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News From Israel MagazineThe Lord is My Shepherd
Most people — Christian or not — are familiar with Psalm 23. Some people know the words of this psalm by heart but have they discovered the hidden treasures that it contains? Have you?
A Psalm of David. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever (Psalm 23).
Psalm 23 is certainly the most well known of all the psalms. When David used the picture of a shepherd tending his sheep, he knew what he was talking about, for he himself was a shepherd.
When Samuel wanted to anoint David as king, he first had to be brought from where he was tending the sheep, “And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all thy children? And he said, There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him: for we will not sit down till he come hither” (1 Samuel 16:11). Psalm 78:70-71 refers to this when it says, “He chose David also his servant, and took him from the sheepfolds: from following the ewes great with young he brought him to feed Jacob his people, and Israel his inheritance.”
The Bible does not say whether or not David was still tending sheep when he wrote this psalm, but as a shepherd he was continually concerned with green pastures, fresh water, the rod and the staff.
INTRODUCTORY THOUGHTS ON PSALM 23
The Bible contains many promises, most of which require a key in order to unlock them and apply them to our lives. Psalm 50:15 is a classic example: “And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.” This wonderful promise has helped many children of God, but it requires a key for us to unlock and receive its full blessing: “Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High” (verse 14). The word “and” at the beginning of verse 15 reveals the connection between these two verses. Whoever wants the Lord to deliver him from his trouble must use the key to this “door of blessing” and “offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High.”
THE KEY TO PSALM 23
Psalm 23:1 reveals David’s tremendous testimony: “The Lord is my shepherd.” Who was David’s shepherd? The Lord! Sometimes we forget that Jesus Christ is not only our Shepherd but He is also our Lord. He bought us with His precious
blood. We like the idea that as the Good Shepherd, His preserving hand is over us night and day, but we do not always like to know that as Lord, He can determine every aspect of our lives.
A shepherd watches over and protects his flock; he leads his sheep with dedication and great patience, but he also expects his sheep to follow him and obey him. The same is true for those who follow Jesus. This is clear from His words in John 10, where the Lord speaks of His glorious preservation, “I am the Good Shepherd” (verses 11,14), His omniscience, “and know my sheep” (verse 14), but also of the obedience of true disciples, “The sheep hear his voice; and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the
sheep follow him: for they know his voice” (verses 3-4). Is this true everywhere in His Church? No, it is not. Many a sheep strays from time to time. When a child of God recognizes that he has departed from the pathway of discipleship in thought, deed or in sins of omission, there is only one thing to do: return to the Good Shepherd, the Lord Jesus, as quickly as possible and confess his sins, so that the blood of Jesus can cleanse him of all sin (compare 1 John 1:7-9).
God had to lament over His people Israel, “My people hath been lost sheep…” (Jeremiah 50:6), and “And they were scattered…my sheep wandered through all the mountains…” (Ezekiel 34:5-6). What was the reason for such serious words? Why did His people wander around? Because they had left their Lord, and no longer had a true shepherd. And that is the way it has been up to the present day. We should not be surprised by the outcome where God is not accepted as Lord in all aspects of our lives.
The people of Israel had saddened the Savior when He was on earth: “But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd” (Matthew 9:36). Why were the sheep of Israel wandering around when Jesus came to earth the first time “…fainted and scattered abroad”? Because they had been unfaithful to their Lord and subsequently they had no shepherd. So those who reject the Lord will have to do without the Good Shepherd.
If you make a separation in your faith life between Jesus the Shepherd and the Lord Jesus—if you love the Shepherd but resist the Lord, you should not be surprised if you suddenly find yourself without His care and protection. Your Good Shepherd wants to be your Lord, and we cannot separate these two aspects in our faith lives.
The Lord Jesus explains this spiritual truth very clearly in John 15:15: “Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.” We may rejoice over this truth with all our hearts, yet we are only “friends” of the Lord if we obey Him, as we read in the preceding verse: “Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.” Here again, verse 14 is the key to verse 15: Jesus is not only the Good Shepherd who leads His sheep to green pastures and still waters, but He is also the Lord who demands devotion and obedience from His sheep. It is correctly taught that God is loving and compassionate and He forgives His children freely, but that is only one side of the Gospel. Scripture not only says that “God is love” in 1 John 4:16, but also, “He is the Lord our God: his judgements are in all the earth” (Psalm 105:7).
