Do you want to be blessed? I sure do. All Christians want to be blessed all the time. We always declare good things over ourselves, praying against all the bad things that might happen. We often say "amen" to Bible verses that speak goodwill towards us, verses that say we're going to be prospered, made rich, and freed from trouble.
Probably, one of the verses we declare to ourselves is the beloved Psalm 23:6, which says:
"Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever."
While this declaration is a truth we should all hold on to and believe with all of our hearts, we must not forget that it should go with one important thing:
"The Lord is my shepherd..." (Psalm 23:1)
Good Things Will Follow His Sheep
All of us want to be blessed by the Lord in all that we do, everywhere that we go to, at every moment. We all want "goodness and mercy" to follow us and be with us no matter what we are doing. While the Bible indeed tells us that God is the giver of good gifts and that His daily-renewed mercies are available for us, we should not forget that all of these can only be expected when the Lord is our Shepherd.
Having Jesus Christ as your Shepherd simply means that you would be His "sheep" – you would never survive without Him. We need to be totally dependent on Christ Jesus.
Being Christ's Sheep
Jesus spoke of His sheep in John 10:27, saying:
"My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me."
Those who belong to Christ Jesus are able to hear Him speak. He knows them, has a relationship with them, and leads them. Whenever He calls, they hear Him and listen to Him, and they follow Him — yes, just like how sheep listen and follow shepherds around.
Let's ask ourselves: Do I hear Christ? Do I listen to Him? Do I follow Him? Unless He becomes our Shepherd, the "goodness" and "mercy" that we want to follow us all the days of our lives won't be there. Why?
Let me offer some reasons:
1. Salvation Can Only Come Through Christ
"Truly, truly I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the door. If anyone enters through Me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture." (John 10:7-9)
2. A True and Abundant Life Can Only Come Through Christ
"The thief does not come, except to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." (John 10:10)
3. Eternal Security Is Found in No Name Other Than Christ
"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. But he who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep, and runs away. So the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them." (John 10:11-12)
Be Christ's Sheep
Friends, let's all enter the door that is Christ. Let's enter His fold and be His sheep by turning away from our sins and fully trusting in Him for our salvation and life.
