Do You Know the Shepherd?

To be a courageous Christian is to have confidence in God. Paul writes, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me" (Philippians 4:13). Yes, with Him and through Him we can do all things, but without Him, it is impossible to accomplish great things. Jesus said, "I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing" (John 15:5).

How do we learn to abide in Christ? It is accomplished through worship, prayer, fellowship, and getting into the Word of God on a daily basis. God's Word provides the believer with hope, as we learn to trust in all His promises.

We must get to know God intimately and personally. The great Bible teacher Dr. Alexander Maclaren said that everything he knew was due to one habit: spending an hour each day alone with God. On of his assistants wrote, "He read it [the Bible that was spread open on his lap as he prayed] as a child would read a letter from an absent father, or a loving heart would drink in words of a loved one from far away."

Yes, to know God and abide in Christ, you have to spend time in the secret place. An old chorus says, "Shut in with God in the secret place; there in the Spirit beholding His face, gaining new power to run in life's race, I long to be shut in with God."

Bob Gass, in his Bridge-Logos book, A Fresh Word for Today, writes, "One night, a famous orator recited the 23rd Psalm to a packed house and great applause. Afterwards, he spotted his vicar in the crowd and called him to say a word. To their surprise, he too recited the 23rd Psalm. But when he was through, there was silence. People dried their tears all over the audience. At this point, the orator stood beside his pastor and simply said, "The difference is, I know the 23rd Psalm--but He knows the Shepherd."

Do you know the Shepherd? Really know Him?