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“The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need.” Psalms 23:1
We tend to focus on the love and caring of the Good Shepherd, and why not? Jesus refers to himself as a good shepherd and contrasts that with the way an evil shepherd is. David was one of a long line of shepherds in the Old Testament. God seems to have a soft spot in his heart for shepherds.
Many of us have ingrained in our minds the Sunday School pictures of the good shepherd carrying a lamb on his shoulders or rescuing a lamb from a life-threatening situation, and we feel good knowing we are loved, cared for and protected by our shepherd.
But the elephant in the corner, you know it, the huge issue no one really wants to think about is that one does not need a shepherd unless one is a sheep! Sheep are dependent on a shepherd because, as one farmer told me, “they are just so dumb”! They can’t care for themselves. Completely dependent. Completely ignorant. Dumb.
We don’t want to be sheep, but unless we become sheep-like we won’t be able to take full advantage of a loving, caring, powerful, wise shepherd.
Be a sheep.
In nearly every sermon or article on giving and/or money i’ve heard, this verse or it’s OT counterpart has been mentioned. Maybe it’s time we broaden our giving horizons! We live in a society in which negativity, lack of hope and loneliness are rampant. The principle of this verse goes far beyond the almighty dollar! To have a friend, be a friend; to be heard, listen to others; to be accepted when your beliefs may be different than others, accept others right to be ‘wrong’; to be loved unconditionally, love unconditionally; to receive patience, be patient. Don’t wait for others. Be the start of something great in your life! Receiving starts with giving.
One of the most sobering statements Jesus makes comes from the gospel of Matthew. In the midst of warning his followers about false prophets he makes the statement that, “not everyone who calls him Lord” will enter God’s kingdom. He was addressing people who had done many good things (healing, prophesying, performing many miracles, etc.), however they had done all those things without doing the most important thing, giving him their heart. Their actions were noble but in done in the interest of appeasing a god they did not know, thereby rejecting a Son who longed to know them.
As believers, we should pursue excellence, not for our own satisfaction but for God’s glory. We serve and excellent God who desires to see excellence from us. What drives you to succeed? What is your motivation to get up every morning? Is it a paycheck and a few atta-boys or is it to look forward to another day of bringing glory to God through our thoughts, words and actions?
Mike Fisk & Built with Grace 