The Shepherd Soothes

I am a news junkie who enjoys keeping up with happenings in the world. Television broadcasts, the newspaper, and the internet offer news coverage 24/7. As a child, I thought current events were boring, something I had to report on every Friday in Social Studies. Now I find them fascinating.

A professor once said if you never read any part of the newspaper but one, make it the Editorial Page. That is where readers get varying opinions on both sides of an issue, and then make up their own minds. It's called Critical Thinking.

These past couple of weeks, I had to limit my news viewing because I was overdosing on the grim attacks around the world. The ugly threat of terrorism permeated my thoughts. So, I withdrew a little.

What really helped me was a Bible study I attended. It was a video class led by Ray VanderLaan, a Bible teacher at Holland Christian High School in Michigan. He teaches several excellent video Bible studies, filmed in the Holy Land. (Click here for more information.)

This particular video was on Jesus as the Good Shepherd, who gave his life for the sheep. The location was the Negev desert. VanderLaan taught standing in the midst of very bleak, hot, dry, dusty conditions--actually the scenery looked much like Arizona. In the background, were young children tending their families' herds of sheep.

With that as a backdrop, this excellent teacher proceeded to educate us on the characteristics of sheep:

• They're helpless without a watchful shepherd.
• If they fall over, they're unable to right themselves. The shepherd must do that. If he/she doesn't, the animal dies.
• They cannot drink from flowing water--it must be "still waters." (See where this is leading?)
• At night, the shepherd of Bible days slept in the gate to the fold (actually he was the gate) so the sheep wouldn't escape and predators could not enter.
• The desert that serves as their buffet table, is not lush green grass. Rather it is very sparse and has just enough foliage for one day. The shepherd moves the herd to other patches daily.  He gives them their "daily bread."
• A few goats will be in the herd but they will not outnumber the sheep. Sheep tend to follow the goats and we all know goats often go rogue. (Life lesson: never follow a "goat.")

Click here to learn about a good book by Phillip Keller called, A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23. If you read it, the 23rd Psalm will come alive for you.

Back to my being a newsie. When I walked out of that Bible study, I felt soothed. After a week of terrifying news of a world spinning out of control, I needed comfort. And I received it through remembering I have a Shepherd who is watching over all of us. He cares, he loves, and, he wins (I read the Book!).

Take heart. When the current evil overwhelms you, remember God loves all of us and he is in control. Jesus defeated evil on the cross. God's presence can be with us even in the midst of unspeakable atrocities.

Read the Twenty-third Psalm every morning for the next several days and be soothed.

Have a blessed Thanksgiving week. Whether you're alone or with loved ones, take time to let God's presence and love flow over you.