'Good Shepherd' Tagged Posts
Daily Devotions
Psalm 23…“He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for his name’s sake.” vss. 2-3 While some folks love being a leader, there is probably even greater delight in having a leader! The psalmist made no bones about it. The Lord was his shepherd and he didn’t have a care in the world. His leader took care of all his material and spiritual needs,…
Daily Devotions
1 Samuel 16:1-13…“Samuel said to Jesse, ‘Are all your sons here?’ And he said, ‘There remains yet the youngest, but he is keeping the sheep.’ And Samuel said to Jesse, ‘Send and bring him; for we will not sit down until he comes here.’” vs. 11 Even though David was a handsome enough fellow, with his ruddy skin and beautiful eyes, he had one additional attribute that had caught Samuel’s ear. He was a shepherd boy! Based on what we…
Daily Devotions
Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff—they comfort me.” vs. 4 Psalm 23:4-6 Since we all will walk through dark valleys in the course of life’s journeys, particularly when our enemy death casts its ugly shadow, this verse brings enormous comfort. It’s good to know that the Shepherd is always near and travels with us through tough times. But the psalmist says that our greatest comfort…
Daily Devotions
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul.” vss. 1-3a Psalm 23:1-3 Only the misguided in our world claim that they need no leader, and it’s sad when such people actually become our leaders. The wise will always acknowledge their need for a leader and will search until they find one that is trustworthy. The psalmist had done that and had learned to…
Daily Devotions
And he shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they shall live secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth; and he shall be the one of peace.” 4-5a Micah 5:4-5a After Jesus’ death and resurrection his followers searched the scriptures for clues that he was indeed the messiah they’d been waiting for. When they read these verses…
Daily Devotions
They will hunger no more, and thirst no more; the sun will not strike them, nor any scorching heat; for the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of the water of life, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” vss. 16-17 Revelation 7:13-17 There are some people who don’t particularly like the book of Revelation. They’re literalists and the beautiful metaphors and images don’t touch…
Daily Devotions
For you were going astray like sheep, but now you have returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls.” vs. 25 1 Peter 2:23-25 When left to our own devices we can manage to get ourselves into every kind of trouble imaginable. Humans seem to have an infinite capacity for mischief and wrongdoing, and sometimes it can be the ruin of us. In order to live well, we need some sort of internal compass that can be our guide…
Daily Devotions
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long.” vs. 6 Psalm 23:4-6 Many in Israel claimed to belong to the house of David–it was the most prestigious lineage that anyone could hope to have. But this psalmist believed that he was of the house of the Lord, and he would be a resident in that house for as long as he…
Daily Devotions
He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul.” vss. 2-3a Psalm 23:1-3 For some these words from Psalm 23 call to mind a tranquil day on the golf course, minus the traps and the out-of-bounds. For them, golf is exactly what the psalmist is describing–a restful day on beautifully contoured green fairways with calming water features always at hand. It’s a beautiful experience! Of course for most, these verses are…
Daily Devotions
Therefore prophesy, and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: I am going to open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people; and I will bring you back to the land of Israel.’” vs. 12 Ezekiel 37:1-14 The people of Israel, captive in Babylon, had given up hope. In their own minds they had been abandoned by the Lord and were as good as dead. But Ezekiel, one of their prophets, was given…
Daily Devotions
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for his name’s sake.” vss. 1-3 Psalm 23 When Samuel’s one-person pastoral search committee led him to select the boy-shepherd, David, as the next king of Israel, he established a job description for godly leaders that will persist for all time. The prophets regularly described the kings…
Daily Devotions
But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go.” vs. 18b John 21:15-19 We’re not sure who it was that added this chapter to the gospel of John but we can be glad that they did. Not only does it give us insights into the nature of the resurrection, it’s a reminder of the cost of discipleship. We know…
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