The Good Shepherd Shares His Life With His Disciples

Psalm 23:2 He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters.

Sheep are dependent animals that need a shepherd to care for them. To lie down and rest they must be free from fear, tension, aggravations and hunger. It is the shepherd’s job to ensure this freedom. In the disciple’s life there is no substitute for the awareness that Jesus my Shepherd is present.

We live an uncertain life. Any hour can bring disaster, danger, and distress. We live either in a sense of anxiety, fear, and foreboding, or in a sense of quiet rest. Which is it?

We can claim these promises from scripture. “In peace I will both lie down and sleep, For You alone, O LORD, make me to dwell in safety.”  [Psalm 4:8] And  “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but one of power, love, and sound judgment.” [2 Timothy 1:7 CSB]

There is the tension from living in the world system of greed, rivalry and competition to be #1 and keep up with the Smith’s.  Paul said from prison “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.” [Philippines 4:11b] The place of peace is with Jesus.

Disciples are faced with all kinds of aggravations today that keep us from peace. We can always turn to Him in prayer when we don’t know how to handle a difficult situation.

Feeding on “green pastures” is a picture of us moving from sin into the life of overcoming victory. It is made possible by the unrelenting effort of Jesus on our behalf. He works to clear the disciple’s life of unbelief, bitterness, hard, and proud human hearts.

Sheep need a good source of clean “quiet water”. Jesus made it clear that thirsty souls of men and women can only be satisfied when they hunger and thirst for spiritual life from Him. Jesus said “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” [Matthew 5:6] This is directly proportional to the amount of time we spend each day in Bible study, prayer and meditation.

Am I living in quiet peace and rest? Am I content with my life today? Do I live a life of victory in Jesus with a longing and thirst for holiness?

Henry Luke 8/28/2017

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