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the good Shepherd

The Good Shepherd Will Restore Your Soul

by Corine Channell August 13, 2023

I always write first to myself. Then I decide if I want to share it. I don’t share it hoping for a vast audience – generally I feel like it is just maybe for one other person. It is the concept of having a cookie and breaking it in half – one half for me and one half for thee.

So today what I want to share how my anxiety has subsided. Whew. It was like a heavy weighted blanket someone threw over my soul. Personally, I am claustrophobic anyways, so the extra weight never works well for me on any level.

I was wondering why I am feeling better. Because Jesus.

THE GOOD SHEPHERD

That’s it. I did what He required of me and He has taken up the slack. He has restored my soul. If there were 100 sheep I was the 1 He had to rescue. I was the one snarled in the bushes way on the other side of the mountain. He, being the Good Shepherd left the sheep that were doing great, grazing and sunning themselves, without a care in the world – and He came to find me. I got gotten used to those branches wrapped around me, until He gently lifted them off of me.

“What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.” (Matthew 18:12-14)

TIME TO GRAZE

When He put me back in the pasture with the sun brightly shining on me, it was almost too much. Enter anxiety. In essence, the sun hurt my eyes. BUT every day I have felt my strength returning.

Those other sheep? They have been my support group. They have just let me be. They move over and let me graze with them. And the Good Shepherd is my hero. He rescued me from a place I didn’t know I needed rescued from.

I am safe now. I am becoming whole. I am no longer broken. I am not carrying a heavy weight anymore that was actually NOT mine TO carry.

“I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth His life for the sheep.” (John 10:11) Maybe you need to know that if YOU are the one, Jesus will leave the 99 for you. And, it’s not scary. It is a rescue mission filled with hope, love, joy, and utter relief.

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Bible Verse of the Day: The Good Shepherd

by Lily Benson August 4, 2023

written by Lily Benson

Take heart in the knowledge that you are tenderly cared for and guided by the Good Shepherd. You will find peace and rest in His presence.

Today’s Bible Verse

“With upright heart he shepherded them and guided them with his skillful hand.” Psalm 78:72

What is God’s Message For Me Today? Click Here

Encouragement

In the psalm of David, you will find a beautiful depiction of God’s shepherding heart and His skillful hand guiding His people. Just as David shepherded his flock with an upright heart and skillful hand, our Heavenly Father leads you and I with unfailing love and wisdom. As you reflect on this truth, draw encouragement and inspiration from the example of David and the promise of the Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ.

1Embrace God’s Upright Heart: Your Heavenly Father shepherds you with an upright heart, filled with love, compassion, and faithfulness. He knows your needs, your struggles, and your deepest desires. Embrace the comforting truth that God’s heart is always turned towards you with boundless love. He is near to the brokenhearted and always ready to carry your burdens.

Trust in His Skillful Hand: Just as a skillful shepherd tends to each sheep’s unique needs, your God guides you with utmost skill and precision. His wisdom knows no bounds, and His ways are beyond your understanding. Trust in His leading, even when the path seems uncertain, knowing that His plans are good and His purposes are perfect.

Remember the Promise of the Good Shepherd: Jesus, the Good Shepherd, came as the fulfillment of the prophecy spoken by Ezekiel. He laid down His life for His sheep, demonstrating the depth of His love and commitment to you and I. In times of uncertainty or doubt, remember that Jesus is the one who leads us to green pastures and still waters, offering rest and refreshment for our souls.

Take heart in the knowledge that you are tenderly cared for and guided by the Good Shepherd. As you embrace His upright heart and trust in His skillful hand, you will find peace and rest in His presence. Let the example of David and the promise of Jesus inspire you to walk in obedience and follow the gentle leading of our loving Shepherd.

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August 4, 2023 0 comment

Faith Today's Encouragement

Do Not be Afraid…The Good Shepherd Drives Out Fear

by GOD TV December 24, 2022

written by GOD TV

Fear not! Don’t be afraid, be anxious for nothing. These are real scriptures and fear is also very real and it’s very human. As humans, there are times when we are afraid. There are times when we are anxious. There are times when we worry. This is a part of humanity, but God gave us a remedy for it.

From cover to cover, the Bible is always saying to fear not, or not to be afraid. Yet we are afraid. Just the other day I was very worried about something and I had to recite the 23rd Psalm . On the sixth time reciting it, I got comfort. It’s my go-to passage, friends. You may be tired of me talking about it, but I’ll never be tired of sharing it. The 23rd Psalm is my life passage. “He is my Shepherd and I will fear no evil, for He is with me. His rod and His staff, they comfort me,” and friend, I recite that, and I recite that, and I recite that, and I speak it quietly and I speak it loudly.

