Trust His Processes

Hello Bride of Christ, 

Ever struggle with following processes? I often find myself skipping quickly through computer wizard prompts to hurry and get to what I think is the intended end to then only realize the steps I skipped were critical to having the device or application function the way I had desired. Processes and order exist for a reason. By passing and skipping things does have consequences regardless if we acknowledge the impact right away or later. God is a god of order and not chaos, and His word follows suit. 

"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me besides the still waters, He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake." Psalm 23:1-3

This famous Psalm often used at funerals as a source of encouragement and even used by many of us to raise up our courage to walk through difficult times in life is a great illustration of process. As Christ followers we want the summation of our lives to be the final line of this song "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever." (Psalm 23:6) However, as all processes go there is a beginning, middle, and end. 

Beginning, "The Lord is my shepherd" (Psalm 23:1). Notice the personal pronoun "my." We must begin with having a personal relationship with the Lord. We also must recognize His role in our relationship to Him. He is the shepherd. Implying He guides, protects, provides, leads His treasured possession. He has full Lordship over our lives. Acknowledging this fact about the Lord opens our eyes to how He truly is our sufficiency, which causes us to say boldly "I shall not want." (Psalm 23:1).  So as needs and wants arise within us, because they will, we look to our Shepherd to fulfill it. We do not go wandering off to attain it in our own strength or in someone or something else, because if we do then we are skipping the process. We are not holding on to the truth "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want." 

Once we have this personal relationship with the Lord and allow Him to fulfill our wants and needs He progresses us to the next step with Him. "He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters." (Psalm 23:2) Looking for rest and peace? Well to access the rest of the green pastures and peace of the still waters we must allow our Lord to be Lord and shepherd us. It is in His lordship over us we will rest in the greenest fields, feast upon the greatest revelations, drink from the peaceful streams of living water, and be led further into restoration. The Psalmist progresses, "He restores my soul." (Psalm 23:3)

The Lord has a process for giving you the peace and restoration your soul needs when it needs it. He will lead us on, "He leads me in the paths of righteousness, for His name sake." (Psalm 23:3) Are you concerned with whether you are walking on the right path? Whether you are walking in the will of the Lord? Well, is He your shepherd? Are you allowing Him to lead you? 

We must be allowing the Lord to lead us at all times. In the good peaceful and restful times we shall let Him lead. In the "the valley of the shadow of death" (Psalm 23:4) difficult and hard times. As Jesus, our Lord leads, He prepares. Jesus prepares us for all life events and circumstance. There is not a moment of our lives Jesus is unaware of or surprised by. Surprise is human nature. We are the ones with limited insight and intellect. Not our Shepherd! 

"You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over" (Psalm 23:5). Again process. You desire the Holy Spirit to be upon you? You desire to have more than you need? Sit at the table. Then be blessed. 

Bride of Christ, if you truly want goodness and mercy to follow you all the days of your life and to dwell in the house of the Lord forever you must live like the Lord is your shepherd. He must be Lord of your entire life. You must lie in His green pastures, walk by the still waters, lean on His rod and staff in the valley of death, sit at His table, let Him anoint your head with oil, let Him fill up your cup to overflowing! Follow the life process. Trust His process! Trust it not only today, but all the days of your life as you walk into eternity with your good Shepherd! Believe, Jesus is standing by to be YOUR good shepherd so you shall not want.