Have you ever wondered what to do
with your life? Experiencing the pressure to make your life better and/or
different can be a heavy weight, laced with extreme stress. Stress is defined
as a physical, chemical, or emotional factor that causes bodily or mental
tension and may be a factor in disease causation (Merriam-Webster 2023). A
stress filled life is not the Godkind of life, meaning that is not God’s plan
for you. It is not the will of God that your life be oppressed with depression,
anxiety, pain, shame, worry etc. The reason that medical science has developed
medications for these kinds of disease processes is because humanity was not
created to carry such pressure/stress. These medications are prescribed to try
to naturally assist people in relief. God’s plan for every man is that we be
free. The scriptures declare in Nehemiah 8:10, … for this
day is holy to our Lord. And be not grieved and depressed, for
the joy of the Lord is your strength and stronghold. (AMP)
The joy of the Lord (our
Shepherd) –brings true joy and freedom. Our Shepherd provides joy! The bible
declares in Psalms 23:1 - The Lord is my Shepherd [to feed, guide, and
shield me], I shall not lack (AMP).
The provisions from the Good
Shepherd – our Sovereign Lord are filled with everything we need to remain free
from the pressures and/or stresses of life. It is only when we try to do life
without Him that we become entangled in the chains of lack. Chains that
eventually weigh us down to the ground and destroy the life and vitality that
knowing Jesus – our Shepherd brings. When we listen to Jesus and follow Him, we
will never lack. When we obey His Words and not try to figure things out
through human efforts and strength, we will lack nothing. When we allow Jesus
to be our Shepherd – and stay close to Him and in Him, the Good Shepherd will
protect us from the strategies and harm of the enemy, we will lack nothing. In
the scriptures Isaiah declares these characteristics of our Shepherd:
Isaiah
40:10-12 Yes, the Sovereign Lord is coming in power. He will rule
with a powerful arm. See, he brings his reward with him as he comes. He
will feed his flock like a shepherd. He will carry the lambs in his arms,
holding them close to his heart. He will gently lead the mother sheep with
their young. Who else has held the oceans in his hand? Who
has measured off the heavens with his fingers? Who else knows the weight of the
earth or has weighed the mountains and hills on a scale?
However, in order for God to lead
us effectively and efficiently we must be willing to follow Him – closely. We
must be willing to submit to His will and not our own. We must be willing to
trust Him at all times and leave our fears behind. God will always lead us in
the right way, even though it may seem strange to us, He knows the way we
should take and will go before us and lead us in the plans and path He has for
us gently.
Psalms
23:3 declares, He refreshes and restores my life (my self); He leads me in the
paths of righteousness [uprightness and right standing with Him—not for my
earning it, but] for His name’s sake.
In John 10:25-27, Jesus
answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my
Father's name, they bear witness of me. But ye believe
not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. My
sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
If you belong to Him continue to
follow Him as He leads the way, each and every day. Don’t stray but obey!
In Christ's Love – Sister Cathy~
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