Author: glensmith73

Christ the Shepard, Not Me:

The Lord Is My Shepherd
Psa 23:1  A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 
Psa 23:2  He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. 
Psa 23:3  He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. 
Psa 23:4  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. 
Psa 23:5  Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. 
Psa 23:6  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 guiding presence of the shepherd keeps the sheep from running the wrong path to where he has planned for them to go. Many time we see this scripture and envision ourselves traveling the path of righteous for HIS name sake and justifying ourselves by some unseen righteousness of our own that we believe have earned or worked out. That as sheep we depend on Christ keeping us going the right direction and following the path that the Shepard has created for us to go to green pastures and drink of the cool waters of the stream. We expect a life of no harm, no troubles, not one trial coming to us because we are one of Jesus Christ saved by grace as the David the Psalmist wrote I see them falling around me but I am still here. Troubles came to David on all sides some by other forces out of his control some by his very actions but he still proclaimed that for not God I would have perished. Paul declares he is persuaded that nothing will sperate me from the God not life not even death. A shepherd is known by his keeping of sheep. They know his voice and when he approaches from afar to move them from pasture to pasture. If where to guide and make our own path we might find that we will head in the wrong direction and will need the Shepard guiding presence to navigate us back to the fold. In the end we all where or are sheep gone astray needing and depending on the Shepherd to be there. Hear the call, answer the call for angels in heaven rejoice over the finding of one soul as the shepherd rejoices of finding the lost sheep.

For by Grace does God Appear unto man!!

23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;

Grace is something better experienced than explained. What does Grace do for you and I? For by Grace are we saved through faith. Grace has been explained as favor given to those who do not deserve it. Noah found favor in the eyes of God and was spare the flood! Grace was showed to many through out the bible and continues to work today. The Bible teaches us and many believe one cannot see God and live to tell about it. Through the eyes of man we see God extended grace to all. For if this is not seeing God in the world today then what is. Yes we see God in the earth by creation and every living creature. By Grace we see God in the purest form there is loving the unlovable! Who would thought that Gods love in the form of Christ offer the sacrifice taking the cross to bare the burden of sin. As we look for God let us not look so close we miss the very image of him in His grace.

Titus 2:11

For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all mean.

John 1:14

And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.

Exodus 33:18/34:30 Moses seeing Gods Glory.

Found But Not Lost!

Genesis 6:1-8

But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.

In a time of darkness one man was able to be found doing right. One cannot say the darkness is greater than the light or darkness overcomes the light with evil. One verse we can look to is John declaring that “greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world”. We can sometimes be overwhelmed with the world but through grace we are found not lost. Every day we fight the fight of faith to keep the flame of the candle we have been given burning bright. How did Noah do the impossible when a time on earth was continually evil with no hope. All we know is that he did right in the eyes of God. No law to follow no Gospel to study and letters of the Apostle Paul to remind him each day to put on the Whole Amour of God Ephesians 6:11. How had this man been found to be right in the eyes of the Lord? We may never truly know on this side of life. All one can do is look to Grace and know by Grace we are saved thru faith Ephesians 2:8-9. Be encouraged to run the race set before us all and trust the plan of God. One thing to not forget is to walk in righteousness of Christ eschew evil and follow Grace that in the end we will be found and not lost. Peace and Grace to all.

Throw Away People

John 4

The woman at the well – don’t know her name or much really about her. To many she was a throw away married more than once. And the man she was with was not her husband but still yet many probably saw her as disposable. Christ saw something nobody else did, faith that needed to be turned loose.

Judges 3: Rehab the Harlot

She had heard of the Israelites coming and how they have conquered other cities like Jericho. The spies found security in the presence of Rahab. She hid them in the roof. They made an oath with her that if she hung a scarlet cord from the window they would not kill her family and her. What a story of faith and where others saw a cast away or a disposable person God saw an opportunity to save.

We live a society that has become accustom to quickly disposal and get a new one over night. The need for instant gratification has become the king of our world.

Ruth 1

The very idea of her can make one to be a little in question about the need of who we are. Ruth the Moabite saw that she was not anything special but she saw the need to continue on. God takes the ordinary and leads them to places of great opportunity. For it is his pleasure I believe to take the ordinary thing of the world and confound the wise and includes those that would be thrown away from his view because the don’t have value to man.

Hopefully we learn form this that if we feel like that is us or we are just down and out or like we are throw away people. Remember God takes the foolish things of the word to confound the wise.

Nobody But Me

We like to look and find fault when things do not work the way we want them to. We blame others, situations , bad timing, or just bad luck. As with all things we must focus on The Father Son and Holy Ghost and examine everything. The Apostle Paul could have blamed a lot people and even the devil for the way his life had gone from preaching the gospel of Christ to being in prison awaiting judgment. His flesh could have took over and declared it was those around him and even blame God for what was happening. He made up his mind to continue the mission of preaching Christ. Unto the end of his life he stayed fast to the course and ran the race at full speed. Not allowing the situation to determine his purpose. We to can be like Paul and continue the race that we have been given. We may not stand in front of thousands or hundreds declaring Christ but we can be faithful to follow and declaring the salvation of the World is by Christ. Stand fast, hold firm and pray without stopping.

Out Of The Ashes:

Isaiah 61:3

To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;

Each morning rise and shine.

The sun comes up and we arise.

The night sleep in the eyes.

Shake the ashes from the flesh.

The day comes with joy planned but mourning can soon follow.

The praise of the savior in the lips.

Let the ashes fall and like the phoenix rise to new day.

Lay the heaviness aside.

Take up the praise of the new day we are alive.

Man of the Wild

Man of the wild was he.

Long hair and straggly beard he wore with pride.

His loin cloth he wore as a king wore a robe.

His booming voice trumpeted of the coming king “make a way for him to come in your hearts”.

With water he did purify the saints, but with blood he did pay the price.

Oh man of the wild could you see the decrease?

Could you tell the future of what was to come?

Be not dismayed oh man of the wild fringe for he that comes is to save and heal, and yours is to prepare the way.

Oh man of the wild.

Everyone Has A Story:

1 Peter 3:15 Be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear.

We all have a story to tell that has shaped us and made us who we are. We sometimes have opportunities to share those moments with others. If those moments come let us not be ashamed of the testimony of God in our lives. Let us be bold in sharing those moments that have shaped and made us. To share where He has brought us from with others is one of the most blessed things we can do. The old hymn says this is my story this is my song praising my savior all the day long. Not only does our testimony witness of God divine nature in our lives but shares the praise of His glory. As I look back on life and realize that at times luck was not the blessing, but God in His infinite wisdom kept me and even at times my path was not the one, he had purposed for me. I can say my story has been one of ups and down and dead ends but at each moment I find He has not left or forsaken me. The poem Footprints in the sand gives us the best illustration of our Heavenly Father always being there.