What is it about the good Shepherd and only the sheep know to follow after. The Shepherd does not necessarily removes the obstacles in the sheep way. The good Shepherd takes the sheep through green pastures, and still waters, but also through enemy territory and feeds them in front of the enemy. No one wants to think on walking through the shadows of death or eating amongst one enemies, but God shelters his people in the strange places. The covering for the Shepherd is that as long as the sheep obey they will cross that log bridge to safety, avoid that big mud puddle, and not look down when going up mountainous clefts until one reaches safety. Part of knowing who your Shepherd is hearing the voice that leads one through new doors. His voice always being the door. His voice not being in the door, then guess what that the wrong way.

I often ask myself some of the hardest question about life when writing devotions each day. Some days the tears pour as if they have no turn off switch and other days my eyes are so dry I wish for the tears to flow. The other day I found a switch in the bathroom, that is wired with the outlet in the bathroom that has a security breaker feature. The plug has a little light on it, never knew that. The fan and light above had been running on half electricity it should have been. Finally the light and fan had gotten to the point it did not want to run properly and my husband and I assumed it was a bad wire. Before taking everything apart I decided to check that one switch. Pushing on the breaker the fan and light began to work properly again. We can not work properly with God if our flow of God’s word is only half on. We can run for a time shouting the praises of God, but unless the communication with God and God’s word continues to flow in our life we eventually do not run properly in accordance to God’s word. Not working fully for God we have to remain plugged in to the right source and not half plugged in. One has to be willing to listen even when the tears flow steadily or the eye sockets need water. Sheep can not go in the right direction without the shepherd for too long. They will travel the less destructive path, of course not, for sheep are found in ravines and everywhere else imaginable when they get separated from their group. Yet even with separation the sheep still hears the voice of God and knows how to baa in times of trouble. The sheep knows who to cry too.

By the Holy Spirit God’s people are no longer separated from each other. The prayer line of faith always open. The Holy Spirit even reminding us to prayer for those we have in less contact with. The flock whether in groups or alone, are able to say the Lord is my Shepherd, because they are always plugged in by the Holy Spirit even when functioning not with full measure of God’s words.

The hope of Christ is at each door that is open for the sheep. The door not open is like a pitfall or a deep ravine. Yet each door open with the voice of Christ has a bridge over ravines and pitfalls in life. There are stepping stones that allows you to avoid the swift current of destruction. Yet can the sheep say the Lord is their shepherd despite the difficulty of the road or the danger that lays ahead. The answer is yes the sheep are going forward with God despite the road in life, so they can dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Dear Heavenly Father encourage your people to just hold on in difficult times. To listen to your words of hope knowing the direction you are going is not one of final destruction. In Jesus precious name, Amen.