YEA THOUGH I WALK THROUGH THE VALLEY
OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH ....
FROM A SHEPHERD'S point of view this statement marks the
halfway stage in the Psalm. It is as though up to this point the
sheep has been boasting to its unfortunate neighbor across the
fence about the excellent care it received from its owner on the
"home" ranch throughout the winter and spring.
Now it turns to address the shepherd directly. The personal
pronouns "I" and "Thou" enter the conversation. It becomes a most
intimate discourse of deep affection.
This is natural and normal. The long treks into the high
country with their summer range begin here. Left behind are the
neglected sheep on the other side of the fence. Their owner knows
nothing of the hill country - the mountain meadows to which these
sheep will be led. Their summer will be spent in the close
companionship and solitary care of the good shepherd.
Both in Palestine and on our western sheep ranches, this
division of the year is common practice. Most of the efficient
sheepmen endeavor to take their flocks onto distant summer ranges
during summer. This often entails long "drives." The sheep move
along slowly, feeding as they go, gradually working their way up
the mountains behind the receding snow. By late summer they are
well up on the remote alpine meadows above timberline.
With the approach of autumn, early snow settles on the
highest ridges, relentlessly forcing the flock to withdraw back
down to lower elevations. Finally, toward the end of the year as
fall passes, the sheep are driven home to the ranch headquarters
where they will spend the winter. It is this segment of the
yearly operations that is described in the last half of the poem.
During this time the flock is entirely alone with the
shepherd. They are in intimate contact with him and under his
most personal attention day and night. That is why these last
verses are couched in such intimate first-person language. And it
is well to remember that all of this is done against a dramatic
background of wild mountains, rushing rivers, alpine meadows and
high rangelands.
David, the psalmist, of course knew this type of terrain
first hand. When Samuel was sent of God to anoint him king over
Israel, he was not at home with his brothers on the "home" ranch.
Instead he was high up on the hills tending his father's flock.
They had to send for him to come home. It is no wonder he could
write so clearly and concisely of the relationship between a
sheep and its owner.
He knew from firsthand experience about all the difficulties
and dangers, as well as the delights, of the treks into high
country. Again and again he had gone up into the summer range
with his sheep. He knew this wild but wonderful country like the
palm of his own strong hand. Never did he take his flock where he
had not already been before. Always he had gone ahead to look
over the country with care.
All the dangers of rampaging rivers in flood; avalanches;
rock slides; poisonous plants; the ravages of predators that raid
the flock or the awesome storms of sleet and hail and snow were
familiar to him. He had handled his sheep and managed them with
care under all these adverse conditions. Nothing took him by
surprise. He was fully prepared to safeguard his flock and tend
them with skill under every circumstance.
All of this is brought out in the beautiful simplicity of
the last verses. Here is a grandeur, a quietness, an assurance
that sets the soul at rest. "I will not fear, for thou art with
me ..." - with me in every situation, in every dark trial, in
every dismal disappointment, in every distressing dilemma.
In the Christian life we often speak of wanting "to move
onto higher ground with God." How we long to live above the
lowlands of life. We want to get beyond the common crowd, to
enter a more intimate walk with God. We speak of mountaintop
experiences and we envy those who have ascended the heights and
entered into this more sublime sort of life.
Often we get an erroneous idea about how this takes place.
It is as though we imagined we could be "air lifted" onto higher
ground. On the rough trail of the Christian life this is not so.
As with ordinary sheep management; so with God's people, one only
gains higher ground by climbing up through the valleys.
Every mountain has its valleys. Its sides are scarred by
deep ravines and gulches and draws. And the best route to the top
is always along these valleys.
Any sheepman familiar with the high country knows this. He
leads his flock gently, but persistently up the paths that wind
through the dark valleys. It should be noticed that the verse
states, "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of
death." It does not say I die there, or stop there - but rather
"I walk through." .....
I was keenly aware of this consolation when my wife went to
"higher ground." For two years we had walked through the dark
valley of death watching her beautiful body being destroyed by
cancer. As death approached I sat by her bed, her hand in mine.
Gently we "passed" through the valley of death. Both of us were
quietly aware of Christ's presence. There was no fear just a
going on to higher ground.
For those of us who remain on earth, there is still a life
to live here and now. There are still valleys to walk through
during our remaining days. These need not be "dead end" streets.
The disappointments, the frustrations, the discouragements, the
dilemmas, the dark, difficult days, though they be shadowed
valleys, need not be disasters. They can be the road to higher
ground in our walk with God.
After all, when we pause to think about it a moment, we must
realize that even our modern mountain highways follow the valleys
to reach the summit of the passes they traverse. Similarly the
ways of God lead upward through the valleys of our lives.
Again and again I remind myself, "O God, this seems terribly
tough, but I know for a fact that in the end it will prove to be
the easiest and gentlest way to get me onto higher ground." Then
when I thank Him for the difficult things, the dark days, I
discover that He is there with me in my distress. At that point
my panic, my fear, my misgivings give way to calm and quiet
confidence in His care. Somehow, in a serene quiet way I am
assured all will turn out well for my best because He is with me
in the valley and things are under His control.
To come to this conviction in the Christian life is to have
entered into an attitude of quiet acceptance of every adversity.
It is to have moved onto higher ground with God. Knowing Him in
this new and intimate manner makes life much more bearable than
before.
There is a second reason why sheep are taken to the
mountain/tops by way of the valleys. Not only is this the way of
the gentlest grades, but also it is the well watered route. Here
one finds refreshing water all along the way. There are rivers,
streams, springs and quiet pools in the deep defiles.
During the summer months long drives can be hot and
tiresome. The flocks experience intense thirst. How glad they are
for the frequent watering places along the valley route where
they can be refreshed.
I recall one year when an enormous flock of over 10,000
sheep was being taken through our country en route to their
summer range. The owners came asking permission to water their
sheep at the river that flowed by our ranch. Their thirsty flocks
literally ran to the water's edge to quench their burning thirst
under the blazing summer sun. Only in our valley was there water
for their parched flesh. How glad we were to share the water with
them.
As Christians we will sooner or later discover that it is in
the valleys of our lives that we find refreshment from God
Himself. It is not until we have walked with Him through some
very deep troubles that we discover He can lead us to find our
refreshment in Him right there in the midst of our difficulty. We
are thrilled beyond words when there comes restoration to our
souls and spirits from His own gracious Spirit.
During my wife's illness and after her death I could not get
over the strength, solace and serene outlook imparted to me
virtually hour after hour by the presence of God's gracious
Spirit.
It was as if I was being repeatedly refreshed and restored
despite the most desperate circumstances all around me. Unless
one has actually gone through such an experience it may seem
difficult to believe. In fact there are those who claim they
could not face such a situation. But for the man or woman who
walks with God through these valleys, such real and actual
refreshment is available.
The corollary to this is that only those who have been
through such dark valleys can console, comfort or encourage
others in similar situations. Often we pray or sing the hymn
requesting God to make us an inspiration to someone else. We
want, instinctively, to be a channel of blessing to other lives.
The simple fact is that just as water can only flow in a ditch or
channel or valley - so in the Christian's career, the life of God
can only flow in blessing through the valleys that have been
carved and cut into our own lives by excruciating experiences.
For example, the one best able to comfort another in
bereavement is the person who himself has lost a loved one. The
one who can best minister to a broken heart is one who has known
a broken heart.
Most of us do not want valleys in our lives. We shrink from
them with a sense of fear and foreboding. Yet in spite of our
worst misgivings God can bring great benefit and lasting
benediction to others through those valleys. Let us not always
try to avoid the dark things, the distressing days. They may well
prove to be the way of greatest refreshment to ourselves and
those around us.
A third reason why the rancher chooses to take his flock
into the high country by way of the valleys is that this is
generally where the richest feed and best forage is to be found
along the route.
The flock is moved along gently - they are not hurried.
There are lambs along which have never been this way before. The
shepherd wants to be sure there will not only be water but also
the best grazing available for the ewes and their lambs.
Generally the choicest meadows are in these valleys along
the stream banks. Here the sheep can feed as they move toward the
high country.
Naturally these grassy glades are often on the floor of
steep-walled canyons and gulches. There may be towering cliffs
above them on either side. The valley floor itself may be in dark
shadow with the sun seldom reaching the bottom except for a few
hours around noon.
The shepherd knows from past experience that predators like
coyotes, bears, wolves or cougars can take cover in these broken
cliffs and from their vantage point prey on his flock. He knows
these valleys can be subject to sudden storms and flash floods
that send walls of water rampaging down the slopes. There could
be rock slides, mud or snow avalanches and a dozen other natural
disasters that would destroy or injure his sheep. But in spite of
such hazards he also knows that this is still the best way to
take his flock to the high country. He spares himself no pains or
trouble or time to keep an eye out for any danger that might
develop.
One of the most terrible threats is the sudden chilling
storms of sleet, rain and snow that can sweep down through the
valleys from the mountain peaks. If sheep become soaked and
chilled with a freezing rain, the exposure can kill them in a
very short time. They are thin-skinned creatures, easily
susceptible to colds, pneumonia and other respiratory
complications. I recall one storm I went through in the foothills
of the Rockies in early summer. The morning had been bright and
clear. Suddenly around noon enormous dark, black, forbidding
clouds began to sweep down over the hills from the north. A
chilling wind accompanied the approaching storm. The sky grew
blacker by the hour. Suddenly in mid afternoon long streamers of
rain and sleet began to sweep across the valley. I ran to take
shelter in a clump of stunted, wind-blown spruce. The rain soaked
me through. As it fell it cooled the whole country. The rain
turned to sleet, then to commingled snow and hail. In a short
time the whole mountain slope (in mid Julyl) was white and
frozen. Ominous darkness shrouded the whole scene. The sheep
sensed the storm approaching. Perhaps the flock would have
perished if they had not raced away to find shelter in the steep
cliffs at the edge of the canyon.
