I WANT TO BE A SHEEP

"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want." Psalm 23:1

It is interesting how we can get so familiar with something that we almost become oblivious to it. Take housecleaning for instance. Ever notice how you can walk through your house day after day and it seems "pretty clean" to you. But plan a party or know someone is coming to dinner and suddenly you see things you have not seen in months! Like dust bunnies scurrying across the floor, spider webs lurking in every corner, fingerprints on the windows, that growing spot on the carpet......you get the picture.

I've noticed that reading the Bible can be much the same way. There are some passages that we've read, memorized, quoted, and heard since childhood. Psalm 23 is one of them. I can remember reciting it in grade school. (Yes, that was way back when the Bible was still read in school!) It is almost simplistic in its style, yet profound truth is enclosed in every verse.

Lately God has been drawing me again and again to this Psalm. As you well know by now, I camp with David quite a lot in the book of Psalms. And I'm about to wear out that particular page in my Bible!

Last night at a Writers' Group meeting, someone shared that she reads the Bible through every year, often in a different translation. (Now that is still one of my longterm goals. One of these days I'm going to accomplish it, but so far I've made it as far as Malachi) What intrigued me about what she shared, however, was that one night she read Psalm 51 and the next night she was prepared to read Psalm 52. For some reason, God seemed to impress her to return to Psalm 51 and read it again. She did, and saw something she had completely missed the night before. What's more....God took her back to that same Psalm, 17 nights in a row!!!! And, each night she saw something different.

When was the last time YOU read some passage 17 times in a row? I have read a few 3 or 4 times...especially if they were short, but NOT 17 times in a row. Obviously God had something He wanted to say to her and, thankfully, for her sake, she was willing and obedient or she would have missed all He had for her.

I confess that I've been drawn to Psalm 23 several times and turned away thinking "I just read that yesterday." No more. There must be lots there that God has to say to me and I want t o hear it ALL!! I want to be a willing sheep, following My Shepherd. I want to lie down in green pastures and allow Him to restore my soul. I want to come to a place where I do not want, but I am content just to be with Him. I want to walk with Him...even through the valleys filled with dark shadows....and FEAR NO EVIL. I want to dwell in His presence forever, experiencing ALL of His goodness and ALL of His profound mercy.