Quick Note – Genesis 48:15 – Shepherd All My Life

Genesis 48:15 – And he blessed Joseph and said, “The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd all my life long to this day…”

God was Jacob’s Shepherd.  God was with Jacob when he fled from his brother Esau, who was seeking to kill him.  God was with Jacob when he was being cheated by Laban as he cared for his father-in-law’s sheep.  God was with Jacob when he returned to the land of Canaan after living exiled for almost two decades.  God was with Jacob when he brought him into the land of Egypt to save his family from famine.  God was Jacob’s shepherd throughout his life. 

I relate to what Jacob says in this verse, because as with Jacob, God has been a Shepherd to me all my life.  He has been my shepherd from the day I was born until today, almost thirty-four years later.  He placed me in a good family, where I grew up hearing about the Word of God and growing in the knowledge of Him.  He placed me in a good elementary and high school, where I gained a foundation in the Bible and was supported by friends and family.  He gave me success in college so that I could be an honor student when I graduated.  And He opened up opportunities in research internships that have put me on the career path in science I am on today.  And even as I struggle in graduate school now, I know that He is here leading and guiding me, preparing a plan for the future.  He has been my Shepherd since the day I was born and will continue to lead me till the day that I die. 

Now, it may sound like I am boasting about God being my shepherd because good things have happened in my life.  But even in the trouble, God is still my Shepherd, and He is yours as well.  You may doubt it because of the trouble you are experiencing, but look at Joseph’s life.  He was solid into slavery.  He was wrongly accused by Potiphar’s wife and thrown into prison.  He was forgotten by the cupbearer whose dream he interpreted.  And only after suffering for years did he get placed into a position of power.  But God was his Shepherd even in that trouble.  God was leading and guiding Joseph’s life so that He would one day provide for Egypt and Israel during seven years of famine.  Wickedness was planned by others, but God was using it for good.  God was a Shepherd even in the Valleys of Shadow that Joseph was experiencing. 

God is our Shepherd.  He is watching over us from the day we are born until the day we die.  It is our choice whether we will follow and obey Him or continue to run away from His calling.  Let Him lead and guide you today.  He will take you through the valleys of shadow and death, protecting and helping you.  He will lead you to the greenest pastures and the stillest waters, so that you can experience His blessings.  God is a loving Shepherd, and He loves you.  Trust in Him today.  

Quick Note – Judges 13:8-9a – Making Decisions

Judges 13:8-9a – Then Manoah prayed to the LORD and said, “O Lord, please let the man of God whom you sent come again to us and teach us what we are to do with the child who will be born.”  And God listened to the voice of Manoah, and the angel of God came again to the woman as she sat in the field…

Making decisions is difficult, especially when the decision can impact a large portion of your life.  I have had to make important decisions a few times in my life – 1) Whether I would switch schools when I transferred from Junior High to High School, 2) Whether I would go to medical school or not, and 3) Which university I would pick for my PhD studies.  After looking back on these decisions, I can say that for the first decision, I feel like it didn’t matter whether I switched schools or not, but I don’t regret staying in the school I was at.  For the second decision, I am quite regretful for not taking the opportunity to at least try medical school to see whether it was right for me or not.  And for the third decision, I am still unclear as to whether choosing the university I am still at now was the correct choice. 

It is hard to make decisions.  That is why it is important to seek God’s will.  However, at times, that makes the decision even harder, because not only are you accounting for what will make you happy, but you are also considering what God wants you to do.  That is why making decisions as a Christian disciple is so tough.  What’s beautiful though is that God will always guide you!  In our passage today, an angel of the LORD appeared to a barren woman and gave her specific instructions about how she was to raise the child that would be born to her.  Hearing this great news, she told her husband Manoah, who was likely quite surprised and doubtful of what he had just been told.  Rather than completely discounting what she said, he prayed and asked the LORD to show him what to do, and God listened.  When Manoah needed guidance, he asked of God, and God guided. 

As Christians, we can trust that our God will always lead and guide us when we need Him.  He will never leave us without the instructions that we need to best do His will.  It may not come exactly at the moment you want it, and it may even not be as much information as you want, but He will always give you exactly what you need at the right time.  Take Abraham as an example.  When God told him to leave his family and to go to a place that He would show him.  He did not tell him where he would go or exactly what he was supposed to do; God only told him that his next decision was to go, and Abraham followed.  We can trust that God will give us the instructions we need in the right time.  So next time you need to make an important decision, seek the Lord for guidance and wait on Him to lead. 

Here are two tips for you to consider when making a decision that may help you as you wait on God’s leading:

1)  Does the decision go against the Word of God?

God gave us the Bible so that we would know His will, commands, and statues for our life.  The Bible is our instruction manual and our source of wisdom.  That is why it is important as Christians to read it every day.  It is only by reading and knowing it, that we can truly know who God is and what He desires for our life.  If at any point, you must make a decision that goes against God’s Word, it cannot be in God’s will.  Do not make the choice that will lead you into sin. 

2)  Are you making the decision in haste?

Don’t rush into a decision, even if waiting makes you look indecisive.  Sometimes, we like to make a decision, because we feel pressured to do so now.  However, we must be willing to wait on God’s timing.  He will give you the answers when you need it.  It may seem delayed, but you can trust that God will instruct you in the way you should go. 

3)  Have you prayed?

Prayer may seem inconsequential at times.  Those around you may mock, laugh, and wonder why you need to pray about a decision.  But as Manoah did when needing guidance about how to raise his son Samson, we must go to the Lord in prayer, seeking His guidance and will for our lives.  We can trust that God is listening and will tell us exactly what we need at the right time.