LOST IN PLAIN SIGHT
A Pondering by FireStorm
There is an excellent book entitled, "A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23" by Phillip Keller that I heartily recommend to you. This book has some wonderful insights to just what the Bible was speaking of in this psalm. David was a shepherd long before he became a warrior and a king! He learned much about the Lord and about life tending his father's sheep.
When the Spirit of the Lord arose in him to stand against Goliath (the enemy of the Lord and Israel's Armies), he used the lessons learned in tending sheep and the way that the Lord would move upon him against the enemies of the flock to show how that he would trust Yahweh in giving him victory over the nephilim (giant) Goliath.
1 Samuel 17:34-37 " 34 And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father's sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock: 35 And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him. 36 Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God. 37 David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with thee. "
Not only did David use the sling that he had proven against the enemies of the flock against Goliath trusting Yahweh to anoint him to succeed, but he used the examples of overcoming both a bear and a lion through the power of the Living God to show that this uncircumcised Philistine would be as just another enemy that would fall before him. He trusted the Lord for victory and used the weapons that had been proven with God as a shepherd already.
David wrote this psalm and knew well what he was writing about. He understood that the LORD is the GOOD SHEPHERD, and we who belong to the Lord are His sheep. We are separated from the lost of this world who do not belong to Him and He cares for "His Own Sheep".
Provision, protection, and destiny of God's sheep are all included in this Psalm of thanksgiving to the Lord. But one of the central themes found here is the "LEADERSHIP OF THE SHEEP BY THE GOOD SHEPHERD."
To have that destiny of having "goodness and mercy" following you all the days of your life, and to have those green pastures to eat from and the safety of the place to rest where He is the gate with His rod and staff, and the supply of still waters (sheep only drinks from still waters, never running waters), you must follow the Good Shepherd to begin with. To get where there is green pastures and still waters and the table of the Lord and protection, you must be willing to follow the Lord so that He can lead you there.
One thing that those who have worked with sheep agree on is this: sheep are not very intelligent animals. Sheep are basically "dumb" or "foolish". Sheep are not known for their blazing abilities to know what to do in emergency situations.
A SHEEP CAN LITERALLY BE IN VIEW OF THE REST OF THE FLOCK AND NOT BE ABLE TO SAFELY FIND ITS WAY BACK TO IT ON ITS OWN. THE SHEEP WILL FOLLOW THE LAY OF THE LAND AND GO AROUND THE CONTOURS AND IS JUST AS LIKELY TO FALL OFF OF A CLIFF TRYING TO GET BACK TO THE FLOCK EVEN THOUGH IT CAN STILL SEE THEM.
BUT... WHEN THE SHEEP HEARS THE GOOD SHEPHERD AND FOLLOWS HIM, THEN THEY CAN FOLLOW HIS VOICE TO SAFETY AND FIND ITS WAY BACK. IT IS THE VOICE OF THE SHEPHERD THAT GUIDES THE SHEEP WHERE IT NEEDS TO GO.
Psalms 23:1-3 " 1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. 3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. "
John 10:2-3 " 2 But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. "
John 10:11 " I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. "
Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God is the GOOD SHEPHERD and He knows you and I by name! He calls us by name! He knows His own sheep and through the Holy Spirit guides us all! Romans 8:14 " For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. "
You and I literally cannot figure out how to get to where God is taking us, although we have a good picture of it from the Lord sometimes. I know that I am on my way to Heaven and I know that there are some things that God has shown me is in my future here, but I have no way on my own of figuring out how to get there. I will just GET FRUSTRATED if I try to work it out myself. It cannot be done. I am one of Jesus' sheep! I need the leadership of Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit daily to get to where I am going in God.
We can rebel and do things our own way, but that just gets us off the path that God is on. It puts us in unnecessary jeopardy, and can delay us from what God has for our lives. If we do it long enough, we can miss our destiny in God altogether, which is sad when you think of it. There are many because of their own pride of wanting to figure it out themselves and do it their own way will never be what God had planned for them. They will have wasted their lives here on Earth because of pride, although the Good Shepherd was trying to daily lead them to it from the beginning.
Proverbs 3:5 " Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. "
2 Corinthians 3:5 " Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; "
God loves us always, but we have to keep ourselves in the "love of God"... or in that zone of obedience (the Bible tells us if we love Jesus then we will keep His commandments) or in the love of God where that love can bless our lives and we can be what we are called out of darkness to be. Jude 1:20-21 " 20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, 21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. "
Man's greatest knowledge and wisdom is foolish in comparison to God. As smart as we think that we are, we are all sheep of one kind or another. If we are of Jesus' flock, then we can be truly wise and follow Jesus daily. That takes prayer and getting into God's Word daily! The Holy Spirit brings the Word of God alive in us dealing with each situation of life as we pray to lead us into the "paths of righteouseness for His name's sake" and deliver us from the Evil One.
Matthew 6:13 " And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. "
We will follow the lay of the land or the way of the world every time if left to our own wisdom. True wisdom listens to the voice of the Good Shepherd and follows Him. We find provision, protection, and destiny in God when we follow Jesus Christ. As many as are led by the Holy Spirit of God are the children of God!
Be a child of God! Be a wise child... a wise sheep and follow the Good Shepherd!
I guarantee you this, you are following something, and if it is not the Good Shepherd to the ways of life then it is the lord of this present world in the ways of destruction and death!
We can be lost in plain sight.... hear and see with our mind's eye what the Spirit has for us... heaven... good things of God, and get lost on our way by doing it our own way. WE MUST FOLLOW THE VOICE OF THE LORD IF WE WANT THE PROMISES OF THE LORD!
May God bless you!