If you belong to the flock of Christ because you were bought with the precious blood of Jesus and have become His property, I want to ask you a very serious question: is the Good Shepherd also the Lord of your life? Is He Lord of your family, your marriage, your time, your career, your money, your car, your body and your decisions? If so, then according to Colossians 2:9, Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd in whom “dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily,” is also your Lord, and you may confidently say with David, “The Lord is my shepherd.
“…I shall not want”
The first verse of Psalm 23 closes with the words “I shall not want.” Who will not want? Born-again Christians for whom the Good Shepherd is also the Lord. Psalm 34:10-11 is also relevant in this connection, “O fear the Lord, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him. The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing.”
Entrust yourself to the Good Shepherd and submit yourself to your Lord so that the words of Philippians 4:19 will be fulfilled, “My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”
“He restoreth my soul”
In Psalm 23:2-3 we read, “He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul.” These words testify to an inner serenity, peace of mind and a heart that has become still before the Lord. No one is exempt from the stress, haste and restlessness that surround us each day. Christians have been given the great privilege of asking Jesus for His peace and rest. We need the green pastures, still waters and restoration for our soul that is described in verses 2 and 3 today more than ever.
The Good Shepherd does not want to torment His sheep but continually gives them the rest we need. We read an example in Mark 6. In verse 7 we read about the commissioning of the twelve disciples to accomplish great things in the name of Jesus Christ: “And he called unto him the twelve, and began to send them forth by two and two; and gave them power over unclean spirits.” The twelve disciples obeyed and fulfilled this important task, “And they went out, and preached that men should repent. And they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed
them” (verses 12-13). Then they returned to Jesus and joyfully told Him what they had experienced, “And the apostles gathered themselves together unto Jesus, and told him all things, both what they had done, and what they had taught” (verse 30). Was the Lord happy to hear this news? Did He tell them to carry on with this good work? No. Verse 31 says, “And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while.” The Lord Jesus Himself led His disciples to green pastures and still waters to restore their souls. He took them by the hand, led them to a quiet place and so they went with Jesus “into a desert place by ship privately” (verse 32).
Was what the disciples did for Jesus not good? Of course it was, for He Himself had sent them. Why then did He not react to what they told Him? Why did He take them to a quiet place? Because the Lord knew that His disciples were tired and weary. He also knows when we are stressed and weary and when we feel overcome in our fight of faith. He tries to lead us to green pastures and still waters. This was always the Lord’s desire for Israel, and why, for instance, He called for His people, “For thus saith the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel: In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength” (Isaiah 30:15).
Today there are more stressed out and exhausted children of God than ever before. The so-called burn out syndrome is more prevalent among Christians than we like to think. Many of our brethren have become despondent or depressed. In certain cases, people will resort to alcohol and drugs in order to find peace, yet they can find refuge in Jesus, their Good Shepherd at any time. The Lord has only one wish for His stressed out children, as He had for the overworked disciples: to bring them to peace before they collapsed under the weight of the world and their cares. He wants to do what is written in Isaiah 42:3: “A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench.”
Yet many people do not want to be helped by Him, or have lost sight of the Good Shepherd.
“One thing is necessary…”
Many Christians wear themselves out by carrying out their own ideas without asking the Lord His will. The people of Israel also thought they could do without the Lord, yet God wanted to bring His people, who were weary from their own battles, to green pastures and still waters, “In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength.” Yet the people rebelled, “And ye would not. But ye said, No; for we will flee upon horses” (Isaiah 30:15-16). We must say yes and mean it from our hearts when the Good Shepherd wants to lead us to rest.
When the Lord Jesus stayed with Martha and Mary in Bethany, Martha went to a lot of trouble to serve the Lord. Mary, however, sat at the feet of her Guest and listened to Him. Martha looked crossly at her sister and told the Lord to tell Mary to help her (Luke 10:40), but the Lord Jesus addressed her with the following words: “Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things; but one thing is needful; and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her” (verses 41-42).
