It Is All About the GOOD Shepherd

Psalm 23 has such depth of richness for understanding God and ourselves. This week as we consider our Shepherd, please read attentively this amazing account of an observer of shepherds and sheep in the land of Israel in the 1800’s.

“As we sat the silent hillsides around us were in a moment filled with life and sound. The shepherds led their flocks forth from the gates of the city. They were in full view, and we watched them and listened to them with no little interest. Thousands of sheep and goats were there, grouped in dense, confused masses. The shepherds stood together until all came out. Then they separated, each shepherd taking a different path, and uttering as he advanced a shrill peculiar call. The sheep heard them. At first the masses swayed and moved, as if shaken by some internal convulsion; then points struck out in the direction taken by the shepherds; these became longer and longer until the confused masses were resolved into long, living streams, flowing after their leaders. Such a sight was not new to me, still it had lost none of its interest. It was perhaps one of the most vivid illustrations which human eyes could witness of that beautiful discourse of our Lord recorded by John, "And the sheep hear the shepherd's voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers," chapter 10:3-5. The shepherds themselves had none of that peaceful and placid aspect which is generally associated with pastoral life and habits. They looked more like warriors marching to the battle-field—a long gun slung from the shoulder, a dagger and heavy pistols in the belt, a light battle-axe or ironheaded club in the hand. Such were the equipments; and their fierce flashing eyes and scowling countenances showed but too plainly that they were prepared to use their weapons at any moment.” J. L. Porter, A.M., in "The Giant Cities of Bashan," 1867 from The Treasury of David.

Ladies, if you know someone who needs comfort, encouragement, peace, and contentment, make sure you invite them to be part of our amazing study of Psalm 23—it will change their life! This Thursday morning we will watch a 25 minute video overview of Week 1 in our books. Please be ready to discuss Days 1 and 2—all about the Shepherd of our souls. Take some time to listen to the playlist the author of our study put together particularly for the first week. It will bless your heart and soul.

IS THE LORD REALLY MY SHEPHERD?

No one speaks more beautifully about the Psalms than Charles Spurgeon. Consider his thoughts on just the first five words of the commonly known 23rd Psalm.

“The Lord is my shepherd.” What condescension is this, that the Infinite Lord assumes towards his people the office and character of a Shepherd! It should be the subject of grateful admiration that the great God allows himself to be compared to anything which will set forth his great love and care for his own people. David had himself been a keeper of sheep, and understood both the needs of the sheep and the many cares of a shepherd. He compares himself to a creature weak, defenseless, and foolish, and he takes God to be his Provider, Preserver, Director, and, indeed, his everything. No man has a right to consider himself the Lord's sheep unless his nature has been renewed, for the scriptural description of unconverted men does not picture them as sheep, but as wolves or goats. A sheep is an object of property, not a wild animal; its owner sets great store by it, and frequently it is bought with a great price. It is well to know, as certainly as David did, that we belong to the Lord. There is a noble tone of confidence about this sentence. There is no “if” nor “but,” nor even “I hope so;” but he says, “The Lord is my shepherd.” We must cultivate the spirit of assured dependence upon our heavenly Father. The sweetest word of the whole is that monosyllable, “My.” He does not say, “The Lord is the shepherd of the world at large, and leadeth forth the multitude as his flock,” but “The Lord is my shepherd;” if he be a Shepherd to no one else, he is a Shepherd to me; he cares for me, watches over me, and preserves me. The words are in the present tense. Whatever be the believer's position, he is even now under the pastoral care of Jehovah.  From the Treasury of David, Charles Spurgeon

This Thursday we will take a few minutes to wrap up a couple of items concerning Proverbs and then we will go directly to a video by Jennifer Rothschild concerning our new study on Psalm 23. Please plan to join us for a great morning in God’s word. Child care is provided for your little ones—so bring them along.

WHY DOES THE "PROVERBS 31 WOMAN" IRRITATE SO MANY WOMEN?

“Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies. The heart of her husband safely trusts her; so he will have no lack of gain. She does him good and not evil all the days of her life.” Proverbs 31:10-12

As a woman, do you bristle at the thought of hearing another Mother’s Day message about the Proverbs 31 woman? Do you avoid spending time thinking about this last chapter of Proverbs? Does the thought of this woman’s busy life tire you out? If you answered “yes” to any, or all of these questions, then you need to have a fresh look at this truly amazing group of verses, all of which are meant to be a joyous blessing to your life.

Because of the greatness of God Proverbs 31 was given to us as a beautiful summary of all of this life-giving book. The virtuous woman exemplifies one who has listened to and followed the wisdom of God in her daily life—and her life is flourishing because of it. She perfectly pictures the previous chapters of Proverbs, not only in her application of wisdom, but also, in the glorious outcome of having lived in this God honoring way. Oh my, this is what I want for my life and it is also what I want for your life!

This Thursday morning we will conclude our study of Proverbs with a grand finale of seeing all of Proverbs summed up in the Proverbs 31 Woman. Even if you have missed the entire study, it will be worth your while to join us for this one.

I am loving being able to share with you one of my prized possessions—a series of prints I inherited from my great grandmother. Doesn’t it look a good deal like the Virtuous Woman of Proverbs 31?