But in these valleys was where the grass grew best and it
was the route to the high country.
Our Shepherd knows all of this when He leads us through the
valleys with Himself. He knows where we can find strength, and
sustenance and gentle grazing despite every threat of disaster
about us.
It is a most reassuring and reenforcing experience to the
child of God to discover that there is, even in the dark valley,
a source of strength and courage to be found in God. It is when
he can look back over life and see how the Shepherd's hand has
guided and sustained him in the darkest hours that renewed faith
is engendered.
I know of nothing which so stimulates my faith in my
heavenly Father as to look back and reflect on His faithfulness
to me in every crisis and every chilling circumstance of life.
Over and over He has proved His care and concern for my welfare.
Again and again I have been conscious of the Good Shepherd's
guidance through dark days and deep valleys.
All of this multiplies my confidence in Christ. It is this
spiritual, as well as emotional and mental exposure to the storms
and adversities of life that puts stamina into my very being.
Because He has led me through without fear before, He can do it
again, and again, and again. In this knowledge fear fades and
tranquility of heart and mind takes its place.
Let come what may. Storms may break about me, predators may
attack, the rivers of reverses may threaten to inundate me. But
because He is in the situation with me, I shall not fear.
To live thus is to have taken some very long treks toward
the high country of holy, calm, healthy living with God. Only the
Christian who learns to live this way is able to encourage and
inspire the weaker ones around him. Too many of us are shaken up,
frightened and panicked by the storms of life. We claim to have
confidence in Christ but when the first dark shadows sweep over
us and the path we tread looks gloomy we go into a deep slump of
despair. Sometimes we just feel like lying down to die. This is
not as it should be.
The person with a powerful confidence in Christ; the one who
has proved by past experience that God is with him in adversity;
the one who walks through life's dark valleys without fear, his
head held high, is the one who in turn is a tower of strength and
a source of inspiration to his companions.
There are going to be some valleys in life for all of us.
The Good Shepherd Himself assured us that "in this world ye shall
have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the
world" (John 16:33).
The basic question is not whether we have many or few
valleys. It is not whether those valleys are dark or merely dim
with shadows. The question is how do I react to them? How do I go
through them? How do I cope with the calamities that come my way?
With Christ I face them calmly.
With His gracious Spirit to guide me I face them fearlessly.
I know of a surety that only through them can I possibly travel
on to higher ground with God. In this way not only shall I be
blessed, but in turn I will become a benediction to others around
me ho may live in fear.
.................
To be continued
A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 Thy Rod and Staff comfort me
THY ROD AND THY STAFF COMFORT ME
WHEN THE SHEPHERD is afield with his flock in the high
country, it is customary for him to carry a minimum of equipment.
This was especially true in olden times where the sheepman did
not have the benefit of mechanized equipment to transport camp
supplies across the rough country. Even today the so-called
"shepherd shacks" or "cabooses" in which the herder spends his
lonely summers with the sheep are equipped with only the barest
essentials.
But during the hours that he is actually in the field the
sheepman carries only a rifle slung over his shoulder and a long
slender staff in his hand. There will be a small knapsack in
which are packed his lunch, a bottle of water and perhaps a few
simple first aid remedies for his flock.
In the Middle East the shepherd carries only a rod and
staff. Some of my most vivid boyhood recollections are those of
watching the African herdsmen shepherding their stock with only a
long slender stick and a rough knob-kerrie in their hands. These
are the common and universal equipment of the primitive sheepman.
Each shepherd boy, from the time he first starts to tend his
father's flock, takes special pride in the selection of a rod and
staff exactly suited to his own size and strength. He goes into
the bush and selects a young sapling which is dug from the
ground. This is carved and whittled down with great care and
patience. The enlarged base of the sapling where its trunk joins
the roots is shaped into a smooth, rounded head of hard wood. The
sapling itself is shaped to exactly fit the owner's hand. After
he completes it, the shepherd boy spends hours practicing with
this club, learning how to throw it with amazing speed and
accuracy. It becomes his main weapon of defense for both himself
and his sheep.
I used to watch the native lads having competitions to see
who could throw his rod with the greatest accuracy across the
greatest distance. The effectiveness of these crude clubs in the
hands of skilled shepherds was a thrill to watch. The rod was, in
fact, an extension of the owner's own right arm. It stood as a
symbol of his strength, his power, his authority in any serious
situation. The rod was what he relied on to safeguard both
himself and his flock in danger. And it was, furthermore, the
instrument he used to discipline and correct any wayward sheep
that insisted on wandering away.
There is an interesting sidelight on the word, "rod," which
has crept into the colloquial language of the West. Here the
slang term "rod" has been applied to hand-guns such as pistols
and revolvers which were carried by cowboys, and other western
rangemen. The connotation is exactly the same as that used in
this Psalm.
The sheep asserts that the owner's rod, his weapon of power,
authority and defense, is a continuous comfort to him. For with
it the manager is able to carry out effective control of his
flock in every situation.
It will be recalled how when God called Moses, the desert
shepherd, and sent him to deliver Israel out of Egypt from under
Pharaoh's bondage, it was his rod that was to demonstrate the
power vested in him. It was always through Moses' rod that
miracles were made manifest not only to convince Pharaoh of
Moses' divine commission, but also to reassure the people of
Israel.
The rod speaks, therefore, of the spoken Word, the expressed
intent, the extended activity of God's mind and will in dealing
with men. It implies the authority of divinity. It carries with
it the convicting power and irrefutable impact of "Thus saith the
Lord."
Just as for the sheep of David's day, there was comfort and
consolation in seeing the rod in the shepherd's skillful hands,
so in our day there is great assurance in our own hearts as we
contemplate the power, veracity and potent authority vested in
God's Word. For, in fact, the Scriptures are His rod. They are
the extension of His mind and will and intentions to mortal man.
Living as we do in an era when numerous confused voices and
strange philosophies are presented to people, it is reassuring to
the child of God to turn to the Word of God and know it to be His
Shepherd's hand of authority. What a comfort to have this
authoritative, clear-cut, powerful instrument under which to
conduct ourselves. By it we are kept from confusion amid chaos.
This in itself brings into our lives a great sense of quiet
serenity which is precisely what the psalmist meant when he said,
".... thy rod ... comfort[s] me."
There is a second dimension in which the rod is used by the
shepherd for the welfare of his sheep - namely that of
discipline. If anything, the club is used for this purpose
perhaps more than any other.
I could never get over how often, and with what accuracy,
the African herders would hurl their knob-kerries at some
recalcitrant beast that misbehaved. If the shepherd saw a sheep
wandering away on its own, or approaching poisonous weeds, or
getting too close to danger of one sort or another, the club
would go whistling through the air to send the wayward animal
scurrying back to the bunch.
As has been said of the Scripture so often, "This Book will
keep you from sin!" It is the Word of God that comes swiftly to
our hearts, that comes with surprising suddenness to correct and
reprove us when we go astray. It is the Spirit of the Living God,
using the living Word, that convicts our conscience of right
conduct. In this way we are kept under control by Christ who
wants us to walk in the ways of righteousness.
Another interesting use of tbe rod in the shepherd's hand
was to examine and count the sheep. In the terminology of the Old
Testament this was referred to as passing "under the rod"
(Ezekiel 20:37). This meant not only coming under the owner's
control and authority, but also to be subject to his most
careful, intimate and firsthand examination. A sheep that passed
"under the rod" was one which had been counted and looked over
with great care to make sure all was well with it.
Because of their long wool it is not always easy to detect
disease, wounds, or defects in sheep. For example at a sheep show
an inferior animal can be clipped and shaped and shown so as to
appear a perfect specimen. But the skilled judge will take his
rod and part the sheep's wool to determine the condition of the
skin, the cleanliness of the fleece and the conformation of the
body. In plain language, "One just does not pull the wool over
his eyes."
In caring for his sheep, the good shepherd, the careful
manager, will from time to time make a careful examination of
each individual sheep. The picture is a very poignant one. As
each animal comes out of the corral and through the gate, it is
stopped by the shepherd's outstretched rod. He opens the fleece
with the rod; he runs his skillful hands over the body; he feels
for any sign of trouble; he examines the sheep with care to see
that all is well. This is a most searching process entailing
every intimate detail. It is, too, a comfort to the sheep for
only in this way can its hidden problems be laid bare before the
shepherd.
This is what was meant in Psalm 139:23, 24 when the psalmist
wrote, "Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my
thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me
in the way everlasting."
If we will allow it, if we will submit to it, God by His
Word will search us. There will be no "pulling the wool over His
eyes." He will get below the surface, behind the front of our old
self-life and expose things that need to be made right.
This is a process from which we need not shrink. It is not
something to avoid. It is done in concern and compassion for our
welfare. The Great Shepherd of our souls has our own best
interests at heart when He so searches us. What a comfort this
should be to the child of God, who can trust in God's care.
Wool in Scripture speaks of the self-life, self-will,
self-assertion, self-pride. God has to get below this and do a
deep work in our wills to right the wrongs which are often
bothering us beneath the surface. So often we put on a fine front
and brave, bold exterior when really deep down below there needs
to be some remedy applied.
