Who is He to You?
1 The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need.2 He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams.3 He renews my strength.He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name.4 Even when I walk through the darkest valley,[a]I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me.Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.5 You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies.You honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings.6 Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life,and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.
What’s one thing you know to be true of God? He’s loving? Sovereign? Forgiving?
Some of my favorite songs remind me that He’s a waymaker or that He’s a healer. Belting these songs when I’m in a season of waiting or combating fear always brings me so much solitude and joy.
In this season, I’m learning something that can’t quite be summed up in one word or character trait, but here’s my attempt to try. He’s a shepherd.
Psalm 23 in this season of my life has become a necessity. When I feel afraid. When I feel alone. When I feel disappointed. When I feel betrayed. When I feel uncertainty or am unsure about a decision I need to make. When I am burnt out with work or just keeping my son fed and alive. There isn’t one line in that Psalm that doesn’t speak to my heart when in a valley season that’s beginning to feel like it’s lasted too long.
The Lord as our shepherd is in essence, who Christ came to become in flesh for us. He says in John 10:27, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them and they follow me”. He’s talking about what it looks like to be true disciples here, but I think it’s important to focus on our ability to hear God’s voice as His children and disciples.
That means slowing down and attending to Him speaking to us. When we’re freaking out and don’t know what to do, or if the situation will work out. It means regulating and calming ourselves to be reminded that He’s our shepherd and listening for His still small voice (1 Kings 19:11-13). God isn’t going to shout and tell us what to do when we’re feeling lost. In fact, if you believe God is always giving you audible directions to go left or go right when in trouble, I would ask if this voice has ever contradicted itself and maybe gotten you into some trouble one time or another as that voice is always influenced by external and internal influencesnces (ourselves, others and the enemy, but that’s another topic). But God speaks clearly to our hearts through scripture, and if you are ever unsure of His word, understanding God’s nature, character, and heart is always the lens through which we should be reading and seeking understanding of scripture, which is why we need to rely on the Holy Spirit always when in prayer or interacting with the Bible.
I’ll never forget sitting in the garage of my house at 10:30 pm waiting for the firetruck to arrive to check for carbon monoxide gas in my house. I was sitting in a lawn chair holding my son, and tears were rolling down my cheek for fear of what would happen. But God spoke clearly to my heart, “Do not be afraid, for I am with you”. These words He once spoke to Jousha came to my heart and mind in the quiet of the night, sitting in my robe outside, praying that everything would be okay with our safety and our home.
That very same night, it was God who wouldn’t allow me to sleep and prompted me to get up after my son went ot bed. It wasn’t an audible voice, but it was just a knowing and an unctioning to not lie down. It is difficult to describe. Some people call it intuition, others say it’s the ancestors. But I know it was my shepherd who was guiding me that night.
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Photo: Ke’ana Lampkins, Homewood, IL
Scriptures to Meditate In
If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them wanders away, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others on the hills and go out to search for the one that is lost?- Matthew 18:12
My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.- John 10:27
And after the earthquake, there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper.- 1 Kings 19:12
Meditation
When you meditate on the fact that our God is a shepherd, when you are in trouble or in danger, you can rest in the fact that He will always come after you. The verse in Matthew (18:12) that says He leaves the 99 to find the 1 is not just a catch phrase. It means that He is aware and cognizant when we need help, and He will be faithful to lead us back to the fold. No matter what trouble we’ve gotten ourselves into. That should provide solace and bring verse 6 to light. “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life” Psalm 23:6. Meditate on a shepherd going after the sheep going astray. How has God gone after you when in trouble?
Reflection
What is it in your life that you’re holding right now? Something that may feel heavy, or maybe it feels kind of light, but you know you know you don’t have the answer. Whatever it is you are holding, it’s not fully figured out. Guess what…. You don’t have to know all the answers to trust your shepherd is leading you and guiding you. That you have the Paraclete living on the inside of you. Walking by faith is trusting that He’s always with you.
Contemplation for today:
Read Psalm 23 and write it out, line by line, verse by verse. How God has been your shepherd as described in Psalm 23..
How do you know God is your shepherd? What of your needs has He supplied?
What does it look like for you, resting in God and walking beside peaceful streams
When has the Lord guided you and renewed your strength?
What dark valley have you walked through before or are currently walking through? How does His presence bring you comfort?
How does God bless you even when there may be conflict present?
Write about how God’s love, faithfulness, and goodness have been with you throughout your life. Simply put: Have you seen God’s faithfulness, goodness, and mercy throughout your life? Think of specific experiences and memories.
My Prayer for you Today and this week is that you would know that God is for you and He is committed to you. He’s made a covenant to never leave nor forsake us. That He would be the God of anyone who puts their trust in Him. I pray that you would allow yourself to rest in the safety of the one who knitted you and formed you together. That your brain would be regulated to receive and believe in the unconditional love that God has for you, that He’s shown through sending His son to die for us, that we would never be separated from His love.
With Love and Surrendered Heart, Ke’Ana
Resources:
Music: Psalm 23 by People and Songs
Book: Shepherds look at Psalm 23