Encouragement

---

God has many names, each one describes an attribute of His character. One of my favorite names is Yahweh-Rohi – The Lord Our Shepherd. This is the description of the relationship our God wants with us. The Lord is my Shepherd I shall not want (Psalm 23:1).

What a beautiful picture of the rest we have in Him! Are you stressed today? Find rest in the green pastures of His finished work. Find hope and restoration as He restores your soul.

Symbolically, the Bible refers to sheep as God’s people. Are you a stubborn sheep, straying on the wrong path and in need of guidance and correction? The Good Shepherd wants to lead you into paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.

A shepherd may have to break the leg of a stubborn sheep and then bind the leg in a splint. He will carry the sheep and pour oil on its leg to promote healing. This stubborn sheep will now stay the closest to the shepherd. A bond has been formed that will not be broken.

I once traveled on the wrong path. This misguided search brought me into a painful journey of drug addiction and life in a motorcycle gang. I was that stubborn sheep that got caught up in a violent gang war and became a broken victim. Crippling bullets forever changed my life.

Eventually, I encountered the hope and healing of God’s transforming love. A victorious life in Him is meant to be lived on the paths of righteousness and not in the past.

A shepherd’s rod redirects and corrects the sheep. The staff is used to lift and restore the sheep. When we walk through the valleys, and we all will, focus on the light and not on the darkness. The valley is not a permanent place; trust in the Good Shepherd to lead you out of the pit of despair. Hope in Him.

Yahweh-Rohi leads us home. He lovingly rubs the healing oil on our broken and wounded hearts. The Shepherd knows our needs. He will restore us when we are broken, pick us up when we fall, and strengthen us in our weakness. Now that is a love I can trust!

"To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice." John 10:3-4 (NJKV)

---

PLEASE ENCOURAGE AUTHOR BELOW LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE AS A MEMBER OR VISITOR