Finally the shepherd's rod is an instrument of Protection
both for himself and his sheep when they are in danger. It is
used both as a defense and a deterrent against anything that
would attack.
The skilled shepherd uses his rod to drive off predators
like coyotes, wolves, cougars or stray dogs. Often it is used to
beat the brush, discouraging snakes and other creatures from
disturbing the flock. In extreme cases, such as David recounted
to Saul, the psalmist no doubt used his rod to attack the lion
and the bear that came to raid his flocks.
Once in Kenya photographing elephants, I was being
accompanied by a young Masai herder who carried a club in his
hand. We came to the crest of a hill from which we could see a
herd of elephants in the thick bush below us. To drive them out
into the open we decided to dislodge a boulder and roll it down
the slope. As we heaved and pushed against the great rock, a
cobra, coiled beneath it, suddenly came into view ready to
strike. In a split second the alert shepherd boy lashed out with
his club killing the snake on the spot. The weapon had never left
his hand even while we worked on the rock.
'Thy rod ... comfort[s] me.' In that instant I saw the
meaning of this phrase in a new light. It was the rod ever ready
in the shepherd's hand that had saved the day for us.
It was the rod of God's Word that Christ, our Good Shepherd,
used in His own encounter with that serpent Satan - during His
desert temptation. It is the same Word of God which we can count
on again and again to counter the assaults and attacks of Satan.
And it matters not whether the guise He assumes is that of a
subtle serpent or a roaring lion that desires to destroy us.
There is no substitute for the Scriptures in coping with the
complexities of our social order. We live in an evermore involved
and difficult milieu. We are part of a world of men and women
whose code of conduct is contrary to all that Christ has
advocated. To live with such people is to be ever exposed to
enormous temptations of all sorts. Some people are very subtle,
very smooth, very sophisticated. Others are capable of outright,
violent, vituperative attacks against the children of God. In
every situation and under every circumstance there is comfort in
the knowledge that God's Word can meet and master the difficulty
if we will rely on it.
We turn now to discuss and consider the shepherd's staff. In
a sense the staff, more than any other item of his personal
equipment, identifies the shepherd as a shepherd. No one in any
other profession carries a shepherd's staff. It is uniquely an
instrument used for the care and management of sheep - and only
sheep. It will not do for cattle, horses or hogs. It is designed,
shaped and adapted especially to the needs of sheep. And it is -
used only for their benefit.
The staff is essentially a symbol of the concern, the
compassion that a shepherd has for his charges. No other single
word can better describe its function on behalf of the flock than
that it is for their comfort.
Whereas the rod conveys the concept of authority, of power,
of discipline, of defense against danger, the word "staff" speaks
of all that is longsuffering and kind.
The shepherd's staff is normally a long, slender stick,
often with a crook or hook on one end. It is selected with care
by the owner; it is shaped, smoothed, and cut to best suit his
own personal use.
Some of the most moving memories I carry with me from Africa
and the Middle East are of seeing elderly shepherds in the
twilight of life, standing silently at sunset, leaning on their
staves, watching their flocks with contented spirits. Somehow the
staff is of special comfort to the shepherd himself. In the tough
tramps and during the long weary watches with his sheep he leans
on it for support and strength. It becomes to him a most precious
comfort and help in his duties.
Just as the rod of God is emblematic of the Word of God, so
the staff of God is symbolic of the Spirit of God. In Christ's
dealings with us as individuals there is the essence of the
sweetness, the comfort and consolation, the gentle correction
brought about by the work of His gracious Spirit.
There are three areas of sheep management in which the staff
plays a most signicant role. The first of these lies in drawing
sheep together into an intimate relationship. The shepherd will
use his staff to gently lift a newborn lamb and bring it to its
mother if they become separated. He does this because he does not
wish to have the ewe reject her offspring if it bears the odor of
his hands upon it. I have watched skilled shepherds moving
swiftly with their staffs amongst thousands of ewes that were
lambing simultaneously. With deft but gentle strokes the newborn
lambs are lifted with the staff and placed side by side with
their dams. It is a touching sight that can hold one spellbound
for hours.
But in precisely the same way, the staff is used by the
shepherd to reach out and catch individual sheep, young or old
and draw them close to himself for intimate examination. The
staff is very useful this way for the shy and timid sheep that
normally tend to keep at a distance from the shepherd.
Similarly in the Christian life we find the gracious Holy
Spirit, "The Comforter," drawing folks together into a warm,
personal fellowship with one another. It is also He who draws us
to Christ, for as we are told in Revelation, "The Spirit and the
bride say, Come."
The staff is also used for guiding sheep. Again and again I
have seen a shepherds use his staff to guide his sheep gently
into a new path or through some gate or along dangerous,
difficult routes. He does not use it actually to beat the beast.
Rather, the tip of the long slender stick is laid gently against
the animal's side and the pressure applied guides the sheep in
the way the owner wants it to go. Thus the sheep is reassured of
its proper path.
Sometimes I have been fascinated to see how a shepherd will
actually hold his staff against the side of some sheep that is a
special pet or favorite, simply so that they "are in touch." They
will walk along this way almost as though it were "hand-in-hand."
The sheep obviously enjoys this special attention from the
shepherd and revels in the close, personal, intimate contact
between them. To be treated in this special way by the shepherd
is to know comfort in a deep dimension. It is a delightful and
moving picture.
In our walk with God we are told explicitly by Christ
Himself that it would be His Spirit who would be sent to guide
us, and to lead us into all truth (John 16:13). This same
gracious Spirit takes the truth of God, the Word of God, and
makes it plain to our hearts and minds and spiritual
understanding. It is He who gently, tenerly, but persistently
says to us, "This is the way-walk in it." And as we comply and
cooperate with His gentle promptings a sense of safety, comfort
and well-being envelops us.
It is He, too, who comes quietly but emphatically to make
the life of Christ, my Shepherd, real and personal and intimate
to me. Through Him I am "in touch" with Christ. There steals over
me the keen awareness that I am His and He is mine. The gracious
Spirit continually brings home to me the acute consciousness that
I am God's child and He is my Father. In all of this there is
enormous comfort and a sublime sense of "oneness," of
"belonging," of "being in His care," and hence the object of His
special affection.
The Christian life is not just one of subscribing certain
doctrines or believing certain facts. Essential as all of this
confidence in the Scriptures may be, there is, as well, the
actual reality of experiencing and knowing firsthand the feel of
His touch - the sense of His Spirit upon my spirit. There is for
the true child of God that intimate, subtle, yet magnificent
experience of sensing the Comforter at his side. This is not
imagination - it is the genuine, bona-fide reality of everyday
life. There is a calm, quiet repose in the knowledge that He is
there to direct even in the most minute details of daily living.
He can be relied on to assist us in every decision, and in this
there lies tremendous comfort for the Christian.
Over and over I have turned to Him and in audible, open
language asked for His opinion on a problem. I have asked, "What
would you do in this case?" or I have said, "You are here now.
You know all the complexities; tell me precisely what is the best
procedure at this point." And the thrilling thing is He does just
that. He actually conveys the mind of Christ in the matter to my
mind. Then the right decisions are made with confidence. It is
when I do not do this that I end up in difficulty. It is then
that I find myself in a jam of some sort. And here again the
gracious Spirit comes to my rescue just as the shepherd rescues
his sheep out of the situations into which their own stupidity
leads them.
Being stubborn creatures sheep often get into the most
ridiculous and preposterous dilemmas. I have seen my own sheep,
greedy for one more mouthful of green grass, climb down steep
cliffs where they slipped and fell into the sea. Only my long
shepherd's staff could lift them out of the water back onto solid
ground again. One winter day I spent several hours rescuing a ewe
that had done this very thing several times before. Her stubbor-
nness was her undoing.
Another common occurrence was to find sheep stuck fast in
labyrinths of wild roses or brambles where they had pushed in to
find a few stray mouthfuls of green grass. Soon the thorns were
so hooked in their wool they could not possibly pull free, tug as
they might. Only the use of a staff could free them from their
entanglement.
Likewise with us. Many of our jams and impasses are of our
own making. In stubbon, self-willed, self-assertion we keep
pushing ourselves into a situation where we cannot extricate
ourselves. Then in tenderness, compassion and care our Shepherd
comes to us. He draws near and in tenderness lifts us by His
Spirit out of the difficulty and dilemma. What patience God has
with us! What longsuffering and compassion! What forgiveness!
Thy staff comforts me! Your Spirit, 0 Christ, is my
consolation!
....................
To be continued
A Shepherd looks at Psalm 23 A Table is Prepared for Me!
THOU PREPAREST A TABLE BEFORE ME
IN THINKING ABOUT this statement it is well to bear in mind
that the sheep are approaching the high mountain country of the
summer ranges. These are known as alplands or tablelands so much
sought after by sheepmen.
In some of the finest sheep country of the world, especially
in the Western United States and Southern Europe, the high
plateaux of the sheep ranges are always referred to as "mesas" -
the Spanish word for "tables."
Oddly enough the Kiswahili (African) word for a table is
also 'mesa." Presumably this had its origin with the first
Portuguese explorers to touch the East African coast. In fact the
use of this word is not uncommon in referring to the high,
flat-topped plateaux of the continent. The classic example, of
course, is Table Mountain, near Cape Town, which is world
renowned.
