The Shepherd and MeSample

THE LORD RESTORES ME

David was a passionate man who knew the depths of human heartache. He experienced the shameful sting of sin, the weight of a guilty conscience, the betrayal of family and friends, the loss of loved ones and numerous tears and tragedies. He was a man whose heart was battered by sin and the sufferings of this world. David paints a raw picture of the deep distress of his soul when he wrote “I am weary with my moaning; every night I flood my bed with tears; I drench my couch with my weeping, my eye wastes away because of grief” (Psalm 6:6-7). The mighty warrior of Israel who slew giants and companies of Philistines struggled with doubts of God’s love and depression. Yet, David never was overcome by such sorrow, for His God who loved Him restored his soul. The Shepherd of Israel was a personal physician to David attending to his heart’s woes and resurrecting him from the pit of disaster. 

Sheep have the nasty habit of often going wayward and falling into pits of disasters, not unlike us. Often lured away by temptations and enticed by our desires and lusts, we are prone to wander. There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death (Proverbs 14:12). All of us have embarked on this treacherous path and have gone astray from the path of the Lord. We have turned—every one—to his own way (Isaiah 53:6) and pursued sin. However the good Shepherd loves His sheep too much to let them wander aimlessly. He comes by the side of the dumb, reckless, and stubborn sheep and leads them on the right paths. God did not merely deliver the children of Israel from the hand of Pharaoh, but He also led them in the wilderness, appearing as a pillar of cloud by day and pillar of fire by night. In their murmurings, in their doubts, in their tears and in their sins, the Lord still led for His name’s sake (Exodus 32:11-14). Jesus never abandons us in our sorrows and sins. He revives us and leads us in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake.