“He guides me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.” (Psalm 23:3 NASB1995)
According to Philipp Keller, sheep must continually move ahead. When sheep stay put, it is detrimental to the pasture and the beast alike. Sheep are destructive creatures: employing the same paths, eating the same grass to the root, returning to same place until it is disease and parasite ridden.
A good shepherd plots a course and pastures his sheep on a rotation. They don’t let the flock stall out long enough to destroy everything. And when the shepherd opens the gate to a new land, the sheep are ecstatic. They are convinced: if their shepherd is leading them there, it must be good land.
This morning a gate has opened to me. The Good Shepherd is beckoning me to a new pasture; a path of righteousness I had not foreseen. I want to respond with joy: with delight in His nearness, His involvement, His good plans for prospering my soul. I’ve read that even old ewes will jump at the chance to graze upon fresh pastures. What about the weary? The deeply disappointed?
Today I am choosing joy. I am acknowledging that it is the Lord Himself propping the gate awry and calling my name; “Come follow Me.” I am trusting in His unfailing omniscience. He knows every square inch of His holdings. If He’s calling me forth, it must be good. I’m leaning into His pasture plan, convinced that He knows my needs and proclivities. I am going out with joy.
"For you will go out with joy and be lead forth with peace; The mountains and the hills will break forth in shouts of joy before you, and al the trees of the field will clap their hands." (Isaiah 55:12 NASB1995)
Lord, thank You for loving us enough to lead us into new pastures for our benefit. We acknowledge that we don’t fully understand why, but we trust Your sovereignty. You see what still remains hidden to us. We lean into Your understanding instead of our own. We commit to follow closely, glad to go anywhere with You. Please help us run through the gate with joy; confident enough in Your nature to know that the next season will be good, too. Amen.