So it may be seen that what David referred to as a table was
actually the entire high summer range. Though these "mesas" may
have been remote and hard to reach, the energetic and aggressive
sheep owner takes the time and trouble to ready them for the
arrival of his flocks.
Early in the season, even before all the snow has been
melted by spring sunshine, he will go ahead and make preliminary
survey trips into this rough, wild country. He will look it over
with great care, keeping ever in mind its best use for his flock
during the coming season.
Then just before the sheep arrive he will make another
expedition or two to prepare the tableland for them. He takes
along a supply of salt and minerals to be distributed over the
range at strategic spots for the benefit of the sheep during the
summer. The intelligent, careful manager will also decide well
ahead of time where his camps will be located so the sheep have
the best bed grounds. He goes over the range carefully to
determine how vigorous the grass and upland vegetation is. At
this time he decides whether some glades and basins can be used
only lightly whereas other slopes and meadows may be grazed more
heavily.
He will check to see if there are poisonous weeds appearing,
and if so, he will plan his grazing program to avoid them, or
take drastic steps to eradicate them.
Unknown to me the first sheep ranch I owned had a rather
prolific native stand of both blue and white cammas. The blue
cammas were a delightful sight in the spring when they bloomed
along the beaches. The white cammas, though a much less
conspicuous flower, were also quite attractive but a deadly
menace to sheep. If lambs, in particular, ate or even just
nibbled a few of the lily-like leaves as they emerged in the
grass sward during spring, it would spell certain death. The
lambs would become paralyzed, stiffen up like blocks of wood and
simply succumb to the toxic poisons from the plants.
My youngsters and I spent days and days going over the
ground plucking out these poisonous plants. It was a recurring
task that was done every spring before the sheep went on these
pastures. Though tedious and tiring with all of the bending, it
was a case of "preparing the table in the presence of mine
enemies." And if my sheep were to survive it simply had to be
done.
A humorous sidelight on this chore was the way I hit on the
idea of making up animal stories to occupy the children's minds
as we worked together this way for long hours, often down on our
hands and knees. They would become so engrossed in my wild
fantasies about bears and skunks and raccoons that the hours
passed quite quickly. Sometimes both of them would roll in the
grass with laughter as I added realistic action to enliven my
tales. It was one way to accomplish an otherwise terribly routine
task.
All of this sort of thing was in the back of David's mind as
he penned these lines. I can picture him walking slowly over the
summer range ahead of his flock. His eagle eye is sharp for any
signs of poisonous weeds which he would pluck before his sheep
got to them. No doubt he had armfuls to get rid of for the safety
of his flock. The parallel in the Christian life is dear. Like
sheep, and especially lambs, we somehow feel that we have to try
everything that comes our way. We have to taste this thing and
that, sampling everything just to see what it's like. And we may
very well know that some things are deadly. They can do us no
good. They can be most destructive. Still somehow we give them a
whirl anyway. To forestall our getting into grief of this sort,
we need to remember our Master has been there ahead of us coping
with every situation which would otherwise undo us.
A classic example of this was the incident when Jesus warned
Peter that Satan desired to tempt him and sift him like wheat.
But Christ pointed out that He had prayed that Peter's faith
might not fail during the desperate difficulty he would
encounter. And so it is even today. Our great Good Shepherd is
going ahead of us in every situation, anticipating what danger we
may encounter, and praying for us that in it we might not
succumb.
Another task the attentive shepherd takes on in the summer
is to keep an eye out for predators. He will look for signs and
spoor of wolves, coyotes, cougars and bears. If these raid or
molest the sheep he will have to hunt them down or go to great
pains to trap them so that his flock can rest in peace.
Often what actually happens is that these crafty ones are up
on the rimrock watching every movement the sheep make, hoping for
a chance to make a swift, sneaking attack that will stampede the
sheep. Then one or other of the flock is bound to fall easy prey
to the attacker's fierce teeth and claws.
The picture here is full of drama, action, suspense - and
possible death. Only the alertness of the sheepman who tends his
flock on the tableland in full view of possible enemies can
prevent them from falling prey to attack. It is only his
preparation for such an eventuality that can possibly save the
sheep from being slaughtered and panicked by their predators.
And again we are given a sublime picture of our Saviour who
knows every wile, every trick, every treachery of our enemy Satan
and his companions. Always we are in danger of attack. Scripture
sometimes refers to him as "a roaring lion" who goes about
seeking whom he may devour.
It is rather fashionable in some contemporary Christian
circles to discredit Satan. There is a tendency to try and write
him off, or laugh him off, as though he was just a joke. Some
deny that such a being as Satan even exists. Yet we see evidence
of his merciless attacks and carnage in a society where men and
women fall prey to his cunning tactics almost every day. We see
lives torn and marred and seared by his assaults though we never
see him personally.
It reminds me of my encounters with cougars. On several
occasions these cunning creatures came in among my sheep at night
working terrible havoc in the flock. Some ewes were killed
outright, their blood drained and livers eaten. Others were torn
open and badly clawed. In these cases the great cats seemed to
chase and play with them in their panic like a housecat would
chase a mouse. Some had huge patches of wool torn from their
fleeces. In their frightened stampede some had stumbled and
broken bones or rushed over rough ground injuring legs and
bodies.
Yet despite the damage, despite the dead sheep, despite the
injuries and fear instilled in the flock, I never once actually
saw a cougar on my range. So cunning and so skilful were their
raids they defy description.
At all times we would be wise to walk a little closer to
Christ. This is one sure place of safety. It was always the
distant sheep, the roamers, the wanderers, which were picked off
by the predators in an unsuspecting moment. Generally the
attackers are gone before the shepherd is alerted by their cry
for help. Some sheep, of course, are utterly dumb with fear under
attack; they will not even give a plaintive bleat before their
blood is spilled.
The same is true Christians. Many of us get into deep
difficulty beyond ourselves; we are stricken dumb with
apprehension, unable even to call or cry out for help; we
crumple under our adversary attack.
But Christ is too concerned about us to allow this to
happen. Our Shepherd wants to forestall such a calamity. He wants
our summer sojourn to be in peace. Our Lord wants our mountaintop
times to be tranquil interludes. And they will be if we just have
the common sense to stay near Him where He can protect us. Read
His Word each day. Spend some time talking to Him. We should give
Him opportunity to converse with us by His Spirit as we
contemplate His life and work for us as our Shepherd.
There is another chore which the sheepman takes care of on
the tableland. He clears out the water holes, springs and
drinking places for his stock. He has to clean out the
accumulated debris of leaves, twigs, stones and soil which may
have fallen into the water source during the autumn and winter.
He may need to repair small earth dams he has made to hold water.
And he will open the springs that may have become overgrown with
grass and brush and weeds. It is all his work, his preparation of
the table for his own sheep in summer.
The parallel in the Christian life is that Christ, our great
Good Shepherd, has Himself already gone before us into every
situation and every extremity that we might encounter. We are
told emphatically that He was tempted in all points like as we
are. We know He entered fully and completely and very intimately
into the life of men upon our planet. He has known our
sufferings, experienced our sorrows and endured our struggles in
this life; He was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.
Because of this He understands us, He has totally identified
Himself with humanity. He has, therefore, a care and compassion
for us beyond our ability to grasp. No wonder He makes every
possible provision to insure that when we have to cope with
Satan, sin or self, the contest will not be one-sided. Rather, we
can be sure He has been in that situation before; He is in it now
again with us and because of this the prospects of our
preservation are excellent.
It is this attitude of rest in Him, of confidence in His
care, of relaxation as we realize His presence in the picture
that can make the Christian's life one of calm and quiet
confidence. The Christian walk can thus become a mountaintop
experience - a tableland trip - simply because we are in the care
and control of Christ who has been over all this territory before
us and prepared the "table" for us in plain view of our enemies
who would demoralize and destroy us if they could.
It is encouraging to know that just as in any other aspect
of life where there are lights and shadows, so in the Christian
life there are valleys and mountaintops. Too many people assume
that once one becomes a Christian, automatically life becomes one
glorious garden of delight. This is simply not the case. It may
well become a garden of sorrow just as our Saviour went through
the garden of Gethsemane. As was pointed out previously, you do
not have mountains without valleys, and even on the mountaintop
there can be some tough experiences.
Just because the shepherd has gone ahead and made every
possible provision for the safety and welfare of his sheep while
they are on the summer range does not mean they will not have
problems there. Predators can still attack; poisonous weeds can
still grow; storms and gales can still come swirling up over the
peaks; and a dozen other hazards can haunt the high country.
Yet, in His care and concern for us Christ still insures that we
shall have some gladness with our sadness; some delightful days
as well as dark days; some sunshine as well as shadow.
It is not always apparent to us what tremendous personal
cost it has been for Christ to prepare the table for His own.
Just as the lonely, personal privation of the sheepman who
prepares the summer range for his stock entails a sacrifice, so
the lonely agony of Gethsemane, of Pilate's hall, of Calvary,
have cost my Master much.
When I come to the Lord's Table and partake of the communion
service which is a feast of thanksgiving for His love and care,
do I fully appreciate what it has cost Him to prepare this table
for me?
Here we commemorate the greatest and deepest demonstration
of true love the world has ever known. For God looked down upon
sorrowing, struggling, sinning humanity and was moved with
compassion for the contrary, sheep-like creatures He had made. In
spite of the tremendous personal cost it would entail to Himself
to deliver them from their dilemma He chose deliberately to
descend and live amongst them that He might deliver them.
