The Republican., 1940-08-15

ance, safety, security-all words eX-
pressing the deep desires of the hui
man heart-fttingly characterize the
blessed and beautiful Shepherd
Psalm which is our lesson next Sun
day.
Here the soul meets God in per-
sonal, intimate fellowship-in the
promise of provision for every need,
deliverance from every danger, the
assurance of both present and ul-
innate blessing. 1t has become the
best known of all psalms and per-
haps the favorite scripture of most
Christians.
Familiarity may cause US to miss
the blessing of such scripture pas
sage. To help us to make a fresh
approach to this Twenty-third
Psalm, let us follow the suggestion
of Dr.. W. E. Barnes and think of it
as describing the journey of life. We
find that we may go forth
1. In the Care of Sure Guide
(vv. l, 2).
Nothing is more important in trav-
ersing an unfamiliar land than to
have a competent guide. The jour-
ney of life is pilgrimage through a
land unknown to us, with its many
pleasant places, but also its bowling
wildernesses, its pitfalls and its enc
mics in ambush.
"The Lord is my shepherd" If l
am in His flock He will guide me,
care for me and give me the joy
of green pastures and still waters.
The expression "maketh me to lie
down. ". p is worthy of special
comment-that all too often we be-
come too busy or too important to
take the rest we should have, and
the Good Shepherd has to "bend the
knee" of the sheep and make him
lie down, sometimes even by the
force of sickness, or of trying cir
cumstance. Why do we make it
necessary for our Shepherd to thus
deal with us?
II. With Every Need Provided
wv. 3-5).
We are needy people, constant
ly dependent on the loving provision
of our God. DR.. J. H. Jowett says
that man has three enemies: Q) The
sin of yesterday, from which he can
not get away; (2) the temptation of
today, made more powerful by the
pressure of the clever and insidious
seducer, Satan; and (3) the fear of
death which awaits him tomorrow.
Good Shepherd, wilt Thou meet
these mine enemies for me? eyes"
comes His answer through the
psalmist.
For the sin of yesterday there is
the restoring of the soul. Every
where the power of God is evident,
restoring that which has been de-
stroyed or broken down, healing the
wound; but nowhere is it more evil
dent or blessed than in His restora-
tive ministries to the soul. He
cleanses from sin, gives peace
through His Word, joy through a
hymn or bit of poetry, comfort in
the fellowship of friend.
For today-"He leadeth me in the
paths of righteousness for his
names sake" The world offers
many by-paths, and makes them
seem to be the right way, but my
heavenly Guide will lead me in the
way of righteousness. This He does,
not because of any merit in me,
but for His own dear names sake
for "the praise of the glory of his
grace" (Eph. 16). That cares for
the need of today.
But tomorrow, or on some tomor-
row, l must go the way of all flesh
and (unless Jesus comes) l must
walk through the valley of the
shadow of DEATH" Even there need
"fear no evil" The Good Shepherd
is as much with me in the dark and
swelling waters of that valley as He
was with me "beside the still wa
ters." Little wonder that this psalm
has been the comfort of tens of thou
sands of believers in Christ as they
have passed through that valley.
Why will anyone do without this
Christ, who is the Good Shepherd
(John 10:1D?
Every need finds it's full satisfac-
ton: enemies are discounted, the
oil of gladness anoints our heads,
and our cups run over as we go on
III. To a Destination Certain and
Blessed ". g..
Not all who set out upon Jour-
ney reach their goal, but the Lord
has never lost one of those entrusted
to His care (John 17:12). Goodness
and mercy through all the days of
our lives would lead only to ultimate
disappointment if they did not bring
us to the Fathers house.
In that house there are "many
mansions" or abiding places John
14:2) prepared for us by our Lord.
We know we shall come to that
blessed journeys end with safety,
because He will bring us there, to
60 in and out no more forever.
To study such a lesson is to Gre
ate the desire in ones heart that
all men should know about this Good
Shepherd, to be brought into His
flock. Reader, do you know Christ
as your Saviour and the Shepherd of
your soul? If not, will you not come
to Him now by faith?