“He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.” Psalm 23:3
January 20, 2023
Sheep are strange animals. One of their characteristics is they can’t tell the safe way from the one that leads to injury. King David as the experienced shepherd knew sheep. And he also knew His God. That’s why he could say that the Shepherd provides direction in life. We are sheep and we need guidance. It’s a comfort to know that the Shepherd knows the trails, if we will only follow the Shepherd’s instructions. God has provided a guidance system for those who are His sheep. It is His moral law. By it we uphold our Shepherd’s reputation in not doing those things that would either bring shame or dishonor to His name. There was a time when David was hiding in a cave. Saul and three thousand of his soldiers were seeking to kill David. Saul came into the cave to relieve himself, not knowing that this had given David the perfect opportunity to kill Saul. The text says (1 Sam. 24:5), “and David’s heart struck him.” It was only a piece of King Saul’s robe that David took, and even that troubled David’s conscience. David’s mind and conscience, filled as it was with the desire to do things God’s way, spared Saul’s life (1 Sam. 24:12). May God’s reputation always be in the forefront of our minds.
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“O Lord Most High, I pray that your Word will ever be a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. You are my Shepherd.”