Martha was a stressed out Christian woman. I believe that the Lord Jesus visited them, among other reasons, to bring Martha, who was “careful and troubled about many things” rest, but He was not able to do so because she simply did not want rest. Martha was not prepared to alter her way of life, although this would have been a great liberation for her.
Many children of God today possess this Martha-like attitude. They wear themselves out in their work, in their families and in their service for the Lord without listening to the Lord and wanting to do His will, and are perhaps close to having a nervous breakdown. Yet the Lord wants to lead such people to green pastures and still waters in order to restore their souls.
Mary, on the other hand, seized the opportunity to sit with Jesus and listen to what He had to say, “And she [Martha] had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word” (verse 39). In Mary we see a child of God who has come to rest. She allowed the Lord to lead her to green pastures and still waters and was refreshed by Him. This rest is exactly what the Good Shepherd wants to give to you. It is not easy, however, to find peace in the midst of our hectic daily lives. You must say yes wholeheartedly; it must be the desire of your heart to come to rest again.
DEEP PEACE THROUGH FELLOWSHIP WITH JESUS
We are not to be merely familiar with a good portion of the Bible, but we must apply what is written to our lives: “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves” (James 1:22). What did Mary experience when she sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to His words? She entered into a new and deep fellowship with the Lord. This is exactly what Jesus wants when He, as the Good Shepherd, leads you to green pastures and still waters—to restore your soul!
He is the “green pastures,” the “still waters” and the restorer of our souls. When we imagine a green pasture, we think of a juicy, lush pasture in a valley that radiates deep peace and rest. It is said that the color green has a calming effect on people, and this calming green has a lot to do with the One who is rest in person. We hear Him say, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls” (Matthew 11:29). Jesus Christ invites you to come to Him and therewith to true rest.
Further, the Good Shepherd wants to lead us to “still waters.” I am reminded here of John 7:37-38: “In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.” Or Revelation 22:17: “And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely” (compare also Psalm 36:10).
How does this all take place in practical terms? The Good Shepherd seeks the person He has bought with His precious blood and offers Himself to him. At that time in Bethany, He stood personally before Mary and Martha. Right now He knows how you are, how things are at your job and in your family. He is offering Himself to you today through the written Word. He said, “Search the scriptures: for in them ye think ye have eternal life; and they are they which testify of me”
(John 7:39). And in Luke 24:27, we read, “And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.”
I am convinced that the Holy Spirit draws a child of God, who is in great distress through some circumstances in his or her life, to the Good Shepherd. It is as though the Holy Spirit would say to the one concerned, “What you need is green pastures and still waters.” And he urges the child of God to open the Bible where Jesus is already waiting for him or her. If you feel an inner urge to read the Bible then do it! The Good Shepherd will lead you to green pastures and still waters in order to refresh you.
David was once discouraged and exhausted, “And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, …but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God” (1 Samuel 30:6). I can also testify that when I have been empty and exhausted, the Lord has strengthened me again through His wonderful Word.
The Good Shepherd Himself has used His Word to lead me to His rest.
THE LEADING OF THE ETERNALGOD
It is for His name’s sake that the Lord leads His own in the paths of righteousness.
In Psalm 23:3 we read, “He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.”
The Good Shepherd lets His sheep lie down in green pastures and leads them beside still waters to restore or refresh their souls. The Lord only wants what is best for His own, but it is not for their sake that He leads them in paths of righteousness; it is so that His name is glorified. We have received all things from our Lord, and everything that the Good Shepherd is and does for us is ultimately glorifying to His great name. Therefore, all the good things we receive from the Lord are not primarily for our sake but for His name’s sake. In other words, we have been lavished with so many heavenly
gifts because they serve to bring glory to the name of our great God so that He is glorified.
