Growing in Grace

He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake. . . First of all Scripture points out that most of us are a stiff-necked and stubborn lot. . . .It is inexorably interlocked with personal pride and self-assertion. . . We humans cling to the same habits that we have seen ruin other lives. Proverbs 14:12 and 16:25, "There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death." In contrast to which Christ the Good Shepherd comes gently and says, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me" (John 14:6). "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly" (John 10:10). The difficult point is that most of us don't want to come. . . We have a sick society struggling to survive on beleaguered land. Amid all this chaos and confusion Christ the Good Shepherd comes and says, If any man will follow me, let him deny himself daily and take u...

Many people have the idea that when a child of God falls, when he is frustrated and helpless in a spiritual dilemma, God becomes disgusted, fed-up and even furious with him. This is simply not so. When I read the life story of Jesus Christ and examine carefully His conduct in coping with human need, I see Him again and again as the Good Shepherd picking up "cast" sheep. Most of us, though we belong to Christ and desire to be under His control and endeavor to allow ourselves to be led by Him, do on occasion find ourselves cast down. As with sheep, so with Christians, some basic principles and parallels apply which will help us grasp the way in which a man or woman can be "cast." There is, first of all, the idea of looking for a soft spot. The sheep that choose the comfortable, soft, rounded hollows in the ground in which to lie down very often become cast. In the Christian life there is great danger in always looking for the easy place, the cozy corner,...

Christ, our Good Shepherd, made it clear that thirsty souls of men and women can only be fully satisfied when their capacity and thirst for spiritual life is fully quenched by drawing on himself. In Matthew 5:6 He said, "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst for righteousness: for they shall be filled (satisfied)." . . . Saint Augustine of Africa summed it up so well when he wrote, "O God! Thou hast made us for Thyself and our souls are restless, searching, 'til they find their rest in Thee." . . . He (the Good Shepherd) leadeth me beside the still waters." . . Generally speaking, water for the sheep came from three main sources. . .dew on the grass. . . deep wells. . .or springs and streams. . . In the Christian life it is of more than passing significance to observe that those who are often the most serene, most confident and able to cope with life's complexities are those who rise early each day to feed on God's Word. . . But ...

To be at rest there must be a definite sense of freedom from fear, tension, aggravation and hunger. . . It is only the sheepman himself who can provide release from these anxieties. . . It is actually he who makes it possible for them to lie down, to rest, to relax, to be content and quiet and flourishing. . . The same is true for people. . . In the Christian's life there is no substitute for the keen awareness that my Shepherd is nearby. . . We live a most uncertain life. . . We live either in a sense of anxiety, fear and foreboding, or in a sense of quiet rest. Which is it? . . . It is the special office work of God's gracious Spirit to convey this sense of the Christ to our fearful hearts. He comes quietly to reassure us that Christ Himself is aware of our dilemma and deeply involved in it with us. . . For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound (disciplined) mind" (2 Timothy 1:7). . . There is the eternal com...

The Christian has to take a long, hard look at life. He has to recognize that. . . he may be called on to experience lack of wealth or material benefits. . . Yet amid such hardship he can still boast, "I shall not want. . . I shall not lack the expert care and management of my Master." . . . Contentment should be the hallmark of the man or woman who has put his or her affairs in the hands of God. . . Jesus said, 'I am the Good Shepherd - the Good Shepherd giveth his life for the sheep." And again "I am come that ye might have life and that ye might have it more abundantly." . . . In spite of having such a master and owner, the fact remains that some Christians are still not content with His control. They are somewhat dissatisfied, always feeling that somehow the grass beyond the fence must be a little greener. These are carnal Christians. . . who want the best of both worlds. . . It is a solemn warning to the carnal Christian - backslider - the ha...

It is a tragic truth that many people who really have never come under His direction or management claim that "The Lord is my Shepherd." They seem to hope that by merely admitting that He is their Shepherd somehow they will enjoy the benefits of His care and management without paying the price of forfeiting their own fickle and foolish way of life. One cannot have it both ways. Either we belong or we don't. Jesus Himself warned us that there would come a day when many would say, "Lord, in Your name we did many wonderful things," but He will retort that He never knew us as His own. It is a most serious and sobering thought which should make us search our own hearts and motives and personal relationship to Himself. Do I really belong to Him? Do I really recognize His right to me? Do I respond to His authority and acknowledge His ownership? Do I find freedom and complete fulfillment in this arrangement? Do I sense a purpose and deep contentment because ...