"Who Is The Shepherd?"

"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.  He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters."  Psalm 23:1,2

The Lord desires to be, and will be, your Shepherd if you will let Him.  He wants to lead you, but you have to stop kicking against His leading.  He wants to give you a hope and a future, but you have to stop setting your own course.  He wants to give you peace, but you have to learn to rest and stop struggling to make things happen yourself.  He wants to lead you beside still waters-- a quiet place, a refreshing place-- but you have to let go of heading in your own direction.  He wants to supply what you lack, but you have to stop scheming ways to make things happen in your life.  He wants to bless you, but you have to stop making your plans and following your own heart's desires. 

There can only be one shepherd.  A sheep can't be a shepherd.  A sheep can't lead himself.  A sheep doesn't know what is best for it.  A sheep doesn't have a concept of what lies ahead.  But the shepherd does. 

This word this morning may sound like a rebuke and scolding.  It partly is.  We have to get some things straight-- we aren't shepherds, we are sheep; we can't lead our lives, we are designed to follow.  Once we get that straight this is no longer a correction but becomes an encouragement.  How wonderful to know that we don't have to try to figure it all out, we don't have to take the lead, we don't have to try to make it happen, we can have peace, rest, joy, victory, abundant life, grace and hope!  But it all comes when we establish our role and stay in within our role-- and not try to be our own shepherd, but let Jesus be the Shepherd of our lives.

Have a great day.  We aren't the shepherd of our own lives.  Jesus is.  So let Him be.