This meant laying aside His splendor, His position, His
prerogatives as the perfect and faultless One. He knew He would
be exposed to terrible privation, to ridicule, to false
accusations, to rumor, gossip and malicious charges that branded
Him as a glutton, drunkard, friend of sinners and even an
imposter. It entailed losing His reputation. It would involve
physical suffering, mental anguish and spiritual agony.
In short, His coming to earth as the Christ, as Jesus of
Nazareth, was a straightforward case of utter self-sacrifice that
culminated in the cross of Calvary. The laid-down life, the
poured-out blood were the supreme symbols of total selflessness.
This was love. This was God. This was divinity in action,
delivering men from their own utter selfishness, their own
stupidity, their own suicidal instincts as lost sheep unable to
help themselves.
In all of this there is an amazing mystery. No man will ever
be able fully to fathom its implications. It is bound up
inexorably with the concept of God's divine love of
self-sacrifice which is so foreign to most of us who are so
self-centered. At best we can only grasp feebly the incredible
concept of a perfect person, a sinless one being willing actually
to be made sin that we who are so full of faults, selfish
self-assertion and suspicion might be set free from sin and self,
to live a new, free, fresh, abundant life of righteousness.
Jesus told us Himself, that He had come that we might have life
and have it more abundantly. Just as the sheepman is thrilled
beyond words to see his sheep thriving on the high, rich summer
range (it is one of the highlights of his whole year), so mt
Shepherd is immensely pleased when He sees me flourish on the
tablelands of a noble, lofty life that He has made possible for
me.
Part of the mystery and wonder of Calvary, of God's love to
us in Christ, is bound up too with the deep desire of His heart
to have me live on a higher plane. He longs to see me living
above the mundane level of common humanity. He is so pleased when
I walk in the ways of holiness, of selflessness, of serene
contentment in His care, aware of His presence and enjoying the
intimacy of His companionship.
To live thus is to live richly.
To walk here is to walk with quiet assurance.
To feed here is to be replete with good things.
To find this tableland is to have found something of my
Shepherd's love for me.
.................
To be continued
A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 Anointing the head with Oil
THOU ANOINTEST MY HEAD WITH OIL
AS ONE MEDITATES on this magnificent poem it is helpful to
keep in mind that the poet is recounting the salient events of
the full year in a sheep's life. He takes us with him from the
home ranch where every need is so carefully supplied by the
owner, out into the green pastures, along the still waters, up
through the mountain valleys to the high tablelands of summer.
Here, now, where it would appear the sheep are in a sublime
setting on the high meadows; where there are clear running
springs; where the forage is fresh and tender; where there is the
intimate close contact with the shepherd; suddenly we find "a fly
in the ointment," so to speak.
For in the terminology of the sheepman, "summer time is fly
time." By this, reference is made to the hordes of insects that
emerge with the advent of warm weather. Only those people who
have kept livestock or studied wildlife habits are aware of the
serious problems for animals presented by insects in the summer.
To name just a few parasites that trouble stock and make
their lives a misery: there are warble flies, bot flies, heel
flies, nose (nasal) flies, deer flies, black flies, mosquitos,
gnats and other minute, winged parasites that proliferate at this
time of year. Their attacks on animals can readily turn the
golden summer months into a time of torture for sheep and drive
them almost to distraction.
Sheep are especially troubled by the nose fly, or nasal fly,
as it is sometimes called. Here little flies buzz about the
sheep's head, attempting to deposit their eggs on the damp,
mucous membranes of the sheep's nose. If they are successful the
eggs will hatch in a few days to form small, slender, worm-like
larvae. They work their way up the nasal passages into the
sheep's head; they burrow into the flesh and there set up an
intense irritation accompanied by severe inflammation.
For relief from this agonizing annoyance sheep will
deliberately beat their heads against trees, rocks, posts, or
brush. They will rub them in the soil and thrash around against
woody growth. In extreme cases of intense infestation a sheep may
even kill itself in a frenzied endeavor to gain respite from the
aggravation. Often advanced stages of infection from these flies
will lead to blindness.
Because of all this, when the nose flies hoveraround the
flock, some of the sheep become frantic with fear and panic in
their attempts to escape their tormentors. They will stamp their
feet erratically and race from place to place in the pasture
trying desperately to elude the flies. Some may run so much they
will drop from sheer exhaustion. Others may toss their heads up
and down for hours. They will hide in any bush or woodland that
offers shelter. On some occasions they may refuse to graze in the
open at all.
All this excitement and distraction has a devastating effect
on the entire flock. Ewes and lambs rapidly lose condition and
begin to drop in weight. The ewes will go off milking and their
lambs will stop growing gainfully. Some sheep will be injured in
their headlong rushes of panic; others may be blinded and some
even killed outright.
Only the strictest attention to the behavior of the sheep by
the shepherd can forestall the difficulties of "fly time." At the
very first sign of flies among the floc he will apply an antidote
to their heads. I always preferred to use a homemade remedy
composed of linseed oil, sulphur and tar which was smeared over
the sheep's nose and head as a protection against nose flies.
What an incredible transformation this would make among the
sheep. Once the oil had been applied to the sheep's head there
was an immediate change in behavior. Gone was the aggravation;
gone the frenzy; gone the irritability and the restlessness.
Instead, the sheep would start to feed quietly again, then soon
lie down in peaceful contentment.
This, to me is the exact picture of irritations in my own
life. How easy it is for there to be a fly in the ointment of
even my most lofty spiritual experience! So often it is the
small, petty annoyances that ruin my repose. It is the niggling
distractions that become burning issues that can well nigh drive
me round the bend or up the wall. At times some tiny, tantalizing
thing torments me to the point where I feel I am just beating my
brains out. And so my behavior as a child of God degenerates to a
most disgraceful sort of frustrated tirade.
Just as with the sheep there must be continuous and renewed
application of oil to forestall the "flies" in my life, there
must be a continuous anointing of God's gracious Spirit to
counteract the ever-present aggravations of personality
conflicts. Only one application of oil, sulphur and tar was not
enough for the entire summer. It was a process that had to be
repeated. The fresh application was the effective antidote.
There are those who contend that in the Christian life one
need only have a single, initial anointing of God's Spirit. Yet
the frustrations of daily dilemmas demonstrate that one must have
Him come continuously to the troubled mind and heart to
counteract the attacks of one's tormentors.
This is a practical and intimate matter between myself and
my Master. In Luke 11:13 Christ Himself, our Shepherd, urges us
to ask for the Holy Spirit to be given to us by the Father.
It is both a logical and legitimate desire for us to have
the daily anointing of God's gracious Spirit upon our minds. God
alone can form in us the mind of Christ. The Holy Spirit alone
can give to us the attitudes of Christ. He alone makes it
possible for us to react to aggravations and annoyances with
quietness and calmness.
When people or circumstances or events beyond our control
tend to "bug" us, it is possible to be content and serene when
these "outside" forces are counteracted by the presence of God's
Spirit. In Romans 8:1-2, we are told plainly it is the law of the
Spirit of life in Christ Jesus that makes us free from the law of
sin and death.
It is this daily anointing of God's gracious Spirit upon my
mind which produces in my life such personality traits as joy,
contentment, love, patience, gentleness and peace. What a
contrast this is to the tempers, frustration and irritableness
which mars the daily conduct of so many of God's children.
What I do in any given situation is to expose it to my
Master, my Owner, Christ Jesus, and say simply, "O Lord, I can't
cope with these petty, annoying, peevish problems. Please apply
the oil of Your Spirit to my mind. Both at the conscious and
sub-conscious levels of my thought-life enable me to act and
react just as You would." And He will. It will surprise you how
promptly He complies with such a request made in deadly earnest.
But summertime for the sheep is more than just flytime. It
is also "scab-time." Scab is an irritating and highly contagious
disease common among sheep the world over. Caused by a minute,
microscopic parasite that proliferates in warm weather, "scab"
spreads throughout a flock by direct contact between infected and
non-infected animals.
Sheep love to rub heads in an affectionate and friendly
manner. Scab is often found most commonly around the head. When
two sheep rub together the infection spreads readily from one to
the other.
In the Old Testament when it was declared that the
sacrificial lambs should be without blemish, the thought
uppermost in the writer's mind was that the animal should be free
of scab. In a very real and direct sense scab is significant of
contamination, of sin, of evil.
Again as with flies, the only effective antidote is to apply
linseed oil, sulphur and other chemicals that can control this
disease. In many sheep-rearing countries dips are built and the
entire flock is put through the dip. Each animal is completely
submerged in the solution until its entire body is soaked. The
most difficult part to do is the head. The head has to be plunged
under repeatedly to insure that scab there will be controlled.
Some sheepmen take great care to treat the head by hand.
Only once did my sheep become infected by scab. I had purchased a
few extra ewes from another rancher to increase the flock. It so
happened they had, unknown to me, a slight infection of scab
which quickly began to spread through the entire healthy flock.
It meant I had to purchase a huge dipping tank and install it in
my corrals. At great expense, to say nothing of the time and
heavy labor involved, I had to put the entire flock, one by one
through the dipping solution to clear them of the disease. It was
a tremendous task and one which entailed special attention to
their heads. So I know precisely what David meant when he wrote,
"Thou anointest my head with oil." Again it was the only antidote
for scab.
Perhaps it should be mentioned that in Palestine the old
remedy for this disease was olive oil mixed with sulphur and
spices. This home remedy served equally well in the case of flies
that came to annoy the flocks.
In the Christian life, most of our contamination by the
world, by sin, by that which would defile and disease us
spiritually comes through our minds. It is a case of mind meeting
mind to transmit ideas, concepts and attitudes which may be
damaging.
