Expect Changes

Psalm 23:1-6

The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want" (v. 1). That must be one of the most familiar quotations from the Old Testament. Everybody has some kind of shepherd. Jeremiah said, "It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps" (Jeremiah 10:23). We are like lost sheep, not able to guide our own lives. We need a shepherd. Who is your shepherd?

When the Lord is your Shepherd, what will happen in your life? First, you live a day at a time.  "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life" (v. 6). Psalm 23 talks about all the days of our lives, and they are lived one day at a time when the Lord is our Shepherd. Someone has said that the average person is being crucified between two thieves - the regrets of yesterday and the worries of tomorrow. Consequently, he can't enjoy today.

Second, when the Lord is your Shepherd, you "listen to His voice." In John 10:27 the Lord Jesus said, "My sheep hear My voice." The Shepherd does not drive His sheep from behind. Rather, He calls them from ahead. How do we listen to the Lord's voice? Through the Word of God and from the leadings of the Holy Spirit within.

Third, when the Lord is your Shepherd, you "must expect changes." You may have green pastures and still waters. Then you go through the valley of the shadow of death. You have a table in the presence of your enemies. Then you live in the house of the Lord (heaven) forever. You will experience changes in life. Expect them; don't be afraid of them.

When you follow the Shepherd, the future is your friend, because the Lord is going before you. Live one day at a time, following the Shepherd, and you won't have to be afraid.

Some people fail to adapt to life's inevitable changes. As a believer, you need never fear the future. Trust the Shepherd, who goes before you, and listen to His Word. Commit this day to the Lord and thank Him for His guidance.

~Warren W. Wiersbe~