Following the Good Shepherd: Day 11- Pastor Kerry Shook
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“He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake.”
Psalm 23:3b (NASV)
One of the most common questions I’ve been asked in ministry is, “How can I know the will of God for my life?” Have you ever wondered that? David tells us that one of the benefits of following the Good Shepherd is that He will guide us in the right path. Left to themselves sheep tend to wander off from the fold and can easily get lost. They need a shepherd to lead them. In verse three, David writes, “He (the Lord, who is my Shepherd) guides me in the paths of righteousness…” He directs me in the way I should go. I’m not left alone to figure it all out. This is the key to knowing the will of God. It’s why we must stay intimately connected with Him and follow our Good Shepherd. That takes all the pressure off our decisions. And it’s those very decisions that determine our destiny. As we put God first in our lives and seek Him, He promises to direct our paths. I love the way the Message paraphrases Proverbs 3:5-6. It says, “Trust GOD from the bottom of your heart; don't try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for GOD's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; He's the one who will keep you on track.”
Following the Good Shepherd begins by admitting I need Him, that I don’t know which way to go on my own. Have you done that? One of the truths I’ve discovered in life is that the path is often hidden until you start the journey. The writer of Psalm 77 was reflecting on how God had led the children of Israel out of Egypt and through the Red Sea to the Promised Land when he wrote, “Your road led through the sea, Your pathway through the mighty waters – a pathway no one knew was there! You led Your people along that road like a flock of sheep….” Psalm 77:19-20a (NLT) Their responsibility was to follow their shepherd one step at a time.
This is the mystery and adventure of spiritual guidance. We simply take one step of faith at a time following our Good Shepherd! You won’t often know where the path is leading; you just need to know the Shepherd who is leading you. The children of Israel thought they had hit a dead end at the Red Sea. Nothing made sense. They couldn’t see the path God had for them. Can you relate? So, what do you do? The prophet Isaiah describes it like this, “If you are walking in darkness, without a ray of light, trust in the LORD and rely on your God. But watch out, you who live in your own light and warm yourselves by your own fires.” Isaiah 50:10b-11a (NLT) Then he tells us in Isaiah 30:21 (NLT) that when we trust in the Lord, “Your own ears will hear Him. Right behind you, a voice will say, ‘This is the way you should go,’ whether to the right or to the left.”
This is what Jesus said He would do for us as our Good Shepherd in John chapter 10. He said, “I am the good shepherd; I know My sheep, and they know Me.” (Vs.14) As our Good Shepherd, we share an intimate and personal relationship with the Lord Jesus. In verse 27 He says, “My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me.” Are you following Him? He didn’t ask us to find our own way. In fact, the Bible warns us in Proverbs 16:25 (NKJV), “There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.” Only our Good Shepherd knows the right path. That’s why we must put Him first in every decision and follow Him one step at a time.
The clearest way we hear our Shepherd’s voice is from His Word. Meet Him daily as you read the Bible. That’s what David did. He said, “Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.” Psalm 119:105 (NLT) The Spirit of God will use the Word of God to reveal to you the will of God. And like David, your Shepherd will guide you in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.