JOURNAL ~ PsalmsSample

GREEN MEADOWS, DARK VALLEY,  AND A FULL-COURSE GOURMET BANQUET - Day 3

Yesterday we learned that the Good Shepherd keeps the sheep alive by feeding and watering them, which in turn refreshes them. But there is more. We are told in verse 3: He guides me along the right paths for His name's sake.

This verse tells us that our journey is not open-ended wandering. It tells us that the sheep are not left to the devices and desires of their own heart. The sheep don’t get to plan the journey. And knowing the intellectual capacity of sheep, this is a good thing. Sheep are not the brightest bunch and they have a great capacity for getting lost. They have many strong points, but intelligence, common sense and good sense of directions are not one of them.

That’s why the itinerary does not lie in the sheep’s hands. It lies in the hands of the Good Shepherd. He makes sure that the sheep stay on the right kind of path.  A different translation renders it as path of righteousness. The idea contained in that is, there are good places and there are bad; the Good Shepherd, out of His faithfulness, makes sure, that they don't stray from the right paths into dangerous places.

For me that is a good thing, because it shows me the agenda of the Good Shepherd. You see there are more than one reason for making sure that sheep eat and drink well. For some sheep, even though they are well fed and watered, the end of the story might not be a happy one. They may end up on someone's plate as lamb chop, or used as a sacrifice.

Yet David is certain that God does not have a hidden agenda. The Good Shepherd takes care of the sheep, not so that He can sell them later to be someone's dinner. He does that so that He can lead them to better things to come.