Psalm 23:1 ‘The Lord is my Shepherd I shall not want, He makes me to lie down in green pastures, He restores my soul.. ‘

DAILY READING – • 2 Peter 3; Jeremiah 45-46; Psalm 141

In 2004, a sheep in New Zealand gained international fame owing to his gigantic coat of fleece.
The sheep named Shrek became famous because he managed to avoid being captured and shorn for six years. Shrek had escaped his enclosure and ran from being sheared by his owners by hiding in caves. Sheep are usually shorn annually but Shrek managed to escape the blade for six years straight. During this time his fleece grew without anyone there to shave it. When Shrek was finally caught, the sheep was unrecognizable.
His wool had continued to grow and thicken, until his eyes were eventually hidden behind the thick coat and he could hardly see well.
Shrek was found to be carrying 60 pounds of wool on his body, nearly six times the average amount. Most sheep have a fleece weighing just under ten pounds, with the exception usually reaching fifteen pounds, maximum. But Shrek carried six times the regular weight of his fleece.
The 60 pounds of wool on him was enough to produce 20 men’s dress suits. This amazing weight of wool on him became sensational news and he was sheared live on New Zealand’s national television. His fleece was auctioned off to raise money for children’s medical charities.

Shrek carried six times the regular weight of his fleece, and was almost blinded by his heavy burden simply because he was running away from his shepherd.
We are often like Shrek the sheep. We hide from God, clinging to the things that need to be shorn from us, until we become weighed down with the burdens God could easily have removed from us.
When the psalmist says ‘the Lord is my shepherd,’ we understand how crucially dependent we are upon God for our welfare.
To successfully navigate through this life and avoid pitfalls, we need to follow the leading of our shepherd.
It can be tempting to follow the easy way of guiding ourselves and relying on our physical senses. However, there is a way which seems right to a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.
When we refuse to submit to God’s pruning and chastening, what we are actually doing is eluding His rescue. The owner of Shrek the sheep was not after him to punish him but to rescue him.
God is more interested in our deliverance than our condemnation. He calls us back from the wrong paths because He wants to save us from pitfalls, destructions and being weighed down by burdens of life.
The reason for frustrations and stagnation in any pursuit is the attempt to go our own way and ignore God’s leading. In our ministry, business, career, education, family, relationships etc, things will only work smoothly when we follow the voice of our Shepherd.
Our progress in life depends on our obedience to God’s counsel. While there may be many thoughts in a man’s heart, only the counsel of the Lord shall stand.
Therefore in all our pursuits, we need to step back and let God take the lead.
Our careful planning, well-structured, meticulous organizing and financial investments mean nothing if God is not directing our pursuits. It is His help and guidance that terminates frustration on our journey. When you are guided you cannot be grounded. When the Lord is your Shepherd, you shall not want and He will lead you to your green pastures.
Therefore the greatest asset in a believer’s life is engaging Divine presence, which is our guarantee of dominion and victory in the journey of destiny.
However, to clearly hear what the Lord is saying to us, we need to be correctly positioned in our walk with Him.
This means spending quality time in the Word, prayer, praise and fellowship with the Spirit.
As we diligently follow our Shepherd, surely, every stagnation will be terminated and we will continually experience miracles, signs and wonders in all our pursuits.

PRAYER Lord Please enable me to always listen to Your Word and closely follow Your divine instructions. By Your grace, I shall continually avoid the pitfalls of destiny and walk in dominion and power in Jesus Name.
QUOTE
When you apply The Word of God, it will work for you, anywhere and anytime- WORDBITE 222.