The Shepherd Psalm: A Meditation Part 4

Shall it not be that in that great day not one of Christ's sheep will be missing? "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me; and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand." "The +LORD+ is my Shepherd, I shall not be missing."

Christ Jesus hath the power, The power to renew, The power to cleanse your heart from sin, And make you wholly true.

Christ Jesus hath the power For evermore to keep; Oh, none can pluck you from His hand, Or rob Him of His sheep!

--_Dr. James M. Gray_

=_G.o.d as a Guide_=

What a wonderful truth is a.s.serted in this verse--"_He_ leadeth _me_."

Meditate just a moment on these words--"_He_," G.o.d, the great and mighty One, the Creator of the heavens and the earth, the One who upholdeth all things by the word of His power, the unerring, unchangeable, all-seeing, all-knowing, all-powerful One--"_He_ leadeth me"--_me_, poor, trembling, wayward, straying, sinning, fallible, erring son of Adam, unworthy, unfit, not ent.i.tled to the least of G.o.d's blessings; yet, incomprehensible as the truth may seem, G.o.d in heaven leads "_me_,"

here, on earth. He leadeth me on a journey in which it is so easy of myself to go astray from the right path. Further, He _leads_, not drives, His sheep. "He goeth _before_ His own sheep and leadeth them."

The Good Shepherd will not ask you to go anywhere where He Himself has not gone. He does not drive His children. He leads them.

He leadeth me! Oh! blessed thought, Oh, words with heav'nly comfort fraught!

Whate'er I do, where'er I be, Still 'tis G.o.d's hand that leadeth me.

Sometimes 'mid scenes of deepest gloom, Sometimes where Eden's bowers bloom, By waters calm, o'er troubled sea-- Still 'tis His hand that leadeth me.

Lord, I would clasp Thy hand in mine, Nor ever murmur nor repine; Content, whatever lot I see, Since 'tis my G.o.d that leadeth me.

And when my task on earth is done, When, by Thy grace, the victory's won, E'en death's cold wave I will not flee, Since G.o.d through Jordan leadeth me.

He leadeth me! He leadeth me!

By His own hand He leadeth me; His faithful follower I would be, For by His hand He leadeth me.

--_Joseph H. Gilmore_

=_Knowing G.o.d's Will_=

G.o.d's way of guidance varies with different individuals. There is probably no point on which we need more careful instruction than that which concerns the will of G.o.d for us. We may speak of two wills of G.o.d.

The first concerns our _character_ and may be known by all, for it is distinctly declared in the Word of G.o.d in such pa.s.sages, for example, as, "This is the will of G.o.d, even your sanctification." There can be no doubt or hesitancy with regard to knowing what the _general_ will of G.o.d regarding our _character_ may be.

There is another will of G.o.d, however, which affects not our character but our _career_. This _particular_ will of G.o.d is not as easy to discern as that which touches our character. Others may not know this for me. In the last a.n.a.lysis G.o.d and I alone must solve the problem of my career. It is true I may consult others and get all the light possible on the question at issue, but ultimately the solution of the matter is to be found in the quiet with the soul and G.o.d Himself.

=_Three Things About Guidance_=

Three things may be said to indicate clearly the _particular_ will of G.o.d which concerns my _career_.

The first comes from a constant and prayerful reading of the _Word of G.o.d_, through which G.o.d will in some way make known to me in particular His will regarding me. The scripture which decides the matter for me may not have the same meaning to others, but I recognize it to be G.o.d's will for me. A minister received one day two calls to the pastorate of two churches. One offered a stipend of $3000 a year and manse, and an established church with 900 members, and located under the shadow of a great university. A flattering call indeed. The other invitation was from a struggling suburban church with a members.h.i.+p of 75, and offering a salary of $1800 a year. What should the minister do? Which call should he accept? To say there was no struggle in the heart at the time would be to belie the fact. The man of G.o.d took the two invitations, laid them on the bed, knelt by its side, and put his open Bible in front of him between the two letters. After prayer for guidance and after reading the Word for some time his attention was riveted upon this verse: "Set not your mind on high things, but condescend to them that are lowly" (Romans 12:16, R. V.). He had read that verse before, many times, but somehow he could not get beyond it at _this_ time. To _him_ at _that particular time_ it was indicative of G.o.d's will. Obediently he chose the smaller church. After years proved the wisdom of the choice. So G.o.d will in some way indicate to you through the reading of His Word His will for _you_ at _that time_.

