John 10:11
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.
God will take the very things that were meant to destroy you and turn them into a life that brings Him glory. I am forever thankful for turning my life over to Him. Thank you God for loving me! I know the plans that God has for us and they are good! Carla
Psalm 23:1-3
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.
3 He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake. NKJV
The word pictures David uses for God come from his own life and experience. He had been a shepherd in his youth (1 Samuel 16:19).
Any disturbance or intruder scares sheep. They are very fearful animals and cannot lie down unless they feel totally secure. David uses eloquent language to express his view of the abundant care God gives to His people. Sheep are afraid of fast-flowing streams. God’s provision of still waters has a soothing effect and calms the sheep. God refreshes His people with His quiet voice and gentle touch. For this reason, the sheep know the Shepherd and are known by Him (John 10:14). For The loving actions of the Shepherd proceed from His nature. The NKJV Study Bible
Yahweh is my shepherd. The psalmist portrays Yahweh as a shepherd, a common depiction throughout the Old Testament. The metaphor emphasizes His care for and protection of His people (28:9; Isaiah 40:11). He is also called the shepherd of Israel (Psalm 80:1). Several times, the title is specifically applied to His care of Israel in the wilderness (77:20; 78:52–53). Grassy pastures emphasizes ideas of nourishment and abundance. As shepherd, Yahweh cares for and provides for the psalmist (Ezekiel 34:14–15). The Hebrew word used here for quiet, menuchah, emphasizes rest and security. Yahweh provides for all the psalmist’s needs (Isaiah 32:20).
He describes a quiet path of life (Proverbs 12:28). To be led on these paths is to enjoy Yahweh’s protection (Psalm 1:6). Yahweh’s protection and care of the psalmist is not only for the psalmist’s sake, but for the sake of Yahweh’s name (or reputation). Faithlife Study Bible
Psalm 31:3
For You are my rock and my fortress;
Therefore, for Your name’s sake,
Lead me and guide me.
Psalm 5:8
Lead me, O LORD, in Your righteousness because of my enemies;
Make Your way straight before my face.
Revelations 7:16–17
They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
Philippians 4:19
And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
This isn’t about what I “believe”—my theology, or creed on paper. This is about where my heart grounds itself—and the choices I make consciously or not, from that grounding. (And yes, often without me “realizing” or owning it.)
We do indeed live in a world where it is easy to be swept up—and consumed or hooked—by social media, or the hype from viral buzz.
“It's easy enough to see why so many people seem to be losing heart,” Jon Katz writes. “Watching the news, I feel confused and powerless and sometimes, angry. The forces against what I perceive as good sometimes seem to be growing stronger by the day—greed, consumerism, racism, militarism, the corporate monster running lose, the fight for individualism. This was precisely the challenge St. Francis faced hundreds of years ago, in a time much darker than ours. He had to figure out his true self, what it meant to live a life that was generous and meaningful. He learned that the antidote to confusion, division and paralysis was a return to simplicity, one step at a time, one person at a time, one good thing at a time, the right-in-front-of-you idea of searching for the light and living with the darkness. His genius was that he saw what was hidden in plain sight. It was so simple it is almost impossible to see. The deeds you do may be the only sermon some people will ever hear, he wrote. ‘We have been called to heal wounds,’ Francis wrote, ‘to unite what has fallen apart, and to bring home those who have lost their way.’”
And I say, “Yes. And Amen.”
So. One step at a time, one person at a time, one good thing at a time.
In a world that prizes status, power, monetary dominance, and prestige, let us not lose track of, or forget, those left behind.
And let us pause, and say “thank you” to those who say “No” to lies and falsehoods, and say “Yes” to compassion and kindness, investing in matters of the heart and soul and spirit, creating places of sanctuary and healing.
“But if I live and take no stand,
My weapon is ambivalence.
So peace be what I live and breathe
and plant within my children” Sarah Hart
I’m a storyteller. And when I hear a good story I ask, “What is the invitation? And what am I too easily pretending not to see? And what are the resources at my core, that I may have forgotten?”
You see, great stories make space. Because great stories are not just about finding a moral, or an invitation to take sides. Except to take the side of life. And Wholeness. And Wellbeing. And Compassion.
Whenever we forget that everyone is a child of God, who begins with unique divine DNA (“an imago Dei that begs to be allowed, to be fulfilled, and to show itself,” writes Richard Rohr), we lose sight that we are wired to care. Wired to give a damn. Wired to not let anyone fall through the cracks of distrust or hatred or suspicion.
Bottom line? I need to take Elie Wiesel to heart. “We must take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented. Sometimes we must interfere. When human lives are endangered, when human dignity is in jeopardy, national borders and sensitivities become irrelevant. Wherever men and women are persecuted because of their race, religion, or political views, that place must—at that moment—become the center of the universe.”
There is a lot of talk today about “radical” politics on both sides. The word raises eyebrows and ire. And creates FB prattle. But did you know that radical comes from the Latin word radix, meaning “root”? In other words, to be “radical” is to cut to the root of the issue, to deal with causes, not just symptoms.
So. Back to St. Francis. He lived with the very radical idea to choose weakness instead of strength, vulnerability instead of righteousness, truth instead of practicality, honesty instead of influence.
We cannot change the world except as we have changed ourselves.
We can only give who we are and what we are.
We can't just pray, we must be the prayer.
Sabbath Moments
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