MY - Shepherd...

The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall NOT want....

The Lord, the Creator, the One and Only Sovereign God, the Owner and Keeper of all that was, that is and that will ever be...  This omnipotent supreme creator poured His self into the creation of the world, and all of its inhabitants, not the least of which was His prize creation, man, and from the man's rib, woman...

He created these beings to walk with Him, to converse with Him and to commune with Him in everlasting peace and beauty.  But; due to the influence of the evil one, man chose to sin with His eyes wide open, and choose his own way over that of Almighty God.  Condemning the entire human race to physical and spiritual death.

However; He had a plan, through the annals of time to provide complete redemption for man, through the sacrifice of His very own Son.  Today dear folks I am here to tell you - that Savior is My Lord...

The Lord is MY Shepherd, I have chosen HIM, to learn to die to myself and allow His Lordship and Leading to be the only influence that I listen to - forsaking all others before Him.  That through that submission and yielding HE will make me a better Son, a better Brother, a better Husband, a better Father, a better Grand-Father, a better Friend and a better servant to Christ as well as those around me.  He is My Shepherd, to His Voice I will harken, I will keep my eyes on Him, for in my flesh I know if I take my eyes off my Shepherd, I will truly lose my way.

The Lord is MY Shepherd; I shall NOT want...         Oh Dear Father in Heaven, hear my voice, hear my cries for strength, for my Heart Longs for Jesus, yet my flesh is so weak.  Please give me strength to continue forward, one second at a time, one heart beat at a time, one step at a time.  Don't let me look back for a second, purge from my heart the desires of this world, let me thirst for that Living Water every second of my life...  Help me remember that You and You alone will meet my needs, and when my heart is yielded to you, you will meet my wants as they align with your will.  In that knowledge, in that walk, I Truly Shall NOT Want for anything but more time with You and Your Mercy, Grace and Blessing.

Yes LORD, You are My Shepherd, to whom I have learned to love in the depth and core of my Heart and Mind...  You alone know the depth of my pain and emptiness, and have filled me to overflowing with the Water that Eternally quenches the thirst of a man's heart.  As you sanctify this heart and life, Lord let me speak your precious name to everyone you place on my path that is seeking a Shepherd of Peace.  Keep me on the path of righteousness in spite of the arrows and stones I endure, and I will praise you all the days of my life.  Glory to Your Mighty Name - Jesus the Christ & Lord...

rchall

Peace, Be Still…

One of my favorite Christian Male Vocalist is Mr. Allan Hall.  On his album “House of a Thousand Dreams”, he recorded a piece titled “Nearer My God To Thee / Peace Be Still”.  I have played this work quite a bit lately, for through the valleys we crave that closeness with our Heavenly Father.  This song, exemplifies the heartfelt desire to be closer / nearer to God when walking those valley floors.

Here are the words to that beautiful piece by Allan Hall…

Nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer to Thee!
Even though it be the cross that raiseth me,
Still all my song shall be, nearer, my God, to Thee.

Nearer, my God, to Thee,
Nearer to Thee!

Though like the wanderer, the sun gone down,
Darkness be over me, my rest a stone.
Yet in my dreams I'd be, nearer, my God, to Thee.

Nearer, my God, to Thee,
Nearer to Thee!

He says peace, peace be still
Lifts His hands, peace be still

And like a child the winds obey Him
When He says peace be still

He says peace, peace be still
Lifts His hands, peace be still

And like a child my heart obeys Him
When He says peace be still
Hear His voice peace be still

We as Christians, still physically bound to the sinful flesh, sometimes yield that closeness to our Heavenly Father for our own will, desires, and judgments.  We allow circumstances to weaken our faith, and decide to take things into our own hands.  We get tired of waiting on God, and conjure our own solutions to life’s problems.

As many great Biblical men of our past have learned, God’s time is not necessarily our desired time frame.  But just as Moses, Joshua, Abraham and Sarah learned, God answers prayer, in His time and for His purpose.  We are to continue our prayer, earnestly, with conviction and heart, He hears the prayers of righteous men and women with no un-confessed sin in their hearts.  He hears those prayers and answers them in His Good Time and Will.

While praying and waiting, we must pray to be nearer, closer, and humbled in His presence, so that we will hear His voice in the quiet of His rest.  If we become impatient and rush to our own conclusions and answers to the problem, we will get the result of that hasty decision.  Which in most cases, causes great pain, not just to ourselves but to those we love and care for around us.

To hear His voice in our lives and heart – we must be peaceful – quiet, we must be still, recognizing both His sovereignty in our Lives, as well as His Authority in this world…  Nothing passes through the annals of time without passing through His Hand.  All things, regardless of their appearance to us at the time, are to work for good, and His Glory.

We must learn to draw close to Him in the bad times as well as the good times…  Yes, when everything is going well, our faith must continue and build, so that when we enter the Valleys, we are already praying and reaching for His hand.  Trust, comes with open eyes to look back over our lives to see His hand consistently working in our lives.  Faith, is believing in that which you don’t necessarily see, while we don’t see Him physically, we can and do see the results of His work in our lives.  Thank Him, for everything, even the little things that you may feel insignificant…  It is in that heart of Thanks that you see His Face, His Love and His Work in your life, in the little things as well as the big ones.

Dear Father, draw me nearer to Thee…  Help Me Dear Jesus, to cling to Your Peace, and be Still – forever waiting on Thee!