It is true: Jesus died for us, liberated us and saved us. As true and wonderful as that is, however, Jesus Christ did not only become the Lamb of God for us, but to do the will of His Father in heaven for His name’s sake. Because the holy God was robbed of His glory, He saw no other way than to send His beloved Son into the world to restore to His name the honor it was due. When God created man, He said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness…So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them” (Genesis 1:26-27). It continually impresses me that God created man in His own glorious image, but the first people obeyed the voice of the
tempter and disobeyed the only commandment that God had given them and fell into sin (compare Genesis 2:16-17, 3:1ff). Through this, the image of God that He had put into man was marred and spoiled—and a terrible shadow came over the glorious relationship between God and man.
What did God have to do now? There was only one way for His glory to be restored, but it took place first for His name’s sake and second to save fallen man. Even born-again Christians are so one-sided in their way of thinking that they tend to overlook this fact, or they simply forget it.
Of course the words of John 3:16 remain true: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” What love is He talking about here? The love of the Creator for His beloved creation, which has suffered ever since the fall of man. We sometimes speak of the love of God as though it had only become active at Calvary. Yet it is the same love that reached its full development there that God had when He created man in His own image. What infinite love, what an extraordinary, extravagant act that was when God created man!
This is why the act of redemption on Calvary’s cross was primarily about the restoration of the glory of our great God. The victory of the Lamb of God at Calvary was a victory for the heavenly Father; it took place for His name’s sake.
In Isaiah 43:24, God said through the prophet to His covenant people, “thou hast wearied me with thine iniquites.” Immediately thereafter, we read: “I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins” (verse 25). Why does the Lord say He will blot out Israel’s transgressions here? For His own sake! That is the way it is today with all the other spiritual gifts. We receive them because our great God is praised through them! We are led in paths of righteousness because it is about God; it takes place for His name’s sake so that He is glorified. The children of Israel were quite conscious of this truth under the Old Covenant.
“Unto thy name give glory”
In Psalm 115:1 we read, “Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth’s sake.” Also in Ezekiel 36:22, which deals with Israel’s redemption, the promise of a new heart and a blessed land, the Lord said, “I will not do this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine holy name’s sake” Or think about Daniel, who repented for his people and prayed, “O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; for thine own sake, O my God; for thy city and thy people are called by thy name” (Daniel 9:19). We find the same words in Jeremiah’s prayer of repentance, “O Lord, though our iniquities testify against us, do thou it for thy name’s sake” (Jeremiah 14:7).
This is also how it is with the Good Shepherd, the Lord Jesus, who gave His life for His sheep (John 10:11). He leads those who belong to Him for His own sake in paths of righteousness, so that He is glorified through it.
How greatly the Father in heaven is glorified when He is able to lead His children and when they are willing to be led by Him! When it becomes apparent in the life of a child of God that the Good Shepherd has the reins in His hands and He is able to lead him in paths of righteousness, the result is the glorious praise that belongs to the holy name of our Lord.
THE “PATHS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS”
I believe there are four ways on the paths of righteousness in our lives:
• The way of goodness and truth
• The way of wisdom
• The way that is straight and narrow
• The way of life
The way of goodness and truth: All the ways of the Lord can be described as “good” and “true”: “All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies” (Psalm 25:10).
All the ways that the Lord leads His own, whatever they may look like, are ways of “mercy and truth”—His motives are never negative. On the contrary, behind all the ways in the life of a child of God, even the difficult ways, are the best intent of the Lord, full of mercy, truth, faithfulness and grace. It is what the Lord promises His own in Jeremiah 29:11: “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” It can be very comforting to know this and believe it because it gives us His peace in many of the storms in our lives. Who among us has not experienced a storm?
There are exceptions to this, however, the Lord’s ways are the only ways of blessing for those who “keep his covenant and his testimonies.” “All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies” (Psalm 25:10). Only those who possess the “key” (“such as keep his covenant and his testimonies”) to the door (“all the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth”) and use it, will experience the goodness, truth, faithfulness and mercy of the Lord.
