referencing The Lord is my Shepherd

The word ‘lead’ again… there are 3 definitions of the verb ‘to lead’ from Google that I will like to explore.

• cause (a person) to go with one by holding them by the hand, while moving forward

This definition conjures an image of God holding me by my hand and leading me on the right path and he does so by His Spirit. Think about this scripture:

“I will lead the blind by a way they do not know, in paths they do not know. I will guide them. I will make darkness into light before them and rugged places into plains. These are the things I will do, And I will not leave them undone.” Isaiah 42:16 NASB

To live righteously is a foreign concept to us because it is not in our nature to be righteous. This means the righteous path is one we do not readily know. But God’s promise is that he will guide us in the path of righteousness and as we seek more of Him through  His word, this path gets illuminated and it becomes clearer and clearer to us (Psalm 119: 105). And where before we had moral dilemmas about whether a Christian should do this or do that, all those rugged places on this righteous path become plain. That is when this scripture will become alive: and you will need no one to teach you (1 John 2:27)

• show (someone or something) the way to a destination by going in front of or beside them

Picture this: a shepherd going down a rocky path, staff in his hand, sheep in tow. He clears the rocks ahead and makes sure the terrain is passable for the sheep. Then when it is safe, he steps to the side so he can monitor the sheep as they cross the terrain.

That’s who Jesus is to us. He walked the earth as a man and traversed the narrow righteous road, never faltering. He has gone in front of us and now he walks beside us guiding us along the way.

For we do not have a [Shepherd] who is unable to sympathize and understand our weaknesses and temptations, but One who has been tempted [knowing exactly how it feels to be human] in every respect as we are, yet without [committing any] sin. Hebrews 4:15 AMP

• be a route or means of access to a particular place or in a particular direction

There was a time in the life of one of the disciples where he felt utterly lost so he said to Jesus, “Show us the way to the Father” and Jesus’ reply was, “If you have seen me you have seen the Father because I am the WAY“(John 14: 1-8 paraphrase). We also know from scripture that Jesus Christ is our Righteousness, our Jehovah Tsidkenu.  So when  Jesus promises to lead us in the path of righteousness, He is promising that He will lead us to into deeper revelation of who He is. Not only will his abiding presence be with us but He will also teach us  how to abide in Him.

So dear readers, there is a lot to be gained from having Jesus lead us and on the right path. Is Jesus your Shepherd?