The Good Shepherd

" 7It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. 9Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? 10For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. 11For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it." As Christians we don't always walk in the truth of this reality. Often times we resist, rather than embrace, the correction of our loving Father. Praying for relief, begging for a way out, trying desperately to convince Him that we know what's best (and this [pain] ain't it!). Similar to a child with a flu in the doctors office for immunizations. Just like that child we often forget that it's our "sickness", if you would, that has landed us here- and the Physician knows just what we need to healed. Instead of trusting the Doctor to deliver us from the ultimate pain and suffering as a result of our state, we ignorantly kick and scream trying desperately to avoid the very means He's using to restore us to health. <----Sad but true. Another thing to note is how v.10 says that God disciplines us for our good so that we might share in His holiness. This is really good news since according to v.14 "...without holiness no one can see the Lord", and we can't do it ourselves. The "comfort" of God Psalm 23:4 - Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. Did he just say that God's comfort is His rod and staff?? Psalm 23 is probably the most quoted piece of scripture from all of God's word. But what does this mean? Verse 4 of this Psalm paints a picture of God’s "comfort" as being the love of God showing forth His care and concern for His flock. The terminology that God has utilized in this verse, is an allusion to the Shepherd’s crook or staff, and the valley of the shadow of death, is a picture of the sheep that wanders in the dark valley without his shepherd. As you'll see in the story below a Shepherd will always CARE for his sheep. He doesn’t just chastise them for his good pleasure, but, rather, lovingly corrects them, if needed. Perhaps THIS is the crux of the problem within the current mindset of Christianity? Have we become such an arrogant people that we think we are above being corrected by God? Have we become so self-esteemed that we think we don’t need to obey correction from God? I pray it is not so. God's correction often times comes by way of His Word. The simple action that is required, is obedience from our heart of thankfulness. This obedience CANNOT be offered to God by necessity, nor by works. All obedience to God must be rendered to Him from the love that He has already shed abroad in our hearts. It's reciprocal; we love Him because He first loved us(1JN4:7-21). One question we might ask is: If this correction/discipline is to comfort us then why do the rod and staff not feel comfortable? Could it be that we have not submitted ourselves to the Word of God? Have we gone our own way? Do we know what awaits us down the road of life? These are things we should consider on a regular basis. God knows our submission, or rebellion, to His Word. He knows if we are following His path or our own ways. When His rod and His staff comforts us, sometimes it doesn’t seem like it’s being directed from the hand of our loving Father. If you haven't found out yet, there will surely come a time when you'll see it is not "comfortable" to be poked and prodded with the rod and staff of God, but it is certainly necessary to our well-being to keep us from falling off of a spiritual or maybe even physical cliff. Consider the story below, in your eyes is that viewed as done out of the heart of a loving and caring shepherd? Correlate it to the love our Chief Shepherd has for us. A sheep story One day a tourist was visiting a small sheep farm. Even though the farm was small, she witnessed the well-kept barns and sheds. In one shed, she noticed a sheep lying on a pile of straw. The sheep had a broken leg. She asked the farmer, "How did the sheep break its leg?" "I broke it", responded the farmer. A horrified look came upon the woman's face. "How could you do such a thing?" she asked. "Of all the sheep in my flock," answered the farmer, "this one was the most wayward. Often he would wander off to the verge of perilous cliffs. Not only was he disobedient himself, but he was continually leading the other sheep astray. That's why I broke his leg." "The first day after I broke his leg, I brought him food and water. He tried to bite me. So I left him alone in this shed for a couple of days. When I returned with food and water, he was happy to see me. Now when I come to him, he licks my hand." "This sheep now shows every sign of submission and obedience. Now let me tell you something. When this sheep is well, as he soon shall be, he will be the model sheep of my flock. He will be the quickest to hear me and the one who stays closest beside me. To the other wayward sheep, he will be an example of obedience. He has been transformed by his suffering." There are times in our lives when God has to break us. He has to break our stubbornness, our pride, our self-sufficiency. He does it because He loves us. If God did not break us, we would, as sheep, stray into all kinds of dangers. Because he breaks us, we lead changed lives. We learn to obey Him, follow Him, and be dependent on Him. The discipline of God is almost never pleasant, but the God who loves us dearly disciplines our lives for our good. Brothers and Sisters... Jesus, the "Messiah", is just that- our Deliverer! He is the one who is willing and able to deliver us out of snares, whether they be a test from the enemy of God, or a result of our own disobedience! Can you see the picture presented in the story of the shepherd? Can we expect any less from the Chief Shepherd? One of my greatest concerns in this day in which we live, is that we are caught unaware of the real deficit in the Body of Christ. Please do not be hasty to attribute every small inconvenience in your life to the work of the enemy! Preserve the honor that is due God! There is no power, nor any circumstance in your life, which He is NOT in absolute control over! Not one! As His child nothing can touch you except that the finger of God has appointed it. These things are meant for our good, not for our destruction. God knows exactly what it takes for you to be conformed to the exact image of His Son. I always say, If there is any doubt as to the happenings in the life of a person who is considered righteous by God’s standards, I would remind you of Job. He was perfect, upright, and feared God. Did this absolve him of any tests in his life? No, in fact it qualified him! In closing, I want to encourage you to welcome the rod and the staff of God. No matter hard it gets, or how much pain is involved, stay in fellowship with God to taste and see that the Lord is good! You can know Him, and all that He represents in your life, by studying His Word. This will at least help you have the right perception of the "comfort" you experience as His sheep. Let the truth and love of Him reflect from His Word into your life, especially when it hurts. Like a dear friend wrote on his twitter page this week: "A fear for the unrepentant man is that God may break your leg. But what's even more scary is if he doesn't, you may not be his sheep."