Jim Coldiron
aka FireStorm
Warriors of God Christian Forums
November 13, 2009
A Pondering by FireStorm
Psalms 23:1-6 (KJV) " 1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever. "
There is an excellent book entitled, "A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23" by Phillip Keller that I heartily recommend to you. This book has some wonderful insights to just what the Bible was speaking of in this psalm. David was a shepherd long before he became a warrior and a king! He learned much about the Lord and about life tending his father's sheep.
When the Spirit of the Lord arose in him to stand against Goliath (the enemy of the Lord and Israel's Armies), he used the lessons learned in tending sheep and the way that the Lord would move upon him against the enemies of the flock to show how that he would trust Yahweh in giving him victory over the nephilim (giant) Goliath.
1 Samuel 17:34-37 " 34 And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father's sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock: 35 And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him. 36 Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God. 37 David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with thee. "
Not only did David use the sling that he had proven against the enemies of the flock against Goliath trusting Yahweh to anoint him to succeed, but he used the examples of overcoming both a bear and a lion through the power of the Living God to show that this uncircumcised Philistine would be as just another enemy that would fall before him. He trusted the Lord for victory and used the weapons that had been proven with God as a shepherd already.
David wrote this psalm and knew well what he was writing about. He understood that the LORD is the GOOD SHEPHERD, and we who belong to the Lord are His sheep. We are separated from the lost of this world who do not belong to Him and He cares for "His Own Sheep".
Provision, protection, and destiny of God's sheep are all included in this Psalm of thanksgiving to the Lord. But one of the central themes found here is the "LEADERSHIP OF THE SHEEP BY THE GOOD SHEPHERD."
To have that destiny of having "goodness and mercy" following you all the days of your life, and to have those green pastures to eat from and the safety of the place to rest where He is the gate with His rod and staff, and the supply of still waters (sheep only drinks from still waters, never running waters), you must follow the Good Shepherd to begin with. To get where there is green pastures and still waters and the table of the Lord and protection, you must be willing to follow the Lord so that He can lead you there.
One thing that those who have worked with sheep agree on is this: sheep are not very intelligent animals. Sheep are basically "dumb" or "foolish". Sheep are not known for their blazing abilities to know what to do in emergency situations.
A SHEEP CAN LITERALLY BE IN VIEW OF THE REST OF THE FLOCK AND NOT BE ABLE TO SAFELY FIND ITS WAY BACK TO IT ON ITS OWN. THE SHEEP WILL FOLLOW THE LAY OF THE LAND AND GO AROUND THE CONTOURS AND IS JUST AS LIKELY TO FALL OFF OF A CLIFF TRYING TO GET BACK TO THE FLOCK EVEN THOUGH IT CAN STILL SEE THEM.
BUT... WHEN THE SHEEP HEARS THE GOOD SHEPHERD AND FOLLOWS HIM, THEN THEY CAN FOLLOW HIS VOICE TO SAFETY AND FIND ITS WAY BACK. IT IS THE VOICE OF THE SHEPHERD THAT GUIDES THE SHEEP WHERE IT NEEDS TO GO.
Psalms 23:1-3 " 1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. 3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. "
John 10:2-3 " 2 But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. "
John 10:11 " I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. "
Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God is the GOOD SHEPHERD and He knows you and I by name! He calls us by name! He knows His own sheep and through the Holy Spirit guides us all! Romans 8:14 " For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. "
You and I literally cannot figure out how to get to where God is taking us, although we have a good picture of it from the Lord sometimes. I know that I am on my way to Heaven and I know that there are some things that God has shown me is in my future here, but I have no way on my own of figuring out how to get there. I will just GET FRUSTRATED if I try to work it out myself. It cannot be done. I am one of Jesus' sheep! I need the leadership of Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit daily to get to where I am going in God.
We can rebel and do things our own way, but that just gets us off the path that God is on. It puts us in unnecessary jeopardy, and can delay us from what God has for our lives. If we do it long enough, we can miss our destiny in God altogether, which is sad when you think of it. There are many because of their own pride of wanting to figure it out themselves and do it their own way will never be what God had planned for them. They will have wasted their lives here on Earth because of pride, although the Good Shepherd was trying to daily lead them to it from the beginning.
Proverbs 3:5 " Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. "
2 Corinthians 3:5 " Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; "
God loves us always, but we have to keep ourselves in the "love of God"... or in that zone of obedience (the Bible tells us if we love Jesus then we will keep His commandments) or in the love of God where that love can bless our lives and we can be what we are called out of darkness to be. Jude 1:20-21 " 20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, 21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. "
Man's greatest knowledge and wisdom is foolish in comparison to God. As smart as we think that we are, we are all sheep of one kind or another. If we are of Jesus' flock, then we can be truly wise and follow Jesus daily. That takes prayer and getting into God's Word daily! The Holy Spirit brings the Word of God alive in us dealing with each situation of life as we pray to lead us into the "paths of righteouseness for His name's sake" and deliver us from the Evil One.
Matthew 6:13 " And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. "
We will follow the lay of the land or the way of the world every time if left to our own wisdom. True wisdom listens to the voice of the Good Shepherd and follows Him. We find provision, protection, and destiny in God when we follow Jesus Christ. As many as are led by the Holy Spirit of God are the children of God!
Be a child of God! Be a wise child... a wise sheep and follow the Good Shepherd!
I guarantee you this, you are following something, and if it is not the Good Shepherd to the ways of life then it is the lord of this present world in the ways of destruction and death!
We can be lost in plain sight.... hear and see with our mind's eye what the Spirit has for us... heaven... good things of God, and get lost on our way by doing it our own way. WE MUST FOLLOW THE VOICE OF THE LORD IF WE WANT THE PROMISES OF THE LORD!
May God bless you!
Jim Coldiron
aka FireStorm
Warriors of God Christian Forums
November 13, 2009
