The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him and I am helped.
My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to Him in song.
The LORD is the strength of his people, a fortress of salvation for his anointed one. Save your people and bless your inheritance.
Be their shepherd and carry them forever."
v. 6-9
God, thank you for saving me and hearing and answering me. You give me strength and protect me from circumstances that only You know. I can trust you with my future and it comforts me to know that You are in control. I will praise You in song whether I feel like it or not- because you ask me to.
Please, God, strengthen me and bless me. Carry me when I know I can not walk on my own.
I illustrated this Psalm over a year ago, and on the bottom of the entry I wrote:
Today I found out from our caseworker that we would definitely be losing Josiah, most likely in a matter of weeks. I am crushed, but this Psalm comforted me.
HA! If I thought I was attached to him then, I don't think I could have imagined how I would feel a year later. I am thankful God is still a comforter and protector.
I drew a picture of a shepherd carrying a lamb over his shoulders, his head in the shape of a shield for protection, and his arms showing his strength and competence. The jagged rocks behind them represent impending danger; the smooth road that the shepherd is walking on is well-worn and sure. It reminds me of the parable of the lost lamb when the shepherd leaves his flock of 99 to find the one and bring him home. (Luke 15). In the time of nomadic shepherding, if a lamb repeatedly wandered away, the shepherd would break its leg and carry him around on his shoulders until it was healed. This may sound cruel, but when the lamb was able to walk on its own, it was never more than a few steps away from the man who nurtured him back to health. What a picture of what God has to do to us sometimes before we learn to depend on him!
Have you ever thought that parable was a little silly? I mean, it doesn't make much economic sense- its only one sheep. Why risk losing the rest to find just one? But if you know the temperament of sheep, it is imperative to the health of the flock that the lamb was found. When growing up on a sheep farm, I always knew when a sheep got out of the pen. One look at the pasture, and I knew something was wrong. The animals were in a complete state of havoc and chaos when one was missing; they couldn't function normally when they weren't all together.
I'm glad God cares about our wholeness, not just for our sake, but for the sake of others within our sphere of influence.
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