"The Lord is My Shepherd"
                                                       
                                                      "The Lord is my Seeking Shepherd"
                           The Scriptures say, "All we like sheep have gone astray.  Everyone
                           has gone his own way."  In our culture today there is a tendency
                           to "go our own way."  After all we are autonomous.  We are
                           independent.  We are self-sufficient.  We are self-reliant.  No one
                           is going to tell us what to do and not to do.  We forget that there are
                           many "voices" calling us, many "voices" beckoning us.
                           Jesus in love is Calling Us.  He said, "My sheep listen to my voice.
                           I know them and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they
                           shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand." John.10:27,28.
                           He is our "seeking" Shepherd. He finds us where we are and draws us
                           to Himself.
                           Secondly, Jesus is our Feeding Shepherd.  "He makes me to lie down
                           in green pastures."  We hunger and thirst for new adventures.  We surf
                           the Internet.  We absorb videos.  We Google.  We Facebook.  We Tweet.
                           We phone.  We text.  We are looking for something new, different,
                            exciting.  Something to arouse our interest, our excitement, our energy,
                           our imagination.  There are those who know how to excite us, to arouse
                           our anger, our fear, our lust, our libido, our ambition, our drive, our base
                           instincts.
                           To help us in our predicament, to satisfy our basic needs, Jesus came and
                           said, "I am the Bread of Life."  John 6:48.   "I am the living Bread come down
                           from heaven.  If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever." John 6:51.
                          "Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life and I will raise
                          him up at the last day." John 6:54. "I have come that you may have life and 
                          have it to the full." John 10:10.

                          Thirdly, Jesus is our Bleeding Shepherd.  He went to the Cross.  Oh,
                          the cost, the whip, the scourging, nails, and spear thrust in His side.
                          He was crucified (think about it). Blood poured from his hands, his feet,
                          his side.  "This is love; not that we loved God, but that He loved us and
                          sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins."  I John 4:10.  "The blood
                          of Jesus, His (God's) Son, cleanses us from all sin."   We remember the
                          cost and say, "Take my life and let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee."
                       
                          Finally, He is our Leading Shepherd.   We have a final destination:
                          "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life
                          and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever."  Imagine you are
                          hiking in the mountains. You have lost your way.  There are many
                          paths. You need a Guide.  There is only One Guide in life.  Jesus said,
                          "I am the Way and the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father
                          but by me."  John 14:6.  Stay close to Him.  His Journey is filled with
                          faith, purpose, and joy.  And its destination is "to dwell in the house
                          of the Lord" in the New Jerusalem.