"When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice." John 10:4
In scripture, Jesus is often referred to as the good shepherd and we are by analogy the sheep but have you ever thought about how that passage pairs with Psalm 23:2 that simply says, "He leads beside still water." Why is this still water important and what does it mean. I believe that God's desire in our lives is peace in our heart. Scripture says in 1 Corinthians 14:33 - “For God is not a God of confusion but of peace. As in all the churches of the saints.” As a sheep why is that important and what is Jesus trying to do for us. Well let's think about this whole thing. Start with one simple fact. One gallon of water weighs 8.33 lbs. If a sheep is walking along a raging river and walks in to the river to get a drink, his wool would get wet. When it get's wet it will swell and fill with water eventually becoming so heavy that the sheep would likely fall over, get washed away by the river and possibly drown. If the water is still and calm, a sheep can walk in, get a drink and more than likely be able to wade through it without danger to the other side.
So when the shepherd leads his sheep he is leading them near still waters rather than a raging river because he knows the sheep wander around while they eat. That is consistent with how God wants to lead us. He wants us to have peace rather than chaos. He wants us to be safe in this world when we follow Him rather than wander out on our own terms. It is when we are away from the Shepherd that we become most at risk, getting bloated by the world and swept away in the power of the deep waters that tempt us with a drink but really threaten us when we become swelled with sin. To put this in perspective, think about that one time you got wet with your clothes on. It felt great to get those wet clothes off because the weight was considerable. Sin is like that. It weighs us down and keeps us off balance putting us at risk. The answer is this, follow the Shepherd, listen to His voice and walk with Him beside the still waters.
Have a great week.
Preach
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