The second element in discerning the will of G.o.d is what may be called _the inward impression_, by which we mean the constant, irrepressible, insistent, persistent conviction in the heart of the child of G.o.d that he ought to do thus and so in a given case. It often happens that a strong impulse comes to a child of G.o.d. In a day or two that impulse has pa.s.sed away, and he looks back and sees that he has no a.s.surance that such was the will of G.o.d for him; but to the obedient soul in communion with the heavenly Father, the constant, irrepressible, insistent and persistent conviction that a certain thing should or should not be done is one of the sure indications of G.o.d's voice in the soul.

The third feature in discerning the will of G.o.d is what may be called _the favorable circ.u.mstance_, or _the open door_. If G.o.d wants one to go to a certain place or do a certain thing, the opportunity to do it will be present with the call to do it. If it is not, then one should wait until the door opens. If the pillar of cloud by day or the pillar of fire by night remains stationary, then Israel must remain in the camp.

When these emblems of G.o.d's guidance lifted and moved, then Israel knew that it was time for them to move.

So long Thy power hath blest me, sure it still Will lead me on O'er moor and fen, o'er crag and torrent, till The night is gone; And with the morn those angel faces smile Which I have loved long since and lost awhile.

--_John H. Newman_

These three things, the Word of G.o.d, the inward impression, and the open door, should be present in every clear indication of the will of G.o.d. If any one of them is missing, it indicates that the will of G.o.d is not yet clear. We have a beautiful ill.u.s.tration of these three things in the call of Peter to admit Cornelius into the Church (Acts 10 and 11).

First, Peter had the _Word of G.o.d_--nothing should be regarded common or unclean; second, he had _the inward impression_--he was meditating on what the vision he had seen should mean; and third, there was _the open door_--three men were already waiting for him to convey him to Caesarea.

Wonderfully instructive is G.o.d's guidance of the children of Israel by the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night. In this connection we should recall the words of Jesus when in the Temple, at the time they were celebrating G.o.d's care for His people in the wilderness in providing them with the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire. He said, "I am the light of the world; he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." Christ is our Guide; the Word of G.o.d is our chart. Having them, we may rest a.s.sured that G.o.d who has guided His people in all the ages will guide us safely to the end.

Guide me, O Thou great Jehovah, Pilgrim through this barren land; I am weak, but Thou art mighty, Hold me with Thy powerful hand; Bread of heaven, feed me till I want no more.

Open now the crystal fountain Whence the healing stream doth flow; Let the fiery, cloudy pillar Lead me all my journey through; Strong Deliverer, be Thou still my Strength and s.h.i.+eld.

When I tread the verge of Jordan, Bid my anxious fears subside, Death of deaths and h.e.l.l's destruction, Land me safe on Canaan's side: Songs of praises I will ever give to Thee.

--_William Williams_

CHAPTER FOUR

[Ill.u.s.tration]

="Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me."=

It was necessary for shepherds in Palestine, when leading their flocks from one pasture to another, to lead them, at times, through dark ravines, on either side of which were caves and holes wherein dwelt ravenous beasts. From the attack of these beasts the shepherd must protect his flock. For this purpose he used the staff which he carried with him. The staff was a great stick with a large k.n.o.b at the end of it pierced through with sharp nails and spikes. This weapon was used to beat off the attacks of the wild beasts. The shepherd must be bold and courageous. We recall how David referred to his encounters with wild beasts which attacked his flock. "And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father's sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock; and I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth; and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him. Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear; and this uncirc.u.mcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living G.o.d. David said moreover, The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of the Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the +LORD+ be with thee"

(I Samuel 17:34-37).

=_The Valley of the Shadow_=

"The valley of the shadow of death" may refer to any dark, dread or awful experience through which the child of G.o.d is called to pa.s.s. In this sense it is used in many places in the Scriptures. The Christian's path is not always beside still waters and in green pastures.

In pastures green? Not always; sometimes He Who knoweth best, in kindness leadeth me In weary ways, where heavy shadows be.

And by still waters? No not always so, Ofttimes the heavy tempests round me blow, And o'er my soul the waves and billows go.

But when the storm beats loudest, and I cry Aloud for help, the Master standeth by, And whispers to my soul, "Lo, it is I!"

Above the tempest wild I hear Him say, "Beyond the darkness lies the perfect day, In every path of thine I lead the way."

--_Henry H. Barry_

But is it not kind of our Father that He puts the valley in the middle of the Psalm--not at the beginning of our Christian journey, lest we should be unduly discouraged, but in the middle--after we have been strengthened with food and drink and have been a.s.sured of the tender care and guidance of the Great Shepherd. Oh! wondrous thought and care!

Of course, "the valley of the shadow of death" refers also, and probably more particularly, to the experience of death itself. At least we have come to look upon it in such light, and doubtless thousands of G.o.d's people have found the comforting truth of this verse a safe pillow in the dying hour. It has lightened the valley, removed the fear of death, and illumined immortality.

=_The Fear of Death_=