Often it is when we "get our heads together" with someone
else who may not necessarily have the mind of Christ, that we
come away imbued with concepts that are not Christian.
Our thoughts, our ideas, our emotions, our choices, our
impulses, drives and desires are all shaped and molded through
the exposure of our minds to other people's minds. In our modern
era of mass communication, the danger of the "mass mind" grows
increasingly grave. Young people in particular, whose minds are
so malleable find themselves being molded under the subtle
pressures and impacts made on them by television, radio,
magazines, newspapers, and fellow classmates, to say nothing of
their parents and teachers.
Often the mass media which are largely responsible for
shaping our minds are in the control of men whose characters are
not Christlike: who in some cases are actually anti-Christian.
One cannot be exposed to such contacts without coming away
contaminated. The thought patterns of people are becoming
increasingly abhorrent. Today we find more tendency to violence,
hatred, prejudice, greed, cynicism, and increasing disrespect for
that which is noble, fine, pure or beautiful.
This is precisely the opposite of what Scripture teaches us.
In Philippians 4:8 we are instructed emphatically in this matter,
". . . whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest,
whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure,
whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good
report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think
on these things"! Here again, the only possible, practical path
to attaining such a mind free of the world's contamination is to
be conscious daily, hourly of the purging presence of God's Holy
Spirit, applying Himself to my mind.
There are those who seem unable to realize His control of
their minds and thoughts. It is a simple matter of faith and
acceptance. Just as one asks Christ to come into the life
initially to assure complete control of one's conduct, so one
invites the Holy Spirit to come into one's conscious and
subconscious mind to monitor one's thought-life. Just as by faith
we believe and know and accept and thank Christ for coming into
our lives, so by simple faith and confidence in the same Christ,
we believe and know and accept with thanks the coming (or
anointing) of His gracious Spirit upon our minds. Then having
done this, we simply proceed to live and act and think as He
directs us.
The difficulty is that some of us are not in dead earnest
about it. Like a stubborn sheep we will struggle, kick and
protest when the Master puts His hand upon us for this purpose.
Even if it is for our own good, we still rebel and refuse to have
Him help us when we need it so desperately.
In a sense we are a stiff-necked lot and were it not for
Christ's continuing compassion and concern for us, most of us
would be beyond hope or help. Sometimes I am quite sure Christ
comes to us and applies the oil of His own Spirit to our minds in
spite of our own objections. Were this not so, where would most
of us be? Surely every gracious thought that enters my mind had
its origin in Him.
Now as summer, in the high Country, moves gradually into
autumn, subtle changes occur both in the countryside and in the
sheep. The nights become cooler; there are the first touches of
frost; the insects begin to disappear and are less a pest; the
foliage on the hills turns to crimson, gold and bronze; mist and
rain begin to fall and the earth prepares for winter.
In the flock there are also subtle changes. This is the
season of the rut, of mating, of great battles between the rams
for possession of the ewes. The necks of the monarchs swell and
grow strong. They strut proudly across the pastures and fight
furiously for the favors of the ewes. The crash of heads and thud
of colliding bodies can be heard through the hours of day and
night.
The shepherd knows all about this. He knows that some of the
sheep will and can actually kill, injure and maim each other in
these deadly combats. So he decides on a very simple remedy. At
this season of the year he will catch his rams and smear their
heads with grease. I used to apply generous quantities of axle
grease to the head and nose of each ram. Then when they collided
in their great crashing battles the lubricant would make them
glance off each other in such a ludicrous way they stood there
feeling rather stupid and frustrated. In this way much of the
heat and tension was dissipated and little damage done.
Among God's people there is a considerable amount of
knocking each other. Somehow if we don't see eye to eye with the
other person, we persist in trying to assert ourselves and become
"top sheep." A good many become badly bruised and hurt this way.
In fact I found as a pastor that much of the grief, the wounds,
the hurts, the ill will, the unforgiven things in people's lives
could usually be traced back to old rivalries or jealousies or
battles that had broken out between believers. Scores of
skeptical souls will never enter a church simply because away
back in their experience someone had battered them badly.
To forestall and prevent this sort of thing from happening
among His people our Shepherd loves to apply the precious
ointment of the presence of His gracious Spirit to our lives. It
will be recalled that just before His crucifixion, our Lord in
dealing with His twelve disciples, who, even then, were caught up
in jealous bickering and rivalry for prestige, told of the coming
of the Comforter - the Spirit of Truth. Because of His being sent
to them, He said, they would know peace. He went on to say that
His people would be known everywhere for their love for one
another.
But too often this simply is not true among God's own people.
They hammer and knock each other, stiff-necked with pride and
self-assertion. They are intolerant, dogmatic and uncharitable
with other Christians.
Yet when the gracious Holy Spirit invades a man or woman,
when He enters that life and is in control of the personality,
the attributes of peace, joy, long-suffering and generosity
become apparent. It is then that suddenly one becomes aware of
how ridiculous are all the petty jealousies, rivalries and
animosities which formerly motivated their absurd assertions.
This is to come to a place of great contentment in the Shepherd's
care. And it is then the cup of contentment becomes real in the
life. As the children of God, the sheep in the Divine Shepherd's
care, we should be known as the most contented people on earth. A
quiet, restful contentment should be the hallmark of those who
call Christ their Master.
If He is the One who has all knowledge and wisdom and
understanding of my affairs and management; if He is able to cope
with every situation, good or bad, that I encounter, then surely
I should be satisfied with His care. In a wonderful way my cup,
or my lot in life, is a happy one that overflows with benefits of
all sorts.
The trouble is most of us just don't see it this way.
Especially when troubles or disappointments come along, we are
apt to feel forgotten by our Shepherd. We act as though He had
fallen down on the job.
Actually He is never asleep. He is never lax or careless. He
is never indifferent to our well-being. Our Shepherd always has
our best interests in mind.
Because of this we are actually under obligation to be a
thankful, grateful, appreciative people. The New Testament
instructs us clearly to grasp the idea that the cup of our life
is full and overflowing with good, with the life of Christ
Himself and with the presence of His gracious Spirit. And because
of this we should be joyous, grateful and serene.
This is the overcoming Christian life. It is the life in
which a Christian can be content with whatever comes his way -
even trouble (Hebrews 13:5). Most of us are glad when things go
well. How many of us can give thanks and praise when things go
wrong?
Looking again at the round of the year through which the
sheep pass in the shepherd's care, we see summer moving into
autumn. Storms of sleet and hail and early snow begin to sweep
over the high country. Soon the flocks will be driven from the
alplands and tablelands. They will turn again toward the home
ranch for the long, quiet winter season.
These autumn days can be golden under Indian summer weather.
The sheep have respite now from flies and insects and scab. No
other season finds them so fit and well and strong. No wonder
David wrote, "My cup runneth over."
But at the same time, unexpected blizzards can blow up or
sleet storms suddenly shroud the hills. The flock and their owner
can pass through appalling suffering together.
It is here that I grasp another aspect altogether of the
meaning of a cup at over flows. There is in every life a cup of
suffering. Jesus Christ referred to His agony in the Garden of
Gethsemane and at Calvary as His cup. And had it not overflowed
with His life poured out for men, we would have perished.
In tending my sheep I carried a bottle in my pocket
containing a mixture of brandy and water. Whenever a ewe or lamb
was chilled from undue exposure to wet, cold weather I would pour
a few spoonfuls down its throat. In a matter of minutes the
chilled creature would be on its feet and full of renewed energy.
It was especially cute the way the lambs would wiggle their tails
with joyous excitement as the warmth from the brandy spread
through their bodies.
The important thing was for me to be there on time, to find
the frozen, chilled sheep before it was too late. I had to be in
the storm with them, alert to every one that was in distress.
Some of the most vivid memories of my sheep ranching days are
wrapped around the awful storms my flock and I went through
together. I can see again the gray-black banks of storm clouds
sweeping in off the sea; I can see the sleet and hail and snow
sweeping across the hills; I can see the sheep racing for shelter
in the tall timber; I can see them standing there soaked,
chilled, and dejected. Especially the young lambs went through
appalling misery without the benefit of a full, heavy fleece to
protect them. Some would succumb and lie down in distress only to
become more cramped and chilled.
Then it was that my mixture of brandy and water came to
their rescue. I'm sure the Palestinian shepherds must have
likewise shared their wine with their chilled and frozen sheep.
What a picture of my Master, sharing the wine, the very life
blood of His own suffering from His overflowing cup, poured out
at Calvary for me. He is there with me in every storm. My
Shepherd is alert to every approaching disaster that threatens
His people. He has been through the storms of sufferings before.
He bore our sorrows and was acquainted with our grief.
And now no matter what storms I face, His very life and
strength and vitality is poured into mine. It overflows so the
cup of my life runs over with His life . . . often with great
blessing and benefit to others who see me stand up so well in the
midst of trials and suffering.
.....................
To be continued
A Shepherd looks at Psalm 23 Goodness and Mercy shall follow me!
GOODNESS AND MERCY SHALL FOLLOW ME
THROUGHOUT THE STUDY of this Psalm continuous emphasis has
been put upon the care exercised by the attentive sheepman. It
has been stressed how essential to the welfare of the sheep is
the rancher's diligent effort and labor. All the benefits enjoyed
by a flock under skilled and loving management have been drawn in
bold lines.