The way of wisdom. We read about this way in Proverbs 4:11, “I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in right paths.” Personal guidance is sometimes difficult in the life of a Christian, and we often ask ourselves, “What is the wise thing to do?” Or, “What shall I do?” Even as children of God, we often come to crossroads and ask ourselves which way we should choose — which way is the will of the Lord? We want a clear answer to some questions in our lives, but sometimes they do not come. These decisions are surely some of the most difficult things in our lives. In spite of this, a Christian may experience God’s guidance in various ways. It is a fact that the Lord wants to guide us “in the way of wisdom” and lead us “in right paths.” In other words, God will always give His children clear guidance.
Wherein lies the problem, then? Many of us are too complicated in our faith lives. Sometimes we brood too long over a certain matter in which we lack clarity at that moment, instead of simply adhering in faith to the statements of the Bible. It is not primarily our experiencing God’s guidance, but whether we believe in the words of the Bible, which promise us wisdom, insight, guidance and leadership at the right time. We can leave the ultimate result when the Lord gives us the necessary guidance at the right time to Him, but we can completely rely on Him to give us this guidance at the right time
and according to His plan.
When the Good Shepherd leads you “in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake” He wants to teach you “in the way of wisdom” and lead you “in right paths.” The Good Shepherd guarantees that this is an infallible fact: “But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption” (1 Corinthians
1:30).
Our Savior, the Good Shepherd, is wisdom in person. So God has made Him wisdom to whoever has come into contact with Jesus. This again means that a way out of every blind alley is guaranteed. Here it is only about the question of faith. Do we really believe that we will receive everything we need for our lives in and through Christ, or do we doubt it? What does faith mean here in practical terms? That we let the Good Shepherd teach us in “the way of wisdom” without any ifs, ands, or buts. To believe means to be free of striving ourselves, and to let ourselves fall into the open hands of the Lord. The Good Shepherd wants to bring His sheep to this point, where they have complete trust in Him and follow Him blindly. Jesus Christ is wisdom in person. Who raised her voice, even in the Old Testament?
Doth not wisdom cry? And understanding put forth her voice? She standeth in the top of high places, by the way in the places of the paths.She crieth at the gates,at the entry of the city,at the coming in at the doors.Unto you,O men,I call;
and my voice is to the sons of man. O ye simple, understand wisdom:and ye fools,be ye of understanding heart.Hear;for I
will speak of excellent things; and the opening of my lips shall be right things (Proverbs 8:1-6).
Let me say it again. This is not primarily about whether you really experience God’s leading visibly and clearly, but whether you believe unconditionally in the leading of the Good Shepherd in your life. Take this to heart in child-like faith: if the Good Shepherd leads you in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake, this also means that He will teach you the way of wisdom and lead you in right paths. In the epistle of James we have these glorious words: “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him” (James 1:5).
The straight and narrow way. Do we always take the straight and narrow way? Christians have been given a perfect promise: “The way of the just is uprightness: thou, most upright, dost weigh the path of the just” (Isaiah 26:7). The Revised Standard Version puts it this way: “The path of the righteous is level; O upright One, you make the way of the righteous smooth.” That sounds wonderful, but how can we experience this in our lives?
We often walk on uneven and difficult paths because we do not walk by faith but by sight, and because we continually look at the difficulties instead of entrusting all things to the Good Shepherd. Those who continually focus on the rough places and obstacles in their path will fall. Have you ever stepped into a puddle or an uneven patch in the road when you tried desperately to avoid them? Why is this? Because we are so fixated on these things that we lose our balance out of sheer concentration on them and wind up right in the middle of the puddle or the hole. The same applies in the spiritual
realm. If we continually look at the inexplicable we will fall over and over again. Those who look away in faith, however, and leave everything in Jesus’ hands, will find that their ways become smooth. In other words, if the Good Shepherd leads you in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake, you will find that the paths are often uneven and difficult, but these ways will become smooth and straight when you walk in faith beside the Good Shepherd. Then you will see that
He makes the “way of the just” level.
