The Shepherd leaves no footprints, so we follow Him by faith.

Crossing Red Sea

“The Lord is my Shepherd,” David wrote of the One who leads us to quiet rest and restoration. But sometimes life doesn’t look like that and frankly, we wonder where the Shepherd is because we can’t see Him or understand all the turbulence and chaos around us.

I re-read Psalm 77 the other day, and it recounts the crossing of the Red Sea. I usually skip over parts like that. You know, I’ve seen the movie umpteen times. But this time, I noticed how really violent, scary, and threatening the whole scene was as described in the Psalm. Thunder, lightning, an earthquake, a whirlwind, the waters were writhing and convulsing.

No going back, right into Pharaoh’s chariots. No side moves, into walls of water. Only one choice, straight ahead. It was God, getting His people to where He had promised to take them: Freedom from bondage.

Asaph says: “Your path led through the sea; Your way through the mighty waters, though Your footprints were not seen. You led Your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.”

God is always at work, whether we see and understand it or not. He is a Shepherd who leaves no footprints because we follow by faith. We trust that He will get us there because He is the Good Shepherd with an amazing track record.

SHEPHERD

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Watching over little lambs

A SHEPHERD’S SONG OF PRAISE

By David, Jesse’s son

Just as I am a shepherd who watches over his sheep,
so also the LORD is my Shepherd
who cares for my every need.

For instance, when I am weary,
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
or when I feel stressed,
He leads me beside slow, soothing streams.
My time with Him renews me completely.
Like a sheep, I tend to wander off,
but He always steers me in the right way,
so that I may honor His Great Name.

Because the Lord is my Shepherd
I am never afraid.  Even if I were walking
through a dark valley in danger of imminent death,
I would fear no evil,
because You are with me.
It comforts me to know that,
like a shepherd armed with rod and staff,
You are fully able to protect me from any harm.

You prepare a feast for me, blessing me so openly
that my enemies look on with envy.
You pour the oil of gladness on my head,
welcoming me as a friend to your banquet.
The cup you offer me never runs dry.
In fact, it continuously overflows!

All this convinces me
that I will enjoy good things
every day of my life,
that I will always be secure in His love,
and that when this life is over
I will go to live in the house of the Lord
forever.

Amen.

–My translation, from my book, “A Harvest of Miracles.” Houston: Halcyon Press, 2009.