Now all of this is summed up here by the Psalmist in one
brave but simple statement: "Surely goodness and mercy shall
follow me all the days of my life."
The sheep with such a shepherd knows of a surety, that his
is a privileged position. No matter what comes, at least and
always he can be perfectly sure that goodness and mercy will be
in the picture. He reassures himself that he is ever under sound,
sympathetic, intelligent ownership. What more need he care about?
Goodness and mercy will be the treatment he receives from his
master's expert, loving hands.
Not only is this a bold statement, but it is somewhat of a
boast, an exclamation of implicit confidence in the One who
controls his career and destiny.
How many Christians actually feel this way about Christ? How
many of us are truly concerned that no matter what occurs in our
lives we are being followed by goodness and mercy? Of course it
is very simple to speak this way when things are going well. If
my health is excellent; my income is flourishing; my family is
well; and my friends are fond of me it is not hard to say "Surely
goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life."
But what about when one's body breaks down? What do I say
when I stand by helpless, as I have had to do, and watch a life
partner die by degrees under appalling pain? What is my reaction
when my job folds up and there is no money to meet bills? What
happens if my children can't make their grades in school or get
caught running with the wrong gang? What do I say when suddenly,
without good grounds, friends prove false and turn against me?
These are the sort of times that test a person's confidence in
the care of of Christ. These are the occasions during which the
chips are down and life is more than a list of pious platitudes.
When my little world is falling apart and the dream castles of my
ambitions and hopes crumble into ruins can I honestly declare
"Surely - yes surely - goodness and mercy shall follow me all the
days of my life"? Or is this sheer humbug and a maddening
mockery?
In looking back over my own life, in the light of my own
love and care for my sheep, I can see again and again a similar
compassion and concern for me in my Master's management of my
affairs. There were events which at the time seemed like utter
calamities; there were paths down which He led me that appeared
like blind allies; there were days He took me through which were
well nigh black as night itself. But all in the end turned out
for my benefit and my well-being.
With my limited understanding as a finite human being I
could not always comprehend His management executed in infinite
wisdom. With my natural tendencies to fear, worry and ask "why,"
it was not always simple to assume that He really did know what
He was doing with me. There were times I was tempted to panic, to
bolt and to leave His care. Somehow I had the strange, stupid
notion I could survive better on my own. Most men and women do.
But despite this perverse behavior I am so glad He did not give
me up. I am so grateful He did follow me in goodness and mercy.
The only possible motivation was His own love, His care and
concern for me as one of His sheep. And despite my doubts,
despite' my misgivings about His management of my affairs, He has
picked me up and borne me back again in great tenderness.
As I see all of this in retrospect I realize that for the
one who is truly in Christ's care, no difficulty can arise, no
dilemma emerge, no seeming disaster descend on the life without
eventual good coming out of the chaos. This is to see the
goodness and mercy of my Master in my life. It has become the
great foundation of my faith and confidence in Him.
I love Him because He first loved me.
His goodness and mercy and compassion to me are new every
day. And my assurance is lodged in these aspects of His
character. My trust is in His love for me as His own. My serenity
has as its basis an implicit, unshakable reliance on His ability
to do the right thing, the best thing in any given situation.
This to me is the supreme portrait of my Shepherd. Continually
there flows out to me His goodness and His mercy, which, even
though I do not deserve them, come unremittingly from their
source of supply - His own great heart of love.
Herein is the essence of all that has gone before in this
Psalm. All the care, all the work, all the alert watchfulness,
all the skill, all the concern, all the self-sacrifice are born
of His love - the love of One who loves His sheep, loves His
work, loves His role as a Shepherd.
"I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for
the sheep."
"Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his
life for us" (I John 3:16).
With all this in view it is then proper to ask myself, "Is
this outflow of goodness and mercy for me to stop and stagnate in
my life? Is there no way in which it can pass on through me to
benefit others?"
Yes, there is a way.
And this aspect is one which eludes many of us.
There is a positive, practical aspect in which my life in
turn should be one whereby goodness and mercy follow in my
footsteps for the well-being of others.
Just as God's goodness and mercy flow to me all the days of
my life, so goodness and mercy should follow me, should be left
behind me, as a legacy to others, wherever I may go.
It is worth reiterating at this point that sheep can, under
mismanagement, be the most destructive livestock. In short order
they can ruin and ravage land almost beyond remedy. But in bold
contrast they can, on the other hand, be the most beneficial of
all livestock if properly managed.
Their manure is the best balanced of any produced by
domestic stock. When scattered efficiently over the pastures it
proves of enormous benefit to the soil. The sheep's habit of
seeking the highest rise of ground on which to rest insures that
the fertility from the rich low land is re-deposited on the less
productive higher ground. No other livestock will consume as wide
a variety of herbage. Sheep eat all sorts of weeds and other
undesirable plants which might otherwise invade a field. For
example, they love the buds and tender tips of Canada thistle
which, if not controlled, can quickly become a most noxious weed.
In a few years a flock of well-managed sheep will clean up and
restore a piece of ravaged land as no other creature can do.
In ancient literature sheep were referred to as "those of the
golden hooves" - simply because they were regarded and esteemed
so highly, for their beneficial effect on the land.
In my own experience as a sheep rancher I have, in just a
few years, seen two derelict ranches restored to high
productivity and usefulness. More than this, what before appeared
as depressing eyesores became beautiful, park-like properties of
immense worth. Where previously there had been only poverty and
pathetic waste, there now followed flourishing fields and rich
abundance.
In other words, goodness and mercy had followed my flocks.
They left behind them something worthwhile, productive, beautiful
and beneficial to both themselves, others and me. Where they had
walked there followed fertility and weed-free land. Where they
had lived there remained beauty and abundance.
The question now comes to me pointedly, is this true of my
life? Do I leave a blessing and benediction behind me?
Sir Alfred Tennyson wrote in one of his great classic poems,
"The good men do lives after them."
On one occasion two friends spent a few days in our home
while passing through en route to some engagements in the East.
They invited me to go along. After several days on the road one
of the men missed his hat. He was sure it had been left in our
home. He asked me to write my wife to find it and kindly send it
on to him. Her letter of reply was one I shall never forget. One
sentence in particular made an enormous impact on me. "I have
combed the house from top to bottom and can find no trace of the
hat. The only thing those men left behind was a great blessing!"
Is this the way people feel about me?
Do I leave a trail of sadness or of gladness behind?
Is my memory, in other people's minds, entwined with mercy
and goodness, or would they rather forget me altogether? Do I
deposit a blessing behind me or am I a bane to others? Is my life
a pleasure to people or a pain?
In Isaiah 52:7 we read, "How beautiful upon the mountains
are the feet of [them] that bringeth good tidings, that
publisheth peace. . . ."
Sometimes it is profitable to ask ourselves such simple
questions as:
"Do I leave behind peace in lives - or turmoil?"
"Do I leave behind forgiveness - or bitterness?"
"Do I leave behind contentment - or conflict?"
"Do I leave behind flowers of joy - or frustration?"
"Do I leave behind love - or rancor?"
Some people leave such a sorry mess behind them wherever
they go that they prefer to cover their tracks.
For the true child of God, the one under the Shepherd's
care, there should never be any sense of shame or fear in going
back to where they have lived or been before. Why? Because there
they have left a legacy of uplift, encouragement and inspiration
to others.
In Africa, where I spent so many years, one of the greatest
marks left by any man was that of David Livingstone. No matter
where his footsteps took him through the bush and plains of the
great continent there remained the impact of his love. Natives,
whose language he never learned, long years after, remembered him
as the kindly, tender doctor whom goodness and mercy had followed
all the days of his life.
There remains in my own mind boyhood recollections of the
first stories I was told about Jesus Christ as a man amongst us.
His life was summed up in the simple, terse, but deeply profound
statement, "He went about, doing good!" It was as though this was
the loftiest, noblest, most important thing on which He could
possibly spend His few short years.
But I also was deeply impressed by the fact that His good
and kindly acts were always commingled with mercy. Where so often
other human beings were rude and harsh and vindictive of one
another, His compassion and tenderness was always apparent. Even
the most flagrant sinners found forgiveness with Him, whereas at
the hands of their fellow men they knew only condemnation,
censure and cruel criticism.
And again I have to ask myself is this my attitude to other
people? Do I sit up on my pedestal of self-pride and look with
contempt upon my contemporaries, or do I get down and identify
myself with them in their dilemma and there extend a small
measure of the goodness and mercy given to me by my Master?
Do I see sinners with the compassion of Christ or with the
critical eye of censure? Am I willing to overlook faults and
weaknesses in others and extend forgiveness as God has forgiven
me my failings?
The only real, practical measure of my appreciation for the
goodness and mercy of God to me is the extent to which I am, in
turn, prepared to show goodness and mercy to others.
If I am unable to forgive and extend friendship to fallen
men and women, then it is quite certain I know little or nothing
in a practical sense of Christ's forgiveness and mercy to me.
It is this lack of love among Christians which today makes
the church an insipid, lukewarm institution. People come to find
affection and are turned off by our tepidity.
But the man or woman who knows firsthand about the goodness
and mercy of God in his own life, will be warm and affectionate
with goodness and mercy to others. This is to be a benefit to
them, but equally important, it is to be a blessing to God.
Yes, a blessing to God!
Most of us think only God can bring a blessing to us. The
Christian life is a two-way proposition. Nothing pleased me more
than to see my flock flourish and prosper. It delighted me
personally, no end, to feel compensated for the care I had given
them. To see them content was wonderful. To see the land
benefiting was beautiful. And the two together made me a happy
man. It enriched my own life; it was a reward for my efforts and
energy. In this experience I received full compensation for all
that I had poured into the endeavor.