It is and remains a wonderful fact that those who look away from the inexplicable and look to Jesus will find that their way becomes smooth and straight. Even the Psalmist, who had many troubles, learned to look away from them and fix his eyes on the Lord. He testified, “They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed” (Psalm 34:5). In Psalm 16:8-9 he wrote, “I have set the Lord always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope.” So how can your way become smooth and straight? How can you become a happy and well-balanced Christian? By not only walking beside the Good Shepherd (“because he is at my right hand”), but continually looking to Him, “I have set the Lord always before me.” When you make this a practice, you will find that your “heart is glad” and you will not be put to shame. In other words, you will not stumble over the uneven places in your life and come to fall (which would be very bitter), but go on your way through life rejoicing, in spite of many uneven places, obstacles and things that could cause you to stumble.
This truth from the Old Testament is confirmed in the letter to the Hebrews and surrounded by the following words, “Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:1-2).
Our fight of faith is not in fearfully trying not to fall on account of the uneven way, but in continually having our eyes on Jesus Christ, the Hero and Victor of Calvary, the Risen Lord. Only this attitude of faith will lead to our often uneven, bumpy way through life becoming smooth and straight. The following are three texts from the Psalms and one from the New Testament:
• “Mine eyes are ever toward the Lord; for he shall pluck my feet out of the net” (Psalm 25:15).
• “Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress; so our eyes wait upon the Lord our God, until that he have mercy upon us” (Psalm 123:2).
• “But mine eyes are unto thee, O God the Lord…” (Psalm 141:8).
• “When they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only” (Matthew 17:8).
May we, from this moment on, go through our lives undaunted by its unevenness but “[look] unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith.”
The way of life. Even the Psalmist prayed confidently, “Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Psalm 16:11). We see from these words that this was not just about an earthly path, but much more. The Psalmist wrote, “In thy presence is fullness of joy,” and “At thy hand there are pleasures for evermore.” He is referring to the eternal joy that all of the blood-bought ones will one day have with their Good Shepherd.
Some people may be asking, “Did the people in the Old Testament have an eternal hope?” Yes, they did, and not only the abovequoted Psalmist but also Job, who exclaimed in his great suffering, “And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another” (Job 19:26-27). Here he is referring to an eternal hope that could not be more glorious.
Returning to Psalm 16:11, which says, “Thou wilt shew me the path of life” and immediately following, the Psalmist wrote about eternal pleasures, meaning that every path on which the Good Shepherd leads us for His name’s sake is always about eternity. Or, every path that we tread here on earth as the Lord’s way, every path that we tread because He has told us to tread it, has the glorious goal of the eternal dwelling place in heaven. Children of God have a wonderful hope: every day that we consciously spend with the Lord in our earthly bodies, however fragile and shaky they may be, brings us nearer to the goal; every hour that we live leads us towards heaven. This is what Proverbs 4:18 means: “But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.” The “perfect day” is a prophetic expression for that which will come: the eternal, heavenly homeland. The obedient believer who has been made just through Christ will go on his way with the Lord each day “unto the perfect day” when he is at last with his Savior. Every day that he walks with his Good Shepherd and Lord allows him to experience and enjoy a little more heavenly
light. This is why his path is “as the shining light, that shines more and more.”
THE WAY OF ETERNITY
The “paths of righteousness” on which the Good Shepherd wants to lead His own for His name’s sake leads continually heavenward. We have a prophetic picture of this in John 6:16-18 (or Matthew 14:22-23 and Mark 6:45-52). Jesus, the Good Shepherd, commanded His disciples to get into a boat and row over the Sea of Galilee to Capernaum. The Lord helped them reach Capernaum even though it was dark and difficult to row the boat because of the strong wind that whipped up the waves. Jesus lived in Capernaum, which is a picture of the place where the Lord Jesus lives now (compare the two articles, “The Church on the Last Part of the Way” in the January and February issues of the Midnight Call). So children of God may know that whatever happens, they are always on their way home where the Good Shepherd lives. We should meditate much more on this wonderful truth so that we come to the same firm conclusion as the Apostle Paul: “For our light afflictions, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:17-18).
David addressed the Lord in Psalm 119:35: “Make me to go in the path of thy commandments; for therein do I delight.” When you need to know the will of the Lord so that you can walk in the way of His holy will, then say to the Good Shepherd, “Lord, I want with all my heart and for your name’s sake to let myself be led in the paths of righteousness
for I delight in them.”