The Lord is my Shepherd

The Lord is my Shepherd

“The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. 
He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. 
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 
Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.”
                 Psalm 23:1-6.
Is the Lord truly your Shepherd? How much do you trust him.
On one of my other blogs today I noted that I have Bipolar Affective disorder. Simply put my moods can range from high highs to low lows and in my case untreated the will do that several times day.
When I’m high no one can do anything fast enough or good enough for me it’s get out of the way let me do it.
When I’m low all I want to do is roll up in a ball and die.
It’s not demon possession as one person told me. It’s a chemical imbalance in my brain.
But especially when I’m depressed I am so glad I know the Lord. Now my condition is controlled by medication. But I still have down times. Time when suicide does cross my mind.
Those are the days I’ve learned to draw extra close to God.
Long before I was diagnosed with my illness I had accepted Jesus as my Lord and Saviour, as the Shepherd of my life.
I learned to turn to Him each day to ask him to guide me and direct me. To keep me in the valley of the shadow of death.
I believe that early foundation that was laid in my life prepared me to go through all the problems I’ve had in life.
I know what it is like to be in the valley of the shadow of death. You’re there when you’re so depressed that it physically hurts and suicide seems to be the only way out.
Long ago before I met Christ I would have committed suicide but now I see depression as a time to draw near to God.
There is a poem called Footprints that hangs on my livingroom wall it says,
"One night a man had a dream. He dreamed he was walking along the beach with the LORD. 
Across the sky flashed scenes from his life. For each scene, he noticed tow sets of footprints in the sand; one belonging to him, and the other to the LORD.
When the last scene of his life flashed before him, he looked back at the footprints in the sand. He noticed that many times along the path of his life there was only one set of footprints. He also noticed that it happened at the very lowest and saddest times in his life:
This really bothered him and he questioned the LORD about it. “LORD, you said that once I decided to follow you, you’d walk with me all the way. But I have noticed that during the most troublesome times in my life, there is only one set of footprints. I don’t understand why when I needed you most you would leave me.”
The LORD replied, “My precious, precious child, I love you and I would never leave you. During your times of trial and suffering when you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you.” 
This I believe is true. Though the darkest times in our life Jesus is there for us.
If we truly have made him Lord of our life we simply have to turn to him and say “Gentle Shepherd I need thee now and always.”
And he will answer.
Think about it.