The Good Shepherd

I was reading in Psalm 23 the other day and thought/studied a lot about shepherds. There is a very special relationship between a shepherd and his sheep. A shepherd is a manager and a caretaker. He is the owner of his sheep…and he loves them.

One of the things I learned is that a shepherd marks his sheep with an instrument called a “killing knife.” Now, it may not sound very loving, but sheep do not instinctively take care of themselves. It may hurt them, but the shepherd knows the temporary pain is ultimately good for the sheep. So, he makes a distinct mark in their ear that identifies them as his own and cares for them almost like children.

In much the same way, many of the trials and tests we go through can be quite painful while “killing” the flesh. However, the Holy Ghost knows what He is doing in us is working toward our spiritual maturity. The question is, which do you think is worse: the pain of change or the pain of never changing?

In John 10:11(KJV), Jesus says, I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. 

There is so much we can learn about our relationship with Christ from the lesson about shepherds and sheep.

In the first verse of Psalm 23, David says, The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want (KJV).

He lacked nothing because he knew that God was with him, always working in his life, changing and maturing him. It doesn't mean that we will always have every little thing we want. But while we are waiting on things we’re praying and believing God for, we can be content knowing that He is always with us and will provide exactly what we need.

He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters. This is talking about entering into the rest of God. Not resting from activity…but resting in activity. There is a peace that comes from trusting in the ability and power that God gives us to do what He’s called us to do. It is this rest that causes us to step out in faith and do great things in His name. It’s faith in God’s faithfulness. 

Learn to rest in Him. He will lead you along the right paths for his name’s sake. As we rest in God, He works in our lives, and renews our minds. The scriptures have the power to change us. One of the things I studied, is that the sheep will choose the soft ground, the comfortable and easy places to wander into. But they can get into trouble and become easy prey for other animals. They will stay in the same pasture forever unless the shepherd moves them. And he will move them regularly so they can stay healthy.

Be open to change, a challenge…a new pasture. 

Even when you walk through the darkest valley…  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.

A shepherd carries a rod and a staff, which he uses in different ways for different reasons. The rod is just a big, long stick with a little knob or bud at the top of it. A staff has more of a hook at the end of it.

The shepherd will practice endlessly so that he’ll be able to accurately chuck that rod at a predator or even at an unruly sheep to keep it in line. Sometimes an animal will wander off too far from the others. The staff is used to hook a wayward sheep and lead it back into the fold. At other times, it’s used as an examining tool to check the animals for parasites or other ailments.

It's comforting to know that whenever we lose our way, He will use His staff to lovingly and gently guide us back onto the right path.

Those are just some of the ways a shepherd takes care of his sheep. And to think we have the Good Shepherd who takes care of us. What are you asking God to do in your life? Whatever it is, know that He will always be with you…and He will always provide just what you need. He is the Good Shepherd and He has already laid down His life for us!!

Testimony Tuesday

Hey all of Kimberly's wonderful readers! My name is Stefani (or Stef, if you like the nickname thing) and I blog over at Miss Jo and Co. I spend most of my posts rambling about my crazy one-year-old, fashion, good food, and being a law student's wife.

I am so excited to be here for Testimony Tuesday and so grateful to Kimberly for having me!

When I think about my testimony, I really can't specify one moment where I just knew the Church was true. Instead, I have these bits and pieces that I've put together over time, and as each piece falls into place I begin to discover more about my beliefs and the beauty of the Gospel.    When I was 15 years old, I spent a week at EFY in Massachusetts. I'm going to be honest - I didn't have the greatest time. I had always had a hard time fitting in with "typical" Mormon girls and this time was no different. I spent a lot of the week alone and by the end of things I felt really, really discouraged. I remember being in my room one night, thinking about how the week was going and wondering if maybe this Church just wasn't the right fit for me. I decided to pray about it. I think this was one of the first times when I actually prayed with the intention of receiving an answer. I'd prayed for help before, yeah, but I'd never said, "Here's what I need to know. What can you tell me?"    It was there in that moment that I knew for myself that this Church was the "right fit" and that it was where I needed to be. I felt a strong confirmation that I just needed to stick with it and that everything would be ok.    I'd like to tell you all that after that experience I went on to be an exemplary Church member and everything was super and dandy. I'd like to say that I remembered that experience forever and that I didn't stray. Sadly, that wouldn't be true.    Years later, I found myself living in Provo, UT, a recent graduate of BYU. Even though I was in a huge Mormon community, I have never felt more alone. I stopped going to Church regularly, I began choosing the completely wrong people to date, and I stopped living the way that I knew, in my heart, I should be living.  With each bad decision, I fell further away and became more desensitized to the promptings of the Spirit. But the Lord was still looking out for me. He still loved me. And even in my "darkest hours," he tried to reach me and he finally found me.    The day came where I realized that I was not happy and that the choices I was making were never, ever going to bring happiness. So I went to the place where I knew I could find it. I went home.  I spent the next few months going through the repentance process. It was the hardest, most emotional thing that I have ever had to go through. But because of that experience, I can tell each and every one of you that I know that the Gospel is true. I know that we can repent for our sins and be forgiven. I know that even in our darkest hours, Christ is still looking for us. He wants to find his lost sheep and he wants to bring us home.   I also have a testimony of the joy and the reassurance that comes from reading the scriptures and the words of the living prophets. They are the Lord speaking directly to us and it is in them that the answers to prayers can be found.   (I was going to find a quote from one of my favorite talks to add to this post, but after looking through it, I wouldn't be satisfied unless I added the whole thing. So go read Jeffery R. Holland's talk Broken Things to Mend. It's seriously one of the best!   Thanks again to Kimberly for letting me post this week! It's been an absolutely incredible experience.