“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want…”

Psalm 23:1

David could only express, “The Lord is my Shepherd,” because He truly had a supernatural experience with God. His relationship with God was very similar to that of a disciple and his teacher. Every step that David took, he would consult with the Lord, Who would indicate what David should do. This is why God prospered him in everything he did. David learned pastoral leadership mainly through having to invest a lot of time in caring for his father’s flock.

When Jesus was on this earth, He said, “I am the good Shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me” (John 10:14). In this parable, Jesus presents himself as the Great Shepherd, who gives His life for His sheep. At the same time He presents Himself as the gateway for the sheep. If the door is closed nobody can enter the sheepfold. On the Cross, Jesus became the door. He did so in such a way that if someone has not had the ‘Revelation of the Cross’ it would be difficult to enter into the sheepfold. At the Cross, Jesus Christ becomes our shepherd. Speaking of his ministry as the Great Shepherd, the Lord said, “I have come that they may have life, and have life more abundantly” (John 10:10).

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT
One of my brothers, the most difficult of them all, never budged in spite of all my attempts to share the Word of God with him. However, one day, when he was fixing his car, he remembered what I had shared with him and he decided to say a prayer. “Jesus, if you are as real as my brother says, if you are the God Almighty as he teaches, change me. Here I am. But you will have to do it alone, because I am very satisfied with the life I live and I have no real desire to change.” He did not even get to finish his prayer when he felt a ray of light hit him in the face, which caused him to fall to the floor. Then he rose, startled and began to shake off his clothing. To his surprise, as he looked down he saw his body lying on the floor like a torn, dirty, and frayed rag. Then he heard the Lord say, “This is what you love so much and do not want to leave?” At that moment, my brother became aware of his true situation in life and this is what led him to a genuine repentance by surrendering every area of his life to Jesus. He got off the floor, and heard the Lord once more. “From today on, I will walk with you.” After that experience, he became a tremendous Pastor who serves the Lord with all of his heart.

TODAY’S DECLARATION
“God revealed Himself to my life, and I recognize Him as my Lord, as my Shepherd, as my Mentor, and as my Friend.”

Today’s post is an excerpt from Pastor Cesar Castellanos’ book, Declarations of Power for 365 Days of the Year: Volume Two.

TODAY’S BIBLE READING

• Old Testament: 2 Kings 6-7; Psalms 119:121-128
• New Testament: Luke 5:12-16; Philippians 1:21-30