Me, a rascally little sheep.

As the deer longs for the water-brooks, so longs my soul for you, O God. My soul is athirst for God, athirst for the living God; when shall I come to appear before the presence of God? Why are you so full of heaviness, O my soul? And why are you so disquieted within me? Put your trust in God; for I will yet give thanks to Him, who is the help of my countenance, and my God. Psalm 42

Oh GOD, Thou art my God, early will I seek Thee: my soul thirsteth for Thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry thirsty land where no water is: to see Thy power and Thy glory. Because Thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise Thee.

Great peace have they which love Thy law: and nothing shall offend them. –John Baillie

The biblical sense of the word “offend” means to fall into sinful ways. And the whole thing of sin is to not trust Him but to dash off onto my own tangled and lost paths, mostly in the meditation of my heart.

My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

And the thing about the sheep and Shepherd metaphor found in God’s Word over and over is that those little sheep do not have to fret or be concerned about the future one little bit. Actually, they are pretty much incapable of it, they are so clueless about it all, what lies ahead.

Well, except for the lions and tigers and bears. And dark valleys. And stuff like that. Stuff that is way too big and too scary for little sheep.

But the Shepherd isn’t clueless. He knows what is what. And He is strong enough and ready enough and even willing to lay down His life for His sheep.

And all that little rascally sheep needs to do is to know His voice and follow Him without fear. And full of giving thanks. The Joy Dare every day.

To see His power and His glory.

Let the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my Strength and my Redeemer. Amen.