My Good Shepherd

I have a confession to make. For many years, whenever anyone would pray something along the lines of "Lord, whatever it takes, I give You the ground to conform me to Your image," I would often think, "I'm not praying THAT. Something really bad might happen and I don't think I could take something really bad." I didn't like suffering, or pain, or loss - partly because of what I had experienced in the past of those things. It was as though I couldn't trust the Lord to bring me through. Sometimes I would pray, "but Lord - change me so that I am not afraid of the path You may choose to take and make me willing to pay whatever price is necessary for You to gain what You must gain for Your purpose." I realize now that the Lord patiently listens when we pray - when we talk to Him, even if what we are saying is really focused on what we want rather than what He wants. It is our interacting with Him that changes us because He is living and He is able. The Lord does not require us to do anything but depend wholly on Him, to lean Him as our beloved. When I first got my diagnosis, I told the Lord "You have the wrong person - I am not a good candidate for pain and suffering." But through it all, He has been bearing me, bearing my family and bearing everyone who has gone through this with us. He is the One who is acquainted with sorrows, grief, pain and suffering. I am so thankful to the Lord for His faithful shepherding through this valley. He is a good shepherd.

Psalms
CHAPTER 23

1 Jehovah is my Shepherd; I will lack nothing.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside waters of rest.
3 He restores my soul; He guides me on the paths of righteousness For His name's sake.
4 Even though I walk Through the valley of the shadow of death, I do not fear evil, For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, They comfort me.
5 You spread a table before me In the presence of my adversaries; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over.
6 Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me All the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of Jehovah for the length of my days.

As our good Shepherd, He is guiding us in the paths of righteousness. He is changing us into His image. He is walking through the valley of the shadow of death with us. We lack nothing!

I am reminded of two verses from a hymn:

I cannot tell why He whom angels worship,
Should set His love upon the sons of men,
Or why, as Shepherd, He should seek the wanderers,
To bring them back, they know not how or when.
But this I know, that He was born of Mary
When Bethlehem’s manger was His only home,
And that He lived at Nazareth and labored,
And so the Savior, Savior of the world is come.

I cannot tell how silently He suffered,
As with His peace He graced this place of tears,
Or how His heart upon the cross was broken,
The crown of pain to three and thirty years.
But this I know, He heals the brokenhearted,
And stays our sin, and calms our lurking fear,
And lifts the burden from the heavy laden,
For yet the Savior, Savior of the world is here.

With His peace, He graced this place of tears. Thank you, Lord!

Much love to you all,
Joanne