true is this statement? We live in a day and age where darkness thinks it is prevailing. But we as the sheep of our Heavenly Shepherd, know that His Light will shine forever. We can ask our Father for discernment so that we can be sensitive to spirits of darkness, and pray for the Spirit of God to come and take complete control.
3. Sheep also have an excellent sense of smell - - WOW! We can also have an excellent sense of smell. Going along with the last sentence regarding discernment, we can smell the ‘stench of the world’, and pray, and smell the aroma of Jesus. We can also exude the aroma of Jesus as we go through the world sharing His love and joy. Lord give us eyes to see your Light, and to sense your presence. Give us feet that can sense places to go, and places not to go. Just like the old kids song says, “Be careful little eyes what you see - - be careful little feet where you go - -“

I am thankful that the Lord is our Shepherd, and that as this Psalm says, ‘I have everything I need. He lets me rest in green pastures. He leads me to calm water. He gives me new strength. He leads me on paths that are right for the good of his name.’ We just have to follow Him to those green pastures, and not look at the pastures around us that may seem ‘green’ wishing to be there. We need to allow Him to lead us to places of peace, and calm water. Water refreshes the body and the soul, and in this case, the spirit as well. In these places of refining and refreshing, we can regain new strength in Him. Not strength of our own doing, but only through the power of His Holy Spirit. The paths that He leads us on are right. Again, we may think we have other plans for our lives, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails. (Proverbs 19:21)

However, we need to remember that in those paths that are right, are also mountains and valleys, ruts and ditches, but we need not fear or get dismayed, because He promised to be with us, and never leave us. As this Psalm also says, “Even if I walk through a very dark valley, I will not be afraid, because you are with me. Your rod and your shepherd's staff comfort me.” His rod is for disciplining and His staff is to protect us from the enemy. He is the one with the power we have no power in our own strength. We do not have to be afraid. although sometimes it seems like we are alone physically, we need to remember that He is greater than all our fears, troubles, or doubts. HALLELUJAH!
(to be continued on DAY 14 – see ya on the flip side! LOL!)