Thoughts Reflections and Inspirations

The Good Shepherd has a plan for your life that you cannot improve on. You will never be happier or more fulfilled pursuing anything else. If we walk with Him closely, we will notice His influence in many different ways. He will speak to us constantly if we have an ear to hear His voice. He said in John 10, ‘My sheep hear my voice and they follow me.”

He will speak to us through the forces of nature, through the actions and words of little children, as well as the events of everyday. In so many ways, His Shepherd’s staff is there to support us and guide us in the right way, but we must be looking and listening for it.

“And let the peace of God rule in your hearts,” Colossians 3:15. That word rule means to govern. The peace of God is what God gives us when everything is right between us and Him. When that peace within us is disturbed, we need to find out why that is happening. This is often an indication that the Good Shepherd is trying to show us something or perhaps wanting to redirect us in some aspect of life.

The Shepherd’s staff has to do with supporting and helping us. Often when our peace within is disturbed, it may be Him reaching out with His staff to guide us differently. Sometimes we are spared from harm or danger by this redirection. When our conscience is troubled and something doesn’t seem right, we need to take warning of this. We know the Good Shepherd always has the best in mind for us.

The Good Shepherd also has a staff which He uses in His care for the sheep. With that staff, He draws in the sheep to Himself when a sheep slides over the edge of a cliff. The staff has a hooked end with which He can fit around the sheep’s body and rescue him from his fall. The Shepherd is always aware of His sheep and knows when one wanders off. He will look for it until He finds it. This is a great comfort to us as His sheep.

It is a great comfort to know that He is touched with the feeling of our infirmities, because our Good Shepherd was tempted in all points like as we are and yet He never sinned once (Hebrews 4:14-16). Because of all this, He invites us to come boldly unto the throne of grace, so we can find the mercy we need, and also, receive the grace to help in our time of need.

It brings great honor to Him when we trust Him completely. When we present our needs to Him freely and He can see that we really trust Him, it will greatly move His heart of compassion towards us. With His staff He can beat back the brush and thistles and thorns of the cares of this life, worries and confusion. Then He can draw us back to the green pastures and still waters that we have wandered away from. He greatly desires to see us prosper. As our needs are met at His throne of grace He can lead us in His right paths and help us to prosper in those things that He has appointed us to.

Our tongue is like the rutter on a boat. Wherever it is turned, the boat goes. We read of this in James 3. What we speak has a tremendous effect on the direction of our lives. “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead , thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Romans 10:9, 10. It is interesting that he speaks of confessing with our mouth before believing in the heart. Sometimes we’re not sure about something, but when we see what the Word of God says and we begin to declare it with our mouth, we finally believe in a deeper way in our heart. God set the order for this.

This word says we are saved through confessing and believing. This is true for the salvation of our souls. It is also true for many other situations in life. Do you need to be saved from a sickness, or bad financial situation, difficult work or career situation? Find a promise of God in His Word or what He says about these kinds of situations. You may find this word hard to believe at first, but accept it because God said it. Then begain to declare it for your situation and finally it settles on your heart as being the truth because God said it. Faith comes by hearing, the Bible says, so when you hear yourself agreeing with God, you bring in faith and the authority of God in the situation.

Knowing the Word of God puts you in a tremendous advantage in all of life. We saw previously that the Word is to be in our mouth. We need to know the Word of God so we can proclaim it with our mouth. The Word is the spiritual food of any true follower of the Good Shepherd.

Proclaiming the Word of God has a profound effect on the spirit world around us. In the kingdom of light it sets things in motion to fulfill the will of God, especially when it is spoken in faith. Prayer and proclaiming the Word of God walk together. Often, one is part of the other. When we agree with what God has said and declare it and pray it, there is definite power and response from God and it effects the world around us. We are called to this as God’s people.

The effects of proclaiming the Word of God on the kingdom of darkness is also profound. When Satan and his hosts see that you will not respond in fear and complaining and getting angery about your bad situation, he is being defeated. However, that is not enough, You need to declare the Word and come boldly before the Lord in prayer. Satan cannot stand before that. It defeats him every time. Actually it brings the victory of Christ against him. He cannot stand before that and must flee. In this way, the rod of the Good Shepherd is brought against the enemy. Our victory is already won by Jesus Christ and His shed blood and resurrection. We must, in this way, enforce this victory against the enemy.

What should we then do when we find ourselves in a temptation or trial? Ask yourself immediately, “What does the Good Shepherd think about this? What does He say about this situation?” You may need to ask Him in prayer to help you find the right scripture for the situation. Once you know what He says about it, then immediately begin to say the same thing. Romans 10:8 “The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach:”. You must declare the word of faith which is the Word of God.

A person who is constantly compaining and grumbling and unthankful is bringing great harm to himself. He is also not pleasant to be around. The person who is constantly speaking bad of his circumstances and is always looking on the negative side is walking in unbelief. This produces discouragement and if it continues, it will lead to depression Then many will resort to pills which will not solve their root problem.

Also, the person who speaks evil of others is doing himself great harm as well as others. Words against others, as well as murmuring and complaining, set in motion spiritual powers of darkness which torment their victims. It ministers death and destruction.

When you follow the Good Shepherd, you will look for the word of faith that is always near you as we read earlier. As you find that word and continue to declare it, you are on your way to victory.