Three Characterizing Activities of the Lord as our Shepherd.

The Shepherds Forced Rest on His Sheep —Psalm 23:2.

The hardest lesson I have to learn is that periodically I must stop and pause in life.

Pausing is not easy for me. (Four factors contribute to my resistance to stopping).

The unexpected and uncertainties of life scare me.

I feel I’m in competition with my thoughts and emotions. It seems they want to dominate my life and gain a superior status over me, leaving me feeling inferior, Philippians 4:8 “8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” Isaiah 26:3 “3 You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.”

I’m constantly distracted by flies, small annoyances in life that bug me.

I’m consumed with anxiety over erroneous assumptions in my life, Matthew 6:25-32.

Instead of stopping, I panic and run, Psalm 55:6, life becomes hectic, I deal with the commotion of life instead of dealing with fear, tension, agitation, and anxiety, by making the demands of life more severe; I ask more of me than I have to give, unrealistic expectations.

My problem, Isaiah 30:15 “15 For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, “In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.” But you were unwilling,” I’m dying of thirst because I am permitting my stuff I’m dealing with to keep me from drinking in spite of God’s grace being in abundance to meet my need, Psalm 23:2b.

Now that God has initiated a forced stop in my life, he now must settle me down and lead me to a place of rest, a place of trust, a place of confidence, a place where I rely on Him and focus on Him without anything that will distract me.

Sheep will not drink from rivers or running streams; timid and easily frightened. They will die of thirst in spite of water being available. There are two things the shepherd must do for the sheep to get some water.

Dam up the river, put something in the way and take the sheep to the water. There are times when God has to pile stuff in your way to get you drink.

Scratch out a ditch and brings the water to the sheep. There are times when God has to re-route your life in order for you to drink.

God is not in any way hampered by my hang-ups, he will make a way.

Important take-aways from forced stops in my life.

Because I don’t always know what’s best for me or what I really need, I need God’s help.

God put’s pressure on my life in order to turn from rushing to resting, from commotion to calm, from demands to decompressing, Psalm 23:2a; Matthew 11:28 “28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

God can see farther than I can, he knows the beginning from the end.

What God has planned for me today, is always with his eye on my tomorrow’s, Psalm 27:14 “14 Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!” 2 Timothy 1:7 “7 for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.”

2 Corinthians 3:5 “5 Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God,”

It was on a bright June morning in 1872, that a young woman and wife of 37 years old was busy in a kitchen tending to her regular household task. “Suddenly,” in her words, “I became so filled with a sense of nearness of the Master that, wondering how one could live without him, either in joy or pain, these words came to me, ‘I need thee every hour.’”

The Shepherds Favored Restoration of his sheep —Psalm 23:3.

Ever found yourself in the position of being flat of your back, feet in the air, and the harder you tried to fix your mess, the deeper you dug yourself in a ditch? Ever been in a place where it seemed you would never get back on your feet? Sheep do this all the time!

It is the tendency of sheep to become “cast” or become a “cast sheep.”

Even the best sheep can find themselves in a position where they can’t get back on their feet, and giving the sense they’re down and out.

Sheep have this tendency to lie down in hollow depressions in the ground. It will roll back and forth to get comfortable, stretch, and relax. The center of gravity shifts, and the sheep shifts enough where their feet no longer touch the ground.

Panicking, they dig themselves deeper and deeper into the ditch. Their body will fill with gas, there is nothing they can do, and sheep end up dying in the ditch.

Like sheep, I am not theoretically helpless —I am absolutely helpless.

Psalm 42:11 “11 Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.”

“Restore” Hebrew means, “make a linear motion back to a point previously departed. It is the picture of the shepherd putting the sheep back on their feet.

I’ve become complacent in life, life has become cluttered and complex. I find myself in place where I’m comfortable and I settle in and watch life go by.

The more I live here, the deeper I dig myself in ditch I cannot get out of, I’m in dangerous place of dying in a ditch.

Just because I’m down does not mean I’m out!

I’ve failed God, but I’m not out. God is not disgusted, frustrated, or even done with me. God is not thinking, “you’ve dug your hole, lay in it.”

He is willing to leave the ninety and nine to come looking for me, Luke 15:4-7 “4 “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? 5 And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6 And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ 7 Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.”

He is willing to express compassion on my pathetic life, Matthew 9:36 “36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.”

Even the best of us end up in the ditch at some point in life, Galatians 6:1 “1 Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.”

A.God will set you back on your feet, Psalm 51:12 “12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.”

The Shepherd’s focused guidance on the right path —Psalm 23:3.

Restoration denotes change, being set back on our feet means we take a different path, change direction. I’ve learned valuable lessons through experience, and determine to shift the course of my life.

If left to myself, I will follow the same path until it becomes a rut.

God must keep my life moving or I will never progress forward. God has a pre-determined plan of action that is both deliberate and directional.

Following my own path only leads to disaster, Proverbs 14:12 “12 There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.”

I’m invited to follow Jesus, but this comes at a great price, Mark 8:34 “34 And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”

Following Jesus is a pivotal point in my Christian life, it can be both exciting and yet at the same time challenging.

I have to make the choice of accepting the challenges and the cost of following Jesus, get exciting over the fresh and new ways God will reveal himself to me. I can remain in familiar pastures and follow the same path I’m on and live a life that is going nowhere.

God leads in many right paths that my life demands.

Path of peace; to subdue what’s scaring me; fear.

Path of prayer; to eradicate my anxieties; anxieties.

Path of perspective; to ignore the flies or what’s bugging me; agitation.

Path of pushing back; positive affirmation through God’s promises in order to prevent my thoughts and emotions getting the best of me; tension.

Closing: How do I know that I am on the right path?

I’m loving Jesus and others more than myself.

I’ve decided not to follow the crowd, but live distinct and different.

I’ve forfeited my rights and refuse to make life about me.

I’m not fault finding and always asking ‘why?’ I accept the circumstances with an attitude of gratitude.

I’m cooperating with God even if I don’t understand.

I’m following Jesus instead of my own path.