THE PSALM OF THE SHEEP -- Devotional for July 12, from "Good Seeds"

For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord gives grace and glory, and no good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly. O Lord of hosts, how blessed is the man who trusts in Thee! (Psalm 84:11-12)

This psalm is the song of the faithful sheep, responding to his loving Shepherd. The hymn, “Where He Leads Me, expresses it this way:
I can hear my Savior calling…
Take thy cross and follow, follow Me.
I’ll go with Him through the judgment…
I’ll go with Him, with Him, all the way.
He will give me grace and glory…
And go with me, with me, all the way.
Where He leads me, I will follow…
I’ll go with Him, with Him, all the way.
How do we know we can trust this Shepherd, that we can follow Him wherever He leads? First, He is our SUN and SHIELD. He lights our way, and warms our hearts. “Because the Lord is my Shepherd, I have everything that I need,” reads the Twenty-third Psalm, in the Living Bible paraphrase. He is my Provider, but also my Protector, my Shield against all harm. “Though I may fall, I will not ultimately fail, for He holds my hand” (Psalm 37:24). I may fall into the pit of disease, or despair, or seemingly senseless suffering. Or (shudder!) I may fall into self-serving sin, and pay the consequences in my body and spirit. And yet, I will be rescued from “the pit” – the place of ultimate punishment and separation reserved for Satan and all who prefer to follow the snake than the Savior! This promise of ultimate salvation is what makes John 3:16 the most beloved verse in the Bible: “…whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish (enter eternal torment), but have everlasting life.” “I’ll go with Him through the judgment,” with my face held high – not standing on my own righteousness, for the best I can offer is but filthy rags – but “standing on the promises of God,” which means standing in the righteousness of Christ. Second, He gives GRACE and GLORY. Grace is the gift of life, and then all the subsequent resources to survive and thrive in that life. Glory is joy. Now, in this life our joy is mixed, and often interrupted, but someday it will be unmitigated, pure and, well, glorious! He gives me “all this (grace), and heaven, too (glory).” Although there may be things I ask for now that He does NOT give me (and it’s my good fortune that He does NOT!) – still, the promise stands that what is actually and ultimately the best for me, He will not withhold, but bless me with it, at just the right time. In the meantime, my job is simple: keep walking uprightly – in His grace; keep waiting patiently – in this place; and keep looking intently – on His face!