I must remember that while positionally God sees me perfect in Christ, practically He sees me as a sheep, sometimes strong and sometimes weak, sometimes obedient and sometimes vacillating. I see that in the sheep’s psalm. Psalm 23.
While God the Shepherd is portrayed as competent and capable in the psalm, the sheep is not. Often the sheep is obedient and follows closely by the Shepherd’s side and so enjoys green pastures and quiet waters. But sometimes I am a disobedient sheep and so must be “driven” in the right paths. I sometimes need the rod and the staff and their discipline, which is painful at the moment, but it ultimately brings its “comfort” (v. 4). Sometimes I am fearful, especially at the approach of any cavern, cleft, or valley While every valley has its fears, the valley of death has the greatest fear of all, and so I need the extra assurance of my Shepherd’s presence, which enables me to “fear no harm” (v. 4, margin).
Sometimes I am surrounded by my enemies, but even then God arranges things so that in their sight I am provided a table, a provision, and an oversight by my thoughtful, concerned Shepherd. He wants to show my enemies that I made no mistake in putting my trust entirely in Him.
There also are times when my cup simply overflows. Those are times when I cry out with wonder, “Why me, Lord? Why me?” When I receive those overwhelming times of joy, it is not because I am good, but because my Shepherd is and He simply desires to share His goodness with me. In fact, He pursues me with “goodness and mercy” (v. 6, KJV) until He brings me safely into His eternal home.
What shall I say of a God who understands me so fully and provides for me so completely? “Great is the Lord, and greatly [deserves] to be praised” (Psalm 96:4).
“Thou art a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, and one who relents concerning calamity” (Jonah 4:2).
Daily with the King 