The Shephers’s Care
Psalm 23:6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.Mercy can also be translated “love.” Both “goodness” and “mercy” are frequently referred to in Scripture as covenant benefits.
Heb. 13:5,6 For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” 6 So we may boldly say: The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?”
Psalm 27:1 The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?
Psalm 118:6 The LORD is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?
Josh. 1:5 No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you.
Throughout Psalm 23, the emphasis has been placed on the care of the attentive shepherd and all the benefits the sheep has because of Him. That sheep is in a very privileged position. So that sheep should never worry about life because he or she belongs to the ultimate Shepherd, the King of kings and the Lord of lords who takes excellent care of His flock. As God’s sheep, goodness and mercy are our inheritance. Is. 54:17 “No weapon formed against you shall prosper, And every tongue which rises against you in judgment You shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, And their righteousness is from Me,” Says the LORD.”
But sometimes, just like sheep, we stray away and get into trouble or trouble just comes our way. We become anxious and worry and fret, and we forget that we can rely on the good Shepherd. Prov. 3:5-8 5 “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct] your paths. 7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and depart from evil. 8 It will be health to your flesh, And strength] to your bones.” Phil. 4:6-7 6 “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
Even in those times, the Shepherd’s goodness and mercy are still extended to us. He doesn’t give up on us. He’s just waiting patiently for us to come back to Him.
In the same way He gives us His goodness and mercy, His grace, we need to give it to others. He loves us; we need to love others as ourselves. He forgives us; we need to forgive others. He helps us get through life; we need to help others as the Lord directs.
“…and I will dwell…” With Jesus as my Shepherd, why would I want to live anywhere else but in His house, in His presence? It’s the best place to be. I love being in God’s house. I sometimes have to be run out of the church building. But it’s more than just a physical house. It’s about being in His presence wherever you are. It’s about being with God’s family, His children, other Christians. Heb. 10:24 says we are not to forsake the assembling with other Christians. We need each other. There’s a song we sing in our church that says, “In your presence, that’s where I am strong, that’s where I belong.” And another we sing says, “I want to be where You are, dwelling in Your presence.” That’s our privilege because of the sacrifice He made by giving His Son, our good Shepherd to die on the cross for us.
Someday, we will be eternally in His presence. But even now, in this world, we can sense and experience His presence through our worship and when we read and meditate on His word or as we spend time in His beautiful creation.
Why is my website named Yucca-network? Almost everywhere I’ve lived and where my wife and I lived, there were Yucca plants of some variety, even when we lived in northern Montana. In one place we lived, our house was built into a hillside where there were many yucca plants. The name of our street had “Yucca” in it. The plant is resilient, adaptable, and hard to get rid of if you don’t like it. For some reason, it has become one of my favorite plants. Along with writing, I’m also an artist who likes to draw or paint pictures of yucca plants. I recently acquired a painting that my maternal grandmother painted when she was probably in her 90s. It’s a desert scene with several yucca plants in it. It’s a treasured possession.
In my research into the different varieties of the yucca plant, I discovered Yucca whipple (aka Hesperoyucca whipplei). It grows mostly in the southwestern United States. One of its common names is “our Lord’s candle.” That name intrigued me. According to what I learned from my research, it’s towering, flame-like, white inflorescence (flower cluster) “glows like a divine beacon.” Thus, the term “candle.”
A candle, when lit, produces light. I am an ardent believer in the Bible, God’s Word. I’ve read through it many times and studied it for many years. One of my favorite verses is Psalm 119:105 which states, “Your word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path” (NIV). God’s word shows us how to live our lives according to His will and plans for our lives. Another of my favorite verses is Hebrews 4:12. It states that God’s word is “living and powerful.” As I’ve read and studied the Bible seriously and intensely for over forty years, I can testify that my life has been literally and dramatically changed, for the better. My late wife would also testify to the changes that have taken place in me. It’s my prayer that every person would read and study God’s word. People in other parts of the world are begging to have their own Bible.
So, to me, “our Lord’s candle” is a symbol of God’s word. The Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 1 that God’s divinity and power can be seen in His creation. Yucca whipplei is one of His many creations.
Recently, I self-published my first novel. Its title is Uncommon Grace.
A story of adventure, drama and romance
“Disillusioned and angry at God for what happened to his family during the Civil War, young Frank Duncan leaves his home in rural Georgia to escape the memories and find his own way in life. Though wise in some ways, he encounters many challenges that shake his own personal confidence and his belief in God. What will he find as he travels to Texas and beyond?”
It is available on as an eBook or paperback 0n Amazon.com (Amazon.com: Uncommon Grace eBook : Taylor, Lamar: Kindle Store). If you read it, please add a review to the Amazon site. Thank you.
Hi! I’m Lamar.
For 20 years, I worked in several western states as a Rangeland Management Specialist, overseeing livestock grazing on Public and Forest lands.
At 44 years of age, my wife (she was a science teacher) and i left our jobs and went to Bible college for two years. We were pastors and assistant pastors for several years, all in the western US.
