David wrote by THE SPIRIT in Psalm 23:
1 The LORD is my shepherd (Jehovah Raah); I shall not want.
FATHER is our shepherd to leads us and guides us on the proper path to HIS blessings of abundance in meeting our needs. HE takes special interest in each of us and desires to keep us from going astray. Jesus manifested FATHER’S nature and Divine Intent when He spoke in John chapter 10:
7 Then Jesus said to them again, “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.
8 All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them.
9 I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.
10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep”.
By contrast to the thief, Jesus desires to protect us from the theft, death, and destruction. It is not only Jesus’ desire but FATHER’S desire as well that we might have an abundant life. Anything contrary to an abundant life is an indication that the thief has deceived us in some manner. Jesus gave His life for us, his sheep, so that we could be fully reconciled to FATHER in all areas of our life. When we choose to limit ourselves to only one or two promises, we have missed a great blessing. What father wants his children to miss out on an abundant life?
The adversary’s primary device against us is to challenge FATHER’S Word and use worldly logic to cause us to question FATHER’S promises. The serpent spoke to Eve questioning FATHER’S Word when he said “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?” and “You will not surely die.” When the devil tempted Jesus, he began by saying “If” concerning FATHER’S Word. The devil will try to dilute FATHER’S Word and convince us that HIS Word and promises are not meant for us.
Paul wrote by THE SPIRIT in 2 Corinthians chapter 11:
3 But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
Our adversary, the devil, will deceive us and lead us toward scarcity. Adam and Eve where in the garden of plenty but were deceived which resulted in them being cast out of the garden and forced to toil for their sustenance. They believed the lie of the devil over The Word of FATHER. It is no different today. A shepherd guides and protects his sheep. He leads them to green pastures and still waters of peace. If one of us goes astray, the Good Shepherd seeks to find us and return us to the fold. It is to our benefit that we pay attention to the Good Shepherd and hear His voice.
Each of these redemptive promises requires us to believe in FATHER’S revealed nature and expressed by HIS Son Jesus Christ. These promises must overpower the world’s persistent challenges which we are exposed to on a daily basis. Jesus spoke in John chapter 16:
13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.
14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.
15 All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.
FATHER’S Love is expressed in the Words of Jesus Christ to us. We have been given The Holy Spirit to guide us into all Truth. Let us become sensitive to The Holy Spirit and be led by THE SPIRIT so that we will stay on the path called “The Way”. The Good Shepherd gave His life in order that we could know, embrace, confess, and walk in the redemptive promises of FATHER. As we respond to these promises, we will renew our mind and be internally transformed. As this occurs, our fruit of Love will abound toward others and the Kingdom will expand on earth.