Most of us forget that our Shepherd is looking for some
satisfaction as well. We are told that He looked upon the travail
of His soul and was satisfied.
This is the benefit we can bring to Him.
He looks on my life in tenderness for He loves me deeply. He
sees the long years during which His goodness and mercy have
followed me without slackening. He longs to see some measure of
that same goodness and mercy not only passed on to others by me
but also passed back to Him with joy.
He longs for love - my love.
And I love Him - only and because He first loved me. Then He
is satisfied.
....................
To be continued
A Shepherd looks at Psalm 23 Dwelling in God's HOUSE forever!
I WILLD WELL IN THE HOUSE
OF THE LORD FOREVER
THIS PSALM OPENED with the proud, joyous statement, "The
Lord is my Shepherd." Now it closes with the equally positive,
buoyant affirmation, "And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
forever."
Here is a sheep so utterly satisfied with its lot in life,
so fully contented with the care it receives, so much "at home"
with the shepherd that there is not a shred of desire for a
change.
Stated in simple, direct, rather rough ranch language it
would be put like this, "Nothing will ever make me leave this
outf it - it's great!"
Conversely on the shepherd's side there has developed a
great affection and devotion to his flock. He would never think
of parting with such a sheep. Healthy, contented, productive
sheep are his delight and profit. So strong, now, are the bonds
between them that it is in very truth - forever.
The word "house" used here in the poem has wider meaning
than most people could attach to it. Normally we speak of the
house of the Lord as the sanctuary or church or meeting place of
God's people. In one sense David may have had this in mind. And,
of course, it is pleasant to think that one would always delight
to be found in the Lord's house.
But it must be kept in mind always, that the Psalmist,
writing from the standpoint of a sheep, is reflecting on and
recounting the full round of the year's activities for the flock.
He has taken us from the green pastures and still waters of the
home ranch, up through the mountain passes onto the high
tablelands of the summer range. Fall has come with its storms and
rain and sleet that drives the sheep down the foothills and back
to the home ranch for the long, quiet winter. In a sense this is
coming home. It is a return to the fields and corrals and barns
and shelters of the owner's home. During all seasons of the year,
with their hazards, dangers and disturbances, it is the rancher's
alertness, care and energetic management that has brought the
sheep through satisfactorily.
It is with a sublime feeling of both composure and
contentment that this statement, "I will dwell in the house of
the Lord for ever," is made.
Actually what is referred to by "house" is the family or
household or flock of the Good Shepherd. The sheep is so deeply
satisfied with the flock to which it belongs, with the ownership
of this particular shepherd that it has no wish to change
whatever.
It is as if it had finally come home again and was now
standing at the fence, bragging to its less fortunate neighbors
on the other side. It boasts about the wonderful year it has had
and its complete confidence in its owner.
Sometimes I feel we Christians should be much more like
this. We should be proud to belong to Christ. Why shouldn't we
feel free to boast to others of how good our Shepherd is? How
glad we should be to look back and recall all the amazing ways in
which He has provided for our welfare. We should delight to
describe, in detail, the hard experiences through which He has
brought us. And we should be eager and quick to tell of our
confidence in Christ. We should be bold to state fearlessly that
we are so glad we are His. By the contentment and serenity of our
lives we should show what a distinct advantage it is to be a
member of His "household," of His flock.
I can never meditate on this last phrase in the Psalm
without vivid scenes from some of the days on my first sheeo
ranch.
As winter, with its cold rains and chilling winds came on,
my neighbor's sickly sheep would stand huddled at the fence,
their tails to the storm, facing the rich fields in which my
flock flourished. Those poor, abused, neglected creatures under
the ownership of a heartless rancher had known nothing but
suffering most of the year. With them there had been gnawing
hunger all summer. They were thin and sickly with disease and
scab and parasites. Tormented by flies and attacked by predators,
some were so weak and thin and wretched that their thin legs
could scarcely bear their scanty frames.
Always there seemed to lurk in their eyes the slender, faint
hope that perhaps with a bit of luck they could break through the
fence or crawl through some hole to free themselves. Occasionally
this used to happen, especially around Christmas. This was the
time of extreme tides when the sea retreated far out beyond the
end of the fence lines which ran down to it. The neighbor's
emaciated, dissatisfied, hungry sheep would wait for this to
happen. Then at the first chance they would go down on the tidal
flats; slip around the end of the fence and come sneaking in to
gorge themselves on our rich green grass.
So pitiful and pathetic was their condition that the sudden
feast of lush feed, to which they were unaccustomed, often proved
disastrous. Their digestive systems would begin to scour and
sometimes this led to death. I recall clearly coming across three
of my neighbor's ewes lying helpless under a fir tree near the
fence one drizzly day. They were like three old, limp, gray,
sodden sacks collapsed in a heap. Even their bony legs would no
longer support them.
I loaded them into a wheelbarrow and wheeled them back to
their heartless owner. He simply pulled out a sharp killing knife
and slit all three of their throats. He couldn't care less.
What a picture of Satan who holds ownership over so many. Right
there the graphic account of Jesus portrayed of Himself as being
the door and entrance by which sheep were to enter His fold
flashed across my mind.
Those poor sheep had not come into my ranch through the
proper gate. I had never let them in. They had never really
become mine. They had not come under my ownership or control. If
they had, they would not have suffered so. Even starting out
under my management they would have been given very special care.
First they would have been put on dry, limited rations, then they
would gradually have been allowed green feed until they were
adjusted to the new diet and mode of life. In short, they tried
to get in on their own. It simply spelled disaster. What made it
doubly sad was that they were doomed anyway. On the old
impoverished ranch they would have starved to death that winter.
Likewise with those apart from Christ. The old world is a
pretty wretched ranch and Satan is a heartless owner. He cares
not a wit for men's souls or welfare. Under his tyranny there are
hundreds of hungry, discontented hearts who long to enter into
the household of God - who ache for His care and concern. Yet
there is only one way into this fold. That way is through the
owner, Christ Himself - the Good Shepherd. He boldly declared, "I
am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and
shall go in and out, and find pasture" (John 10:9).
Almost every day I am literally rubbing shoulders with men
and women "on the other side of the fence." What is my impact
upon them? Is my life so serene, so satisfying, so radiant
because I walk and talk and live with God, that they become
envious? Do they see in me the benefits of being under Christ's
control? Do they see something of Himself reflected in my conduct
and character? Does my life and conversation lead them to Him -
and thus into life everlasting?
If so, then I may be sure some of them will also long to
dwell in the house of the Lord forever. And there is no reason
why this cannot happen if they come under His proper ownership.
There is one other beautiful and final sense in which the
psalmist was speaking as a sheep. It is brought out in the
Amplified Old Testament where the meaning of this last phrase is,
"I will dwell in the 'presence' of the Lord forever."
My personal conviction is that this is the most significant
sentiment that David had in his heart as he ended this hymn of
praise to divine diligence.
Not only do we get the idea of an ever-present Shepherd on
the scene, but also the concept that the sheep wants to be in
full view of his owner at all times.
This theme has run all through our studies. It is the
alertness, the awareness, the diligence of a never-tiring master
which alone assures the sheep of excellent care. And from the
sheep's standpoint it is knowing that the shepherd is there; it
is the constant awareness of his presence nearby that
automatically eliminates most of the difficulties and dangers
while at the same time providing a sense of security and
serenity.
It is the sheep owner's presence that guarantees there will
be no lack of any sort; that there will be abundant green
pastures; that there will be still, clean waters; that there will
be new paths into fresh fields; that there will be safe summers
on the high tablelands; that there will be freedom from fear;
that there will be antidotes for flies and disease and parasites;
that there will be quietness and contentment.
In our Christian lives and experience precisely the same
idea and principle applies. For when all is said and done on the
subject of a successful Christian walk, it can be summed up in
one sentence. "Live ever aware of God's presence."
There is the "inner" consciousness, which can be very
distinct and very real, of Christ's presence in my life, made
evident by His gracious Holy Spirit within. It is He who speaks
to us in distinct and definite ways about our behavior. For our
part it is, a case of being sensitive and responsive to that
inner voice.
There can be an habitual awareness of Christ within me,
empowering me to live a noble and richly rewarding life in
cooperation with Himself. As I respond to Him and move in harmony
with His wishes I discover life becomes satisfying and
worthwhile. It acquires great serenity and is made an exciting
adventure of fulfillment as I progress in it. This is made
possible as I allow His gracious Spirit to control, manage and
direct my daily decisions. In fact; I should deliberately ask for
His direction even in minute details.
Then there is the wider but equally thrilling awareness of
God all around me. I live surrounded by His presence. I am an
open person, an open individual, living life open to His
scrutiny. He is conscious of every circumstance I encounter. He
attends me with care and concern because I belong to Him. And
this will continue through eternity. What an assurance!
I shall dwell in the presence (in the care of) the Lord forever.
Bless His Name.
....................
NOTE:
Ah yes, what an uplifting, encouraging, and educational book from
Phillip Keller. I hope you found it as good to read as I did once
more, in uploading it to this Website. I think you will now agree
with me when I said at the beginning chapter, Phillip Keller has
a way of pulling at your heart strings. I believe you will also
be inspired and educated through Keller's other book I have
uploaded called "A shepherd looks at the GOOD SHEPHERD."
Keith Hunt
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