The Great Shepherd

Psalm 23:1 – “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.”

As I read this Psalm, I was led into deep thought on just verse 1.  The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.”  Jesus is The Great Shepherd.  He leads us daily through our heart issues, circumstances, providing our needs so that we can be healthy and whole.  The job of the shepherd was to make sure the sheep were safe, were fed, and had water for thirst.  The picture of the shepherd and sheep is equal to the picture of Jesus and us.  As His sheep, He already knows our needs and as His sheep, we follow His voice as He meets our needs.  

Basically, our life is in Jesus Christ, The Great Shepherd.  We cannot follow God without Jesus.  Our reconciliation to God through the blood, the everlasting covenant, is such a wonderful, powerful, and awesome thing!  God is truly worthy of our praise and worship.  Worship God today, say thanks for the love He prepared to give us before we even acknowledged His free gift of salvation.  Romans 5:8 – “But God commends His love toward us, in that, while we yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

Be blessed today!

In Him, Sandra

II Kings 3:1-4:17

Prophets were available during this time for the people to inquire of God.  Today, we still have the opportunity to inquire of God.  That is, if we want to.  Sometimes I’m not so sure we always want to.

Elisha was known to have the word of the Lord with him.  Can others tell if the Lord is with us?  King Jehosaphat, King Joram, and the King of Israel came together to inquire of the Lord regarding King Moab. King Moab was coming against these three kings to destroy them.  When they realized their situation of danger, they came together to inquire of the Lord.  Because they received the word of the Lord from the prophet and then obeyed the word, they defeated King Moab. 

The widow had been left with nothing when her husband died in service to the Lord. She went to the man of God inquiring for help.  After receiving the word to ask her neighbors for empty jars, she started pouring the little bit of oil she had left until the jars were filled as the prophet had requested. Not looking at the small amount of oil, she walked in faith.

Even the woman who had no children and her husband was old was told by Elisha that she woud get pregnant.  And even though her husband was old, she hoped in the word she received from the man of God.  She became pregnant and bore a son just as the prophet Elisha had spoken.

Even when the circumstances are against us, how committed are we to believe the word we receive from the Lord?  Is our hope truly in God? Do we trust Him to bring to pass the word He has given us for our lives?  The Bible says “we walk by faith and not by sight.”  (2 Cor. 5:7)

There may be some question as to the prophets of God having the Spirit come upon them as they walked with the Lord in the Old Testament.  There seemed to be more assurance that the Lord was actually leading these prophets. However, God is still leading His saints.  Believers today still hear from God.  He has not disappeared. And, we still have the choice to obey or not.  Obedience is still better than sacrifice. (I Samuel 15:22)

I believe some of the struggles we experience today and the lack of power of the Holy Spirit in our lives is due to disobedience. If the need to see proof is required, look at the disobedience of our children to their parents today. Is there a cry for help for our youth today being spiritually and emotionally ill?

However, like then and still so now, there is hope in God. Be blessed!

Tuesday – Psalm 78:5-8

5) “For He established a testimony in Jacob, And appointed a law in Israel, Which He commanded our fathers, That they should make them known to their children. 6) That the generation to come might know them, The children who would be born, That they may arise and declare them to their children, 7) That they may set their hope in God, And not forget the works of God, But keep His commandments; 8) And may not be like their fathers, A stubborn and rebellious generation, A generation that did not set its heart aright, And whose spirit was not faithful to God.”

As a parent, I try to do the best that I can for my children, and sometimes it just doesn’t seem to be good enough.  When I stop long enough to realize that I really don’t have enough in me to do all and give all that they need, I humbly repent.  This culture makes it so difficult for us to show our children who God is.  The Scripture above says that we should arise and make known to our children the Word of God, that they may have hope in God, not forget his works but set their spirit faithful to God.  As I read, it seems to  me that we have a choice to set our hope in God.  God is faithful and He does answer prayer.  I praise God, I thank God, and do speak the wonderful works of God to my children.  Sometimes I pray that they hear and listen to what they hear by choosing to do what the Word says.  Parents are not perfect but I do sometimes think they get a bad rap when they choose to serve the Lord and deny to their children some of the destructive things the world has to offer.  I look back at a simpler time and it seems that the heart of our parents may have been the same, just a different dressing.  Less toys and distractions.  However prayer still works and the Word is the same yesterday, today and forever.  There is hope in God!

Welcome

Welcome to Glorious Impact.  This blog is for sharing the Word of God to encourage, inspire and strengthen Believers as well as those looking for answers.  I look forward to sharing my heart and the truth of God’s Word with others.  Ephesians 5:19 “speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of God.”  (NKJV, Holman Bible Publishing, Nashville, TN)