Walking with the Shepherd (Part 3)

Over the last two weeks, we’ve been looking at all the ways our Shepherd is unlike any other.

Psalm 23:6a — Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.

He will never give up on us. Despite having a faithful shepherd who provides for their every need, sheep still stray away at the slightest inclination. Over and over again. And they have no clue how to get back! Aren’t we just the same? How faithful has the Lord been over the years, yet how easily we run away from Him — sometimes, even trying to hide from Him for years? I can recall many instances in my life when I have been too appalled at the things I have done and cannot bring myself to approach the Lord. I am so overcome by my guilt that I wonder if maybe I’m too lost this time to be restored again.

But as Psalm 139 7-12 says, “Where shall I go from Your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to heaven, You are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, You are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me. If I say, ‘Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night’, even the darkness is not dark to You; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with You.”

Even in the darkest night, our Shepherd will come looking for us, eagerly seeking to bring us back. He loved us so much, He was even willing to give up His own life to purchase our pardon (John 10:11). If He has paid such a great price, will He let go so easily? He is the faithful Shepherd who is willing to leave the ninety-nine in search of one wayward sheep, because He loves each one the same and by name.

If He has paid such a great price [to purchase us], will He let go so easily? He is the faithful Shepherd willing to leave the ninety-nine in search of one

And when He finds us, He doesn’t reprimand us or treat us according to our iniquities. But He gathers His lambs in His arms and carries them in His bosom (Isaiah 40:11), the closest place to His heart, to remind them of His unchanging, relentless love. As Paul reminds us in Romans 8:38-39: “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Nothing, absolutely nothing, can ever change His everlasting love for us — it will relentlessly pursue us wherever we may go.

Psalm 23:6b — And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

He will lead us till the very end. The journey is tough. The road is often narrow and dangerous. The weather is unpredictable, as seasons change from time to time. But through it all, He will never leave us nor forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6). Slowly, but surely, He helps us understand that life is not about us — it’s about Him. It’s not about our will being done, but about His. Nor is it about knowing exactly where we’re going at all times, but about learning His ways.

He is our strong defender, who goes before us to lead and protect us from all danger. He is our comforter who carries us and heals us when we are broken-hearted. He is our encourager who gently nudges us from behind when we are fearful of moving on. He is the good Shepherd who graciously provides far more than we need. And He is the merciful Shepherd who blots out all our sins and remembers them no more.

His goodness and mercy will never run out, but will follow us all the days of our life — until, one day, He will bring us to the house of the Lord at last, where we will no longer wander but dwell forevermore. That wonderful place where there is no more pain and no more sorrow, where we will finally see our Shepherd face-to-face and experience the glory He has promised us. “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love Him” (1 Corinthians 2:9). We can forget all the discomforts and heartaches of this life when we set our hearts and minds on the joy that is kept for us at the end of our journey.

Because the Lord is my Shepherd, we have everything we need. For today, tomorrow and throughout eternity.