The Lord is my Shepherd

"The Lord is my shepherd..." Psalm 23:1. NIV

There is so much in the opening phrase of the 23rd Psalm.  First, is the declaration of the Lord, God, the I AM, Yahweh.  That after all is the starting point of any life of faith. We need to recognize who the Lord is: the awesome creator of the world, our creator, our saviour, our redeemer.  This God is my shepherd. He is a personal God, not just a general god of the world.  A deep connection exists between God and his people.  And he is described as a shepherd. A shepherd cares for, protects, guides, loves, feeds, searches for and rescues his sheep. He puts his life on the line for his sheep when he fights wild animals that try to kill them.  No wonder so many people love this psalm with its profound imagery. The opening of this Psalm is just the beginning of an amazing song of praise to our amazing God.

Dear Lord, thank you for being our shepherd.  Thank you for inspiring David to write such a beautiful psalm that nourishes our souls. May I always listen to your voice and follow closely by your side.

Faith and Works

 "You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did."  James 2:22

This passage is referencing Abraham who was willing to sacrifice his son because he believed God was telling him to do so. His desire to obey God was a manifestation of his faith in God. When God changes our hearts through his Holy Spirit, our heart's desire becomes to do the will of God.  His will becomes our will.  There is no conflict.  Just as an apple tree produces apples naturally, a person filled with the Holy Spirit will produce the fruit of the Spirit.  What is named first in the fruit of the spirit? It is love - love for God, love for others. When people talk of good works, they often confuse busyness in altruistic endeavours with godliness. The true test of a good work is does it show love.  That is why faith and works are bound together.  The Christian life is all about love.

Dear Lord, thank you for showing us what real good works are.  Open my eyes so that I may see opportunities to share the love you have given me.