Wednesday 19 April 2017

My Shepherd

My Shepherd
The Psalmist writes,
“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
We as Christians believe we have a personal relationship with our God. A God who loves us unconditionally and wants us to be with him in heaven. Who even entered the world he created to point us to Heaven,
Christians believe Jesus when he said,
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy;
 I have come that they may have life,
 and have it to the full. 
“I am the good shepherd. 
The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” 
                                                                                                    John1:10,11
We believe Jesus is the Son of God. The Saviour of mankind. The “Good Shepherd” who laid down His life for us. The apostle Paul writing to the Romans said,
“And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. 
You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.  
Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die.  
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:5-8.
God loved us so much that he sent Jesus to die for our sins. C. S. Lewis said,
“The Christian does not think God will love us because we are good, but that God will make us good because He loves us.”  C.S. Lewis.
Jesus speaking of himself said,
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:16,17.
All of this takes faith. The writer of Hebrews telling us,
“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for 
and certain of what we do not see.”  
                                                                               Hebrews 11:1
“And without faith it is impossible to please God, 
because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists 
and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” 
                                                                                                 Hebrews 11:6
What do you believe?
Please think about it.

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