Our Shepherd
In the recesses of our hearts we secretly hold the Lord in a temporary status of “We have faith in you”. What we don’t allow ourselves to verbalize is that we have faith in the Lord as long as… or until we think He is keeping something from us. We often find ourselves standing at a fork in the road. Sometimes we are led to our wilderness moments and other times they are self inflicted or by the world around us. The choice we make is determined by who we trust more. God or self, and self includes worldly solutions that exclude godly consul.
When we follow God, it requires a certain level of commitment to trust the sovereignty, wisdom, and providence of God. Just because we put our faith in Him it doesn’t automatically eliminate the temptation to trust your own understanding of the situation. What would it say about a marriage if every time a problem arises our first response is to end it or turn to an outside party? The outside party will always give the same self serving reasons but because they seem like you can gain immediate relief, that’s what we choose. In the case of humans it damages or destroys the relationship. In the case of God and mankind, God takes all the risk and He doesn’t give up. But why?
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. – Psalm 23:1-3
When we marry Christ, he is our shepherd and as the shepherd who lays down his life for his sheep, his concern is for us. God’s written word says that he knows the things we stand in need of. God’s written word says that he will never leave us or forsake us. God’s written word says that if we ask in his name and not for selfish reasons we will receive. God’s written word says that if we would just humble our hearts he will left us up. God’s written word says that he loves us not because we are lovely but because he is God and he loves us because we are his glory. God’s written word is an incorruptible marriage vow to the bride; who is the body of Christ which is the church. We are the church. Just as the versus says, we don’t want, we are blessed, we are being led, and we are restored for the supreme glory of God’s holy and righteous name. Just as I don’t what someone to look at my wife, children, work, and such and think I don’t care. Our heavenly Father is on a much grandeur scale beyond universe levels.
God desires his glory and will not share it. Think about what we are praying to God for. Our asking for a particular results which will require asking Him to share his glory with something else? Prayer doesn’t change God. Prayer aligns us to God’s plans and purposes to get His glory. Most times a situation is currently set to give a worldy solution credit that belongs to God alone. We are not letting the shepherd do the shepherd things. Maybe we, as the sheep are asking for the wolves to do this, for where we are going to have this type of grass, for there to be a nice barn at the place the shepherd is taking us and such. Our father give us this day our daily bread… We have to learn how to mean what we say to God and it’s very hard. But God knows this and this is why we have a High Priest who sits at the right hand of the Father for us. And we have the Holy Spirit who is praying for us. The Spirit is in direct communications with the Father speaking is such a way that is in sync and attention grabbing. The Holy Spirit is speaking in a language only God knows. The Spirit sees our needs and asks for the things we should be praying for. The Holy Spirit intercedes for us in our weakness.
When the glorious moment comes, the Lord will lay it out on a table in the presences of doubters, naysayers, bystanders, mockers, our own flesh and the enemy. They will all just sit and watch wondering how!
Anointed Place Ministries 