The Lord is my Shepherd

The Lord is my Shepherd I shall not want. Psalm 23:1

There has been lots of talk about economic pressures and hardships. The treat of tariffs coupled with a deficit 20 billion more than the government said it would be, equals difficult times ahead for Canada before all is said and done. Therefore, God gave us beautiful passages of scripture like the 23^rd Psalm, a Psalm about peace in the midst of trouble. He is the great shepherd, and we are the sheep of His pasture. I’m glad the Bible says that God rules in the kingdoms of men and if we had eyes to see it, everything is unfolding as it should.

We still have a few sheep at our place. When I go down to the barn to feed them it is always total chaos when I go in because they are so happy to see me. What a racket! Ba Ba Ba! But then I start filling the feeders with hay – “Oh my,” they say in their sleepy sheep voices, “Hay! My favourite thing!” They can’t lie down in green pastures with this much snow on the ground, but I do have a big bale of hay, and when they are hungry, it’s all the same to them and just as nourishing. And when the feeders are full and they have some ewe ration thrown in for dessert and fresh water to wash it all down, there is peace! Just the soft sounds of contented sheep munching on the fresh hay that the shepherd has provided.

My prayer is that I can give you, even in these difficult times, something that will provide spiritual nourishment and bring peace to your souls. Psalm 23:4 says, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me.” We can allow these times to rob us of our peace, or you can set our affections on things above not on things of the earth. We can put our confidence in the God of peace.

I believe there is a place of walking with God where you simply fear no evil. David faced a lion, a bear, and a giant. At other times he faced pestilence and war and disease. In this Psalm he stood in the “shadow of death” itself, yet he “feared no evil.” David’s trust was in the Lord. He said, “…for Thou art with me.” Because God is with us, who or what can be against us? We just need to hold on to our faith in God! David continued, “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies” (Ps. 23:5). The Great Shepherd is well able to supply all that we need. God can turn any troubles we face into an experience that will nourish and build us up spiritually.

Only God’s peace will quell our worry and fear. The source of God’s peace is God Himself. In His presence there is fullness of joy, at His right-hand pleasures forever. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days if my life! If fear and worry has been knocking at your door, draw close to Him, He is our peace. And God’s peace is not like the world gives, it is God’s secret weapon to destroy all fear and worry.

Blessings,

Pastor Gord