"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want" Psalm 23:1
The job of a shepherd is a tedious one that requires the demonstration of the Fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, kindness, self-control, goodness, and faithfulness—toward its flock. Jehovah-Raah is our Shepherd who gently guides us, his flock, along our journey, who lovingly keeps us on the path, who searches for us when we lose our way.
Psalm 23 is one of the most well-known scriptures in the Bible that fully displays what connection with Jehovah-Raah, "The Lord Our Shepherd", looks like. The words by King David state"
“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. 3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. 5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.”
The 23rd Psalm is the perfect roadmap in order to develop a meaningful relationship with God, and allowing him to become Jehovah-Raah in our lives. David makes his case painstakingly clear:
1. “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want”: God is your guide who will help you navigate through life. You will not have to worry because he will provide everything you will need for the journey.
2. “He maketh me lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters”: God encourages us to abide so we can learn more about him and his purpose for our lives.
3. “He restoreth my soul; he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake”: Communing with God enables him to restore our faith in him, and replenish our empty spirits in preparation for lies ahead.
4. “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou are with me; thy rod and they staff they comfort me”: We do not have to fear because God is with us providing his light along the path and never abandoning us when we’re weary or afraid.
5. “Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over”: Abiding with God opens the door to his favor, and the surety that he is our protector and provider who fights battles on our behalf.
6. “Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever”: Being connected to the Most High means we are surrounded by, and infused with, his goodness and mercy. All we need to do is abide and to walk in faith.
Allowing Jehovah-Raah to be our Shepherd should provide us with the faith that he will light our way along the dark paths of our lives, the confidence that he will never leave us, and the surety that our connection will lead us to the will, the purpose, and the plan that God has for our lives.
_________________________________________________
If you have been blessed by the "Praying the Names of God" Fall Selah blog series, then please share it with your family and friends. Click here to read all of the blogs in this series in their entireity.
