He leads me beside still waters;

(continued)

Our Good Shepherd, Jesus, of Psalm 23, with His hands of Love (Psalm 22) and Hope (Psalm 24) is in the process of molding Faith and Obedience into you and me (His sheep).

He has His mark of ownership on us as His sheep – our Baptism.  He is about the business of molding our Christian character.  So far we have looked at two characteristics He molds into our lives.

He leads ME beside still waters;

Water is a very essential element for every living being.  A sheep is composed of 70% water on an average.  If this average drops the sheep begins to malfunction as does any animal or human.

The sheep becomes aware of the need for water to quench her thirst and will begin to look in various places for it.  A sheep begins to wander if clear direction to water is not given by the shepherd.

The same is true of we who are sheep of the Good Shepherd – Jesus.  As our physical body thirsts for water – to be satisfied – so also our soul and spirit needs to be filled.  In Scripture we see the use of water in reference to the Spirit of God.  We need that Spirit within us so that our soul – personality, real being – does not dry up.

You can be fed the Word of God – green grass – but without the Living Spirit of God to flow into you to metabolize (assimilate) that Word into your system – you simply dry up and die spiritually.  As you and I feed on His Word and drink of His Spirit we shall be satisfied.

Jesus said, “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled (satisfied).”  And also, “If any one thirst, let him come unto me and drink.”

What does it mean to “drink” in spiritual terminology?  It simply means to – take in or accept and believe.  You must be receptive to the Holy Spirit coming to you.  Take Him into your life and let Him create – Faith and Obedience.

You must let Him bring the Words of Scripture alive.  Let Him mold the character of God into your life by practically making Scripture part of your life.

How often have you failed to let the Good Shepherd lead you to satisfaction in life?  How many times do you find yourself drinking from polluted water holes that are infested with all sorts of harmful attitudes and actions?

How often do you foolishly approach a swift stream of sin and slip into its rushing water and almost drown?

Satan, your enemy, has established a multitude of infested water holes in this world where he seeks to tempt you to quench your thirst.  They are infested with all sorts of sins and guilt – occults and cults.

King David, the author of Psalm 23, was tempted into a couple of Satan’s infested water holes:  Adultery with Bath-Sheba, wife of Uriah, and in his lust for her, the murder of Uriah.  King David recognized his sickness of sin and returned to the Good Shepherd he had known.  He turned from the sin infested water holes to the cool, calm refreshing water holes of rest and peace.

You and I need the refreshing water of the Holy Spirit for our spirits to survive and our Christian character to develop.  

Phillip Keller, as an earthly shepherd, shares some insights on receiving this refreshment – Holy Spirit.  He says that, generally speaking, water for sheep comes from three main sources:

1. Dew on the grass.  Keller says that sheep can go for months without actually drinking water if they feed on grass that has a heavy morning dew.

It is the habit of sheep to rise very early in the morning to start feeding.  The pasture is usually drenched with heavy dew.  This dew is a clear and pure source of water.  It is enough to satisfy the sheep’s thirst.  A good shepherd makes sure that his sheep are in the pasture to get this dew drenched grass.

This has a tremendous application for the Christian life.  Isn’t it true that we are more calm, peaceful and confident in facing life’s complexities as we rise in the morning and feed on the Word of God?  In these quiet, early hours of the day we are led by our Good Shepherd to feed on the Holy Spirit drenched Word.  We are infused with life for the day.

Great men and women of faith have echoed this down through the centuries.  Martin Luther spent 2 to 4 hours feeding on the Word and prayer in the morning before entering into a day’s work.  The fruit of his work proves that he was fed that Holy Spirit drenched Word daily.

Clearly it is the Lord’s will to feed you the Spirit drenched Word each day.  I have a prayer on a bookmark given to me that I pray constantly as I meditate on the Word of God.  It goes like this, “Heavenly Father, bless my reading.  Holy Spirit, guide my understanding.  In Jesus’ Name.  Amen.”

I know that if you begin your day with the Holy Spirit drenched Word of God you will be more prepared for whatever that day brings.

2. Deep wells.  This sounds so cool and refreshing but Phillip Keller explains that it can sometimes be a difficult experience.

Sheep are afraid to enter into the well area – they could fall in and drown.  But with the shepherd in the water with then they will drink.

Many places you will be led into, by your Good Shepherd, will appear dark, deep, dangerous, suspicious and disagreeable.  Therefore, you must know that He is with you in it.  This is the presence of the Cross in your life.  He even went to the depths of hell for you.  He is now at work in your situation to get some life saving – refreshing Holy Spirit to you.

He is calling you by His Word made alive, by His Spirit, to repentance.  And He is working hard at bringing you to your knees in Faith and Obedience.

3. Springs and streams.  The good shepherd gently leads his sheep to streams that flow with pure, clean water.  He knows where the stream runs quietly and can guide his sheep there to be refreshed.

Here we see our Good Shepherd continually leading us to new experiences with His Word and Spirit through the fellowship of the saints.  The ministries within the church are channels for this life giving Holy Spirit:  Worship, small groups, fellowship.

Phillip Keller tells of seeing a flock of sheep being led to a beautiful, quiet mountain stream.  The water was pure and refreshing.  But on the way several stubborn ewe sheep and their lambs stopped instead to drink out of polluted muddy puddles.  They took into their systems bacteria that would eventually destroy them.

We often do the same things.  We say, “So what?  I can’t see that it’s going to do any harm.”  And maybe it doesn’t immediately.  But soon a delayed reaction takes place – like a time bomb and our sin hits home.  And we find out what the Lord meant when He said we reap what we sow.

The Good News is that our Good Shepherd is still there to care for us and He will guide us once more if we turn to Him.  He will flood your life with His Holy Spirit that will activate once again the metabolism of molding you into His likeness.  And you will find peace.  This is what the Good Shepherd wants for you.

PEACE for you is – “He leads ME beside still waters,”

With the Good Shepherd’s mark of the Cross on you in your Baptism and Faith, you can be certain His shepherding of you is not over.  He will persist to mold these characteristics into you.