You know, there are buzz words. People say things like, “Fear looks and faith leaps.” You know it sounds good. And I’ll be the last to try and tell you that you should never be afraid, because fear, like I said, is a real, real thing. To me, sometimes it’s like a little monster that sits on my shoulder and whispers in my ear, and that voice is, “It’s your own mess. You made this mess yourself. You expect God to bail you out again when you did it, when you caused it, when you created it.” And friend, there are times where I have to just do battle with that little monster on my shoulder, that demon. And with that 23rd Psalm, I get victory every time, friends. The Lord is my Shepherd. I will fear no evil for He is with me. His rod and His staff, they comfort me.

What does the Shepherd do with His rod? He beats off our predators. What does He do with His staff? He hooks us and brings us back on path. Brings us back on track. The Lord goes after us. He leaves the 99 to go after the one.

So regardless of your situation today, this whole month of December, we’ve been telling you not to be afraid, to fear not, to be anxious for nothing. It’s a theme this Christmas here on GOD TV. As we stand together with you this Christmas, we encourage you just as a passage today in Luke 24, those ladies were afraid, but they had no reason to be afraid. Their natural bodies were fearful, but they had no reason to be afraid.

Today, friend, whatever you’re going through, be assured that we at GOD TV are standing together with you, and we join with you and we encourage you to fear not, for your Shepherd is with you. And with that, I say a very, very Merry Christmas, because tomorrow’s the day we celebrate the Good Shepherd who was born to take away all of our fear. Hallelujah! God bless you.

You know, you can’t take anything with you to heaven. You can’t take your car, you can’t take your house. You can’t take that new computer gizmo that you got for Christmas to heaven. But there is one thing you actually can take to heaven: souls people, human beings, by reaching them with the Gospel of Jesus. That’s all we care about here at GOD TV. We want to bring as many souls with us to heaven, to present them to Jesus as we can. And you can, too, by joining with us, giving a generous gift.

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Come On In & Sit Awhile

by Corine Channell March 9, 2021

written by Corine Channell

Tired. That word alone is a word we ALL can relate to. At one time or another (or every day), we are tired. The definition of tired is weary, exhausted, fatigued – being weary suggests a physical or mental condition in which our energy is just plain gone. That is the tired I want to talk about, the kind that requires is to sit awhile.

Psalms talks a lot about David’s weariness. I am so glad he opened his heart and shared that – in all its vulnerability and raw honesty – because the past couple of years, I have been weary. I have felt so tired that I felt almost dysfunctional. And NOT so much physically as much as mentally.

Sorrow

Psalm 119:28 says, “My soul is weary with sorrow…” AH. Well, there is ONE reason for mental exhaustion. Sorrow. Sorrow drains you right down to the pit of your soul. Has sorrow ever left you feeling too tired to even talk? Or to dream. To think. Or to plan. To wonder. Or to hope. To just live your life in general. It is that feeling of when too much is just, too much. You are done. You are like that overcooked thanksgiving turkey that was left in the oven too long, with nothing to offer at the thanksgiving table. Overcooked. Overdone. And overwhelmed. Just at the end. In a 21st century cultural phrase – you “got nothin’”.

THAT is a scary place to find yourself because you feel like you are too tired to even care that you are too tired to even care. Yes, that is how I meant to say it.

Rather than dwelling any further on the exhaustion of our soul, let’s instead find out what exactly fixes this! Please David of the Psalms – tell us how you got past your weary soul.

Psalm 23

Ah, the MOST familiar Psalm most everyone recognizes or knows, is Psalms 23. THERE lies the answer in all its simplicity and complexity. “The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, leads me beside quiet waters, He refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for His name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for You are with me. Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.”

The words that stand out to me personally are – He leads me beside still waters – and, refreshes my soul. What does this look like to me? Still waters are just that – they are still. They are NOT moving or consumed with motion. Our part is to go lay beside them. Sometimes I just need that so bad – just to feel the stillness and the peace OF that stillness. I ONLY find it in Jesus. I have searched other places and to no avail.

It is because Jesus offers a peace the world can NOT give, but also can NOT take away. BAM! He refreshes me with that infilling of peace and stillness – the breath comes back into my soul, the lights come back on, the sun rises, the birds start singing – HE RESTORES MY SOUL. Psalm 46:10 tells us what is OUR part in this – “Be still and KNOW that I am God.” Be still means to cease striving. Just stop. Just be. You’re too weary to do anything anyway, so just fall into the arms of Jesus. Like a freefall into a safe place that only bids you come. He says, “ I will satisfy the weary soul, and every languishing soul I will replenish.” (Jeremiah 31:25)

Stop & Sit Awhile

In conclusion, it seems hard to stop when you are in full motion of this life journey – maybe the weary is kind of a sign from our soul, just letting us know we need to “stop and sit awhile”.

“But those who hope in the Lord will RENEW their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and NOT GROW WEARY; they will walk and not be faint.” (Isaiah 40:31) We will grow weary because we are human, but we CAN get through to the other side as we find our strength in God. After the weariness passes (because it WILL) we will find ourselves stronger than ever IF we allowed God to be our rest and our safe place to recover. Finally, we WILL soar like eagles.

March 9, 2021 0 comment