Your personal shepherd

It's easy to say, 'The Lord is my shepherd,' but how can we tell if it's real for us or if we're just saying the words? Here is a simple test: when we need help, who do we turn to first? Many people go to God only after they've tried everything else. And when nothing else is working, then they try praying. In past crises, whatever or whoever we turned to first for help, that's our shepherd.

A man on a trip to the African rainforests was following a guide. As they pushed deeper into the jungle, the guide was whacking away with his machete at the thick growth that rose up like a wall before them. 'How do you know where to go?' the man asked. 'Where's the path?' The guide replied, 'I am the path.' Life is like a jungle; we need a guide who knows where they're going and what they're doing.

And here on earth, who qualifies for such a job? One person only - the Lord! There will never be a day when we don't need his guidance, and we can have it if we really want it. The Bible says, 'He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out...he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice' (John 10:3-4 NLT).



So what now? There are many voices competing for your attention. But Jesus, your Shepherd, is the one voice you can always trust when it comes to guidance. That's why it's important to 'know his voice'.





— SCRIPTURE —

'The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.' Psalm 23:1 NKJV
— SOULFOOD —

Dan 5-7, Luke 22:47-53, Ps 103:1-12 , Pro 10:13