Bible Study Week 3 - The Lord is My Shepherd
Pray.
Homework review.
Jehovah-Ra’ah - The Lord is My Shepherd
God guides, protects, feeds, leads - God of the Rescue
Psalm 77:11-20 NLT
"But then I recall all you have done, O Lord;
I remember your wonderful deeds of long ago.
12They are constantly in my thoughts.
I cannot stop thinking about your mighty works.
13O God, your ways are holy.
Is there any god as mighty as you?
14You are the God of great wonders!
You demonstrate your awesome power among the nations.
15By your strong arm, you redeemed your people,
the descendants of Jacob and Joseph.
Interlude
16When the Red Sea saw you, O God,
its waters looked and trembled!
The sea quaked to its very depths.
17The clouds poured down rain;
the thunder rumbled in the sky.
Your arrows of lightning flashed.
18Your thunder roared from the whirlwind;
the lightning lit up the world!
The earth trembled and shook.
19Your road led through the sea,
your pathway through the mighty waters—
a pathway no one knew was there!
20You led your people along that road like a flock of sheep,
with Moses and Aaron as their shepherds."
:20 “You led your people like a flock” - Mosses had the rod which is reminiscent of the staff of the shepherd which is what God is referring to - He is our Shepherd and He has always led His people as such
Asaph wrote this Psalm.
Do you recall a time when God led you out of a situation as a Shepherd? Did you notice it was happening at the time or did you only recognize it when looking back?
Psalm 23 NLT - characteristics of the shepherd
A psalm of David.
1"The Lord is my shepherd;
I have all that I need.
2He lets me rest in green meadows;
he leads me beside peaceful streams.
3He renews my strength.
He guides me along right paths,
bringing honor to his name.
4Even when I walk
through the darkest valley,
I will not be afraid,
for you are close beside me.
Your rod and your staff
protect and comfort me.
5You prepare a feast for me
in the presence of my enemies.
You honor me by anointing my head with oil.
My cup overflows with blessings.
6Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me
all the days of my life,
and I will live in the house of the Lord
forever."
Our job is to follow. We need to let God lead.
It’s particularly important to learn how to let God lead well, for the success and fulfillment of God’s will come to pass in our lives but also because this also teaches us how to allow our husbands to lead which a directive from God - our husbands or other male leaders are to be our covering, spiritual leaders, etc.
Do you find it difficult to allow your husbands or male leaders in your life to lead? Why or why not? Do you think this is a direct reflection of your inability or ability in allowing God to lead?
John 10:1-18 NLT -The Good Shepherd and His Sheep
1“I tell you the truth, anyone who sneaks over the wall of a sheepfold, rather than going through the gate, must surely be a thief and a robber! 2But the one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice. 5They won’t follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don’t know his voice.”
6Those who heard Jesus use this illustration didn’t understand what he meant, 7so he explained it to them: “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. 8All who came before me were thieves and robbers. But the true sheep did not listen to them. 9Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures. 10The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.
11“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep. 12A hired hand will run when he sees a wolf coming. He will abandon the sheep because they don’t belong to him and he isn’t their shepherd. And so the wolf attacks them and scatters the flock. 13The hired hand runs away because he’s working only for the money and doesn’t really care about the sheep.
14“I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me, 15just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. So I sacrifice my life for the sheep. 16I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd.
17“The Father loves me because I sacrifice my life so I may take it back again. 18No one can take my life from me. I sacrifice it voluntarily. For I have the authority to lay it down when I want to and also to take it up again. For this is what my Father has commanded.”
What is your impression of these verses?
It shows why it’s important to get to know the voice of God intimately, why it’s important to have a good Pastor, and why we must allow the Lord to lead because He takes His direction from God and God wants obedience.
Learn the voice of the Lord, our good shepherd, and another's voice you will not follow.
Homework:
Journal :
What area of your life do you have a difficult time letting God lead?
Do you take the time to listen to His voice?
Do you practice listening to His voice?
Do you seek His will before making decisions?
What way can you implement this week that you will allow yourself to let God lead you?
Memorize:
Psalm 23 - get a version that is easy for you to understand or touches your spirit the most.
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