Benjamin Breckinridge Warfield, an American professor of theology once remarked: "A firm faith in the universal providence of God is the solution of all earthly problems. It is almost equally true that a clear and full apprehension of the universal providence of God is the solution of most theological problems." Proverbs 16:9 confirms: “The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.”
Providence is defined as the protective care of God or of nature as a spiritual power. Although every choice in life is deemed as individualistic, God is always available to help. Psalm 23:1-6 reminds us: “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: He leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 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. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.”
This is probably the most well known and best-loved psalm of all. It defines God’s providence, reassurance and hope. It is usually taught in schools from an early age and very often it is said or even sung at funerals. It gives great comfort in times of grief, when we need it most. If we delve further into its implications, then we ascertain that this psalm has many underlying meanings and deeper connotations, but we can also interpret it from a fundamental point of view. The initial impression is that these words just gently flow like a stream of life. The words are easy for us to understand even if we don’t have a vast knowledge of the Bible. We can look at the basic meaning of them and apply them so pertinently to mortal or future heavenly life. We have often heard the nomenclature that the Lord is our shepherd and we are His sheep. As a shepherd looks after his flock and protects them from harm, so the Lord constantly looks over us and guides us in the way that He desires us to go just as the shepherd’s dog moves the sheep under the guidance of the shepherd.
One can easily relate to the pleasant thought of being guided through green pastures alongside still waters. This invokes a feeling of peace, comfort and tranquillity. It simulates the same effect as closing one’s eyes and listening to extremely soothing music which then allows one to drift off into a world of their own. In times of great anxiety, it has an extremely surreal effect. If one closes their eyes and imagines being a sheep guided by the shepherd who loves and cares, not only in life, but also in death, through green pastures and beside the cooling still waters then tranquillity abounds. The sun is probably shining and the winds are calm. Everything is at peace. One can’t fail to feel calm and experience those anxieties just pouring out of the body. Romans 8:28 reminds us: “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”
In times of trouble, we must trust that God will never leave or forsake us. He is always there for us. We will never want for anything that is God’s will. He will provide everything that we need. God will give us His unstinting love if we believe and have faith in Him. Just as the good shepherd feeds his sheep, so, if it is good for us, then God will feed us and with great abundance. Just as a sheep feeds and becomes full and contented, then so shall we be as well. We will drink from the quiet stream and become refreshed again. We will become happy in our lives for we know that our shepherd has provided for us.
Every pasture that we roam will be filled with goodness. When we have eaten enough and drank enough and are contented, God will allow us to lie down in green pastures to rest. To revive our spirit and restore our souls. Our minds will once again be at peace with our bodies. God will show us to the path of righteousness and if we happen to stray into sin and need help and encouragement, this too will He provide so that we may give our best to Him in return. He will not let us dwell on our sins and problems. If we stray off course, He is there to restore us and guide us again on the correct road forward just as the good shepherd does to his flock.
In the Bible, we are frequently compared to sheep and Jesus as the shepherd. Psalm 100:3 states: “Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.” A sheep is defined as a domesticated ruminant mammal with a thick woolly coat which is kept in flocks for wool or meat. Sheep have a proverbial tendency to naturally follow others in the flock. Just as humans can be easily led or influenced, so a sheep follows the same trait. We need the guidance of a good shepherd and his dog to keep us on the straight and narrow so that we do not stray off the correct and righteous path in life.
A shepherd has the interests of his flock as one of his primary concerns, his sheep are valuable to him, just as God feels the same about us. If we follow Him with trust and faith then we will come to little harm. Some people in life lack a sense of direction and need guidance from others, a sheep seeks the same reassurance. Anxieties and fears in life need to be overcome to avoid sufferance. A sheep is often dependent on the good nature of others as it has little ability to protect itself, it is vulnerable and we are the same. Just as a sheep needs protection, so the same applies to us. God is our protection, our strength and our fortitude. Without Him, we can be regarded as lost sheep. Matthew 6:25-29 confirms: “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.”
We should never fear evil or even death. If a sheep is threatened by danger then the good shepherd will chase away with His staff any present evils so that the sheep may roam without hindrance again. When death prevails, although this certainly comes to all of us in our life, we can have faith that the shepherd will guide us forward to a better place. A place where we can become carefree. A place where we can become young again and enjoy a new life. We can find solace that we will have that sure inner strength and comfort throughout our journey. There will be no fear or evil to tempt us in this new world only laughter and happiness. Any ailments that we have on this earth will trouble us no more.
Pain will just be a distant memory. No longer will we have to suffer in silence. We will feel free and well again from that time throughout eternity. No harm will ever come to us. God will look over us, protect us and prepare a safe way. Our spiritual table will have plenty of nourishment and water to feed and quench our thirst. Our shepherd will provide new pastures for us to feed at every point along the way. When we arrive at our final destination we will once again walk in those green pastures and experience its delight with no time constraints. Darkness will not be present. We will only see light. We will no longer have enemies that can harm or torment us. We will experience only friendship and love. Our heads will be anointed with God’s love and our cups will overflow with kindness. Surely goodness and mercy will follow us all the days of our life and we will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Amen.
