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He Leads in Paths of Righteousness
He makes me lie down in [fresh, tender] green pastures; He leads me beside the still and restful waters. He refreshes and restores my life (my soul); He leads me in the paths of righteousness [uprightness and right standing with Him – not for my earning it but] for His name’s sake. ~ Psalm 23:2-3 (AMP) As a teenager growing up on a farm, one of my chores was tending sheep. Every morning I led them out to pasture following a path to feed on green grass and drink crystal cold water from the bubbly stream flowing through the fields. The sheep knew my voice and came running when I called out at dusk, “Here, Lamby-Lamby!” They followed me to the safety of the shed as darkness settled in. These wonderful memories of my childhood helped me to embrace the revelation of Jesus as my Shepherd when I first came to know Him. He is a loving Savior and the Good Shepherd of our souls. He desires to lead us on “paths of righteousness” that align with the destiny He has planned for us. This verse came alive to me during a counseling session with my pastor. He was praying over me to break off an oppressive spirit when the Lord gave him a vision of me standing on the bottom rung of a very high ladder. Each rung represented a scheme or plot the devil was planning for my future. Above the ladder appeared a bright laser beam of fire that cut the ladder in half with explosive power from top to bottom. As the ladder split in half, the rung I was standing on fell away. The Lord set my feet down on a new path that appeared before me. This new path of righteousness led me to know Jesus as the lover and restorer of my soul, and His plans for my life. Did you know that if you don’t seek the Lord for His plans for your life, the devil has plans for you? His plans for you are evil and for destruction. Jesus has a plan to prosper you and not to harm you. His path of righteousness leads to the abundant life that He died to give you to fulfill the plan uniquely designed for you. Colossians 1:10 TPT says, “We pray that you would walk in the ways of true righteousness, pleasing God in every good thing you do. Then you’ll become fruit-bearing branches, yielding to His life, and maturing in the rich experience of knowing God in His fullness!” As you follow your Shepherd in paths of righteousness, you will fulfill His plans for your life, bearing the fruit of righteousness for His Glory. Lord, I Praise You! You are the Good Shepherd. Lead me in paths of righteousness so that I may know the plans that you have for me. Amen. |
