He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. (Psalm 23:2-3)
Sometimes life is not all about lush, green pastures and clear running streams; sometimes the ground is parched and the waters are turbulent and muddy. But even in the most unfamiliar and uncomfortable situations, if the LORD is our Shepherd, we have to trust that He is still leading us in the way that He has chosen. There is a time when we allows us to rest in green pastures and there is a time He requires that we trek through less hospitable environments. The challenge to us is to resolve that, wherever He leads us, it is the very best place for us to be at that time. We may be thinking we are in the wrong place at the wrong time; it might be just the opposite.
I doubt that Shadrach, Meshech and Abednego wanted to be in Babylon, much less a situation where they were required to resist the edicts of an all powerful and wicked despot. Nevertheless, that is where God had led them and for a purpose — they were exactly where they were supposed to be at that time. When Messiah presented Himself to John to be baptized, He said it was necessary fulfill to all righteousness (Matthew 3:15). Immediately afterwards, He was “led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil” (Matthew 4:1). The Father prompted Him to go to John and then intentionally led Him into the desert — but for a reason. Through Messiah’s obedience, the Father’s Name and purpose was sanctified.
It is important for us to see that as God leads us, whatever the scenario may be, it is in our best interests long term and is engineered to promote His purpose in us and through us. If God prompts us to traverse the desert and we comply, then we can be sure that He will eventually lead us to green pastures so that our soul may be refreshed. As important as it is to see how Messiah handled the Adversary in the wilderness, I think it is just as important to see that, after being tested by Satan, that His soul was refreshed — as it is written, “angels came and ministered to Him” (Matthew 4:11). There will be times when we are led into places and situations we’d rather not be in but, in the end, if we remain faithful we will see that it was all for our good. It was God working out righteousness in our life that we and others might see His glory.
Blessings and Shalom,
Bill
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