The Meadow Is Looking Mighty Good Right Now...

"God is my shepherd! I don't need a thing. You have bedded me down in lush meadows; you find me quiet pools to drink from. True to your word, you let me catch my breath and send me in the right direction. Even when the way goes through Death Valley, I'm not afraid when you walk at my side. Your trusty shepherd's crook makes me feel secure.  You serve me a six-course dinner right in front of my enemies. you revive my drooping head; my cut brims with blessings. Your beauty and love chase after me every day of my life. I'm back home in the house of God for the rest of my life."   Psalm 23:1-6 (The Message) 

When a ruddy little shepherd boy named David needed rest - he talked to his Heavenly Father in a way that related to his experiences out in the fields and the lush grassy hills surrounding Jerusalem.  

God has a way of "pulling us away" to a place of rest and restoration.  Sometimes it is by invitation, or by His divine appointment.  Other times it is through His grace and coercion. When the weight of the world is pressing down and a sense of heaviness invades your soul, steal away time to refresh yourself.  


Rest:  freedom from activity or labor; a state of inactivity; peace of mind or spirit.


Jesus often spoke to the crowds that were pressing in around Him and comforted them with these words, "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28). 

Oswald Chambers had this to say regarding Matthew 11:28 ~
   "God means us to live a fully orbed life in Christ Jesus, but there are times when that life is attacked from the outside, and we tumble into a way of introspection which we thought had gone. Self-consciousness is the first thing that will upset the completeness of the life in God, and self-consciousness continually produces wrestling... Anything that disturbs rest in Him must be cured at once, and it is not cured by being ignored, but by coming to Jesus Christ... The great solution is the simple one - "Come unto Me."

Sheep have a natural propensity to stay near their shepherd. They watch his every move and look to him for their mobility and safety.  They follow him along craggy stone paths, and meander near him in the thick meadow as they graze.  Their shepherd's presence frees them up to rest and refresh without anxiety or panic.

Our Shepherd is a good shepherd and gives His life for His sheep (John 10:11).  Our Shepherd knows His sheep and they know Him (John 10:14).

Isaiah 40:11 tells us, "He [God] will feed His flock like a shepherd; and carry them in His bosom, and gently lead those who are with young."  

When you are overwhelmed with life's demands and pressures, start looking for a meadow.

Your meadow might be a walk in your neighborhood or park.  It might be stealing a half hour for yourself while the kids are playing, or listening to uplifting music in your car. Take in nature's wonders and reflect on your heavenly Father's love and care for you.  Use that time to read His Word and delve into the Psalms.  One of my favorites is Psalm 55:6, "Oh, that I had wings like a dove!  For then I would fly away and be at rest." 

I wrote this poem in the Spring of 2003. May it minister to your very soul  ~

Enter My Rest...

Family and workloads, deadlines and tests,

weary and tired, surely hard pressed;

other's demands and schedules left

weighing on shoulders meant for much less.

Daughter of Mine...enter My Rest.

Steep is the path of life's daily trek -

hard is the road that leads to His best.

Often no thanks or kindness is shown,

only a sharp reply they confess.

Daughter of Mine...enter My Rest.

Lay aside weights and all heaviness,

leaving behind the hurt and the pain.

Let me restore what value is left.

Come...pull away - be free and be blessed.

Daughter of Mine...enter My Rest.

DL McCarragher 

Deborah is the author of a Christian non-fiction book titled “Mission Possible”.  It is written for women who love the Lord Jesus, but their spouse doesn’t share their passion.  It will encourage and challenge the reader to embrace God’s promises for their spouse and future together.  Visit

http://www.spirituallyunevenmarriage.com

The Meadow Is Looking Mighty Good Right Now...

I AM The Good Shepherd

In Scripture, Jesus is portrayed as our Shepherd:

John 10:11... I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd gives His life for the sheep.  (Provider – Caretaker)

I Peter 5:4 …and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away.
(Protector – Sustainer – Guide)

Hebrews 13:30 …that Great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant. (Trustworthy – Protector)

Jesus tells us in Luke15:4-6 the parable of the lost sheep: “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!”

In biblical times, shepherds were employed to tend, feed and guard the sheep. Abel, Rachel and David were all keepers of sheep. The shepherd’s equipment consisted of a scrip made of goat’s skin with legs tied, and in which was placed food & other articles. He usually carried a sling to protect himself and the sheep against wild animals. He carried a rod (stick) about 30 inches long with a knob on one end. He had a staff that looked like our walking cane, usually with a crook on one end. Oftentimes he carried a flute made of reeds to entertain himself and comfort his sheep. He led his sheep, and knew them all by name, and they knew his voice.  In the villages, Jewish shepherds kept their flocks in communal sheepfolds. These sheepfolds would have had gatekeepers who knew all the shepherds who kept their sheep there. As he entered through the gate, and walked among the sheep, only his own sheep would respond to him, thus following him out to the pasture.

John 10:3-5 states, “To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” Jesus was of course illustrating the relationship between Himself and His spiritual children (believers).

The Old Testament often portrays God as the Shepherd of Israel. Psalm 78:52 says, “But he made His own people go forth like sheep, and guided them in the wilderness like a flock”; Psalm 95:7, “For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand”; and Psalm 100:3 tells us, “Know that the Lord, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.” Then, in Ezekiel 34:31, “You are My flock, the flock of My pasture; you are men, and I am your God.” Says the Lord GOD. Isaiah 53 tells us that the Messiah came to redeem His wayward flock as portrayed in verse 6: “All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way…” Jesus fulfilled His role as our Great Shepherd (I Peter 5:4) through the New Covenant – His blood.


Psalm 23, written by King David, was a vivid tribute to his LORD – calling Him his very own shepherd. David knew the qualities that a shepherd possessed, and he eloquently penned what he felt in his heart regarding the love he had for his God. We have a beautiful picture of provision, nourishment, refreshment, protection, consolation, exaltation, and contentment as David worshiped in this very personal psalm.

David was called a “man after God’s own heart”, and I can’t help but wonder if just maybe Jesus had a special place in His heart for shepherds…

I AM The Good Shepherd