The Lord Is!

The Lord is my my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me to lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for name's sake.(Psalm 23:1-3 NIV)

A familiar passage of scripture reference should always be re-viewed for fresh introspection and although what I am inspired to say today may not be fresh for some, it will encourage others. We have no need to fear what the enemy might do when we know--The Lord is--everything we need.
Since David was a shepherd caring for his father's sheep, he knew exactly what a shepherd's role was--as a caretaker for the flock which would later provide for the family.

So what does a shepherd do? The shepherd's role is to make sure the sheep--all of the flock--are kept safe from harm, led to good grazing areas and by water. The shepherd makes sure that the sheep lack for nothing and when some stray or fall off cliffs, the shepherd is there to lead them back to safety or to rescue them, making sure they get back in the sheepfold unharmed.

Considering the fact that most leaders in the churches are supposed to model the role of a shepherd, are they doing so? Are church leaders feeding the sheep or fleecing the sheep? Are they concerned with the welfare of the sheep or do they only care about their own well-being? Are they guiding the sheep along right paths--The Word of God--or are they pimping The Word, selectively, to make the sheep think they are more than they are and emptying the pockets and bank accounts of the masses?

If we truly understand the picture that David paints for us of the role of a shepherd, we'd have to admit that many of our church leaders are not good shepherds--with a heart to please God. And this is why so many congregants are mislead, misused and abused by those in leadership for their hearts are far from God and when they distort The Word of God for personal gain--the enemy gets a foothold in the heart of the building which influences the sheep and they are lost.

But if The Lord is--our Great Shepherd--we are confident that all of our needs are met in Him. We know that He will never lead us astray, but will always lead us to rich pastures (or passages in The Word) so we'll be well fed and have our thirst quenched by The Word. When The Lord is our Shepherd, we can sleep at night without worry about tomorrow because we know that angels are guarding us throughout the night and we have nothing to fear. When The Lord is our Shepherd--He speaks those things to us that the Father says and we develop a desire to please the Father--knowing how He wants us to live, thrive and survive the attacks of the enemy.

The Lord is--our healer, our comforter, our provider, our counselor, our teacher, our guide through all the muck we face in life and when we hear and obey--we are victorious and nothing the enemy does, no weapon tossed our way, will have any effect on our lives or our desire to please God. The Lord is everything we will ever need and He will lead us to those He has anointed and appointed to lead His sheep--in all truth, according to The Word.

We need to know The Word for ourselves so when we hear someone say something that is not The Word, we'll know it and not be led astray, opening the door for the enemy to step in and destroy our lives. Know The Word--Know The Lord. If we don't know The Word, any fool can lead us astray when they make sounds like they know The Word, when they don't even know The Lord. Be wise, knowledgeable and realize that wolves (in shepherd's clothing) disguise themselves with just enough Word to get close enough to devour. If they are not saying what The Lord says and reminding people who The Lord is--run and don't look back!