Who you think God is, is the most important question you can answer. Framing up the character of God and how he relates to you is the most important thing you can resolve in your thinking. Unfortunately, scripture can be used to paint all sorts of narratives about God, but at his core, God is a loving father who chooses to define himself as a good shepherd, a shepherd who is kind to his sheep and leads them peacefully to green nourishing fields.
Psalm 23 NLT Pause and think about each point as you read through this Psalm
The LORD is my shepherd; I have all that I need.
He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams.
He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name.
Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.
You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. You honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings.
Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the LORD forever.
A shepherd walks among his sheep; sometimes he walks behind them, sometimes in front of them and sometimes in the middle of them. The shepherd makes sure the sheep have all that they need.
He is the shepherd, you are his sheep. God lets you rest in him while he meets your needs. He leads you down healthy, productive paths in life and is glorified as you experience his promises in your life. His promises are an invitation into his divine nature. His divine nature in you is a source of life that strengthens and restores you.
Even when you mess up of face loss in this world, God is right there with you. God may even lift you up and carry you through tragedy when you can't find the strength for another step. He will not leave you for dead, he will not abandon you. All the while, he is leading you to that place of blessing, that place of nourishing green grass.
God places his spirit in you to guard your heart and help you renew your mind so those pesky lies that buzz around your head don't settle in your thinking and take root to destroy your life. He pours his spirit over you from within you heal the wounds that you've received from walking through this dark world. He oils you up with his spirit so the attacks of the enemy slide off and bring no harm to you. While he's protecting you he daily loads you with benefits and fills up your life with his blessings.
You can rest assured, knowing for a fact, that God's intentions toward you and his plans for you are kind and merciful. God walks with you moment by moment just because he wants to be with you, God wants you to live with him forever. The LORD your God is actually pursuing you so he can shed abroad his love in your heart and kindle his grace within you to bring about his character within you. He sees you as a precious child and is only seeking to lead you to a place where he can meet your needs, be kind to you and enjoy your company.
The LORD your God is a good shepherd and he can be trusted!
AMEN!!!
