Title: God the Shepherd
Contents
1. Words that begin
Occasionally, hearing terrible news about a child who murdered their parents, I am reminded of how important the blessing of 'meeting' is. You have to get along well with your parents, with your neighbors, with your friends, and with your leaders. Meetings with parents are unavoidable because they have nothing to do with human choices, but meetings with neighbors, friends, or leaders are critical issues that require careful human choices.
In particular, in view of the fact that we are human beings who must constantly grow and mature, meeting with a leader is a critical issue that affects our entire life. The problem, however, is that there are few leaders who are not tainted by popularity and respect, lust for money and career, lust for honor and pride. However, we have nothing to worry about, because we have met God the Shepherd.
2. The Shepherd Who Leads Us
This poem, known as David's experiential poem of meeting God, the eternal Shepherd, has become a poem of immortal value because of its ideological characteristics, imagination, and the familiar religious feelings expressed therein. Some people praised it as the greatest poem on earth, and Jews recite this poem when they learn to speak, and say that they recite it when they die. In fact, it has given millions of people deep spiritual touch, spiritual courage, and eternal hope.
David said that God was his shepherd, so he lacked nothing. This confession does not mean that David is so abundant that he lacks. Because God filled David's head and heart with knowledge and wisdom, and always filled and overflowed his storehouses, it was not that he was unaware of what he lacked.
Although David was revered as the greatest king in Israel's history, his life was not always smooth. When he was a shepherd, he used to fight with wild beasts, and even though he made a big contribution to rescue the country from danger, there were times when he was forced to run away with the envy of King Saul without reward, and there were times when he starved with his subordinates because there was no food to eat. There were times when I pretended to be a madman in front of Achish, king of Gath, to save my life, and there were times when I experienced a heartbreaking incident of a rebellion from a loved one.
Gentlemen, please believe that our God guides us, just as a shepherd leads a hungry flock to green pastures and still waters to feed and rest. When our souls are hungry and weary from fighting the harsh and sinful world ruled by the devil, God who works in due time will surely restore our souls with manna and give them rest and refreshment.
In 1 Kings 18 and below we have the following story:
In the days of King Ahab of Israel, when the nation was in serious crisis due to extreme idolatry, Elijah, the messenger of God, waged a spiritual war 850:1 against 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of Asherah on Mount Carmel. As many as 850 false prophets performed ritual dances and called Baal with swords and spears, according to the rules, and called Baal, but there was no answer.
Elijah, who had boldly ridiculed them until then, took twelve stones according to the number of the twelve tribes from all the people who had seen them and made them rebuild the broken altar of God. . At that moment, the fire of God came down and consumed the sacrifice. Then Elijah ordered the people to catch all the false prophets, and then took them all to Kishon and killed them.
However, when King Ahab's queen Jezebel heard this alarming news, she became enraged and offered to kill Elijah. Elijah, who had achieved a great victory, was forced to run away. In the end, exhausted, he sat under a broom tree and took his life from God. After pleading for it, he collapsed and fell asleep.
I was prepared to die for the glory of God and waged a great spiritual warfare. Is it possible to do this?
However, please believe that the God who has won the great spiritual warfare is definitely the God who works most appropriately at the right time. An angel of God kept eating and drinking the baked bread and a bottle of water. 1 Kings 19:8 says, ?쏷hen he got up, ate and drank, and, relying on the strength of the food, traveled forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mountain of God.??
Please believe in the fact that this amazing grace is only received by those who trust only the shepherd and follow the rough and rugged mountains and valleys until they reach green pastures and still waters. Only those who follow the way of the cross can enjoy the glory of resurrection.
When we are weary and weary from the world, our souls are revived only when we receive the manna of the Word, and only when our souls are revived can we follow God, the Shepherd who leads us in the path of righteousness. Our God leads us in the path of righteousness, not for our name, but for His name, and not for ours, but for His honor. Don't expect it to be according to my will or lust, but to hope that it will be according to God's will and word.
3. God of Comfort
A person who believes that the Lord's will, not mine, is the path of righteousness and the path to green pastures and still waters, and who has the faith to surrender his entire life and the fate of the next world to the Lord, even in death. I am not afraid. David experientially confessed, ?쏣ven though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.??
Just as a shepherd uses a stick to prevent wild beasts from attacking his sheep and drives his flock with his staff, our God blocks the devil's black hand and leads us to eternal heaven. As long as we do not deviate from God's Word to the left or right, please believe that God is in charge of our life as well as our eternal life in Heaven. Hasn't the Lord already overcome death and risen to give us the hope of eternal life? As long as this belief is firm, there is nothing to fear in the world. Are you not afraid of any hardship, even death? Do I have to die to go to heaven?
In the old days, David also had a firm belief in the blessings of eternal life in the next life based on his experience of God's blessings in this world. Such faith was built upon countless experiences of the grace of God, who sets a feast for believers in the eyes of those who believe in Him, and allows them to eat and drink with joy, even though all enemies, including the devil, continue to torment them and take away their souls. David said, ?쏷he goodness and mercy of God will surely follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.??This faith, this assurance of eternal salvation, is strengthened through lifelong experiences of God's goodness and mercy.
Everyone, I hope you will trust and follow only God at any time, any place, and in any situation.
4. Conclusion
There was a time when there was a prince who threw away the crown of wealth and honor, popularity and respect, extraordinary honor and privilege, and married a woman who was nothing more than a common man. He was satisfied with the only woman he loved above all else.
How are we? Are you satisfied with only God who works in time in this world and prepares you for eternal life in heaven in the future? Once again, I hope that God will give us grace and blessings at the right time and lead us to eternal life as our shepherd so that we may not lack anything. This encounter with God is more than enough to offset any unfortunate human encounters. By all means, I sincerely hope that through a certain encounter with God the Shepherd, we will all be blessed with meeting others.
(Pungseong Methodist Church. Books: Complete Commentary on New Testament Volume 27/ Interpretation of Difficult Scriptures I, II/ Salvation Before Jesus Came/ Understanding Paul?셲 Man/ Prosperity Prayer/ Seasonal Sermonbooks/ Sermon Books 18. T. 426 -3051)