“Oh come, let us sing to the Lord;
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!
Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!
For the Lord is a great God,
and a great King above all gods.
In his hand are the depths of the earth;
the heights of the mountains are his also.
The sea is his, for he made it,
and his hands formed the dry land.
Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!
For he is our God,
and we are the people of his pasture,
and the sheep of his hand.” Psalm 95:1-7
“Know that the Lord, he is God!
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.” Psalm 100:3
The LORD with a name too holy to be spoken, the immovable rock and foundation of salvation, the King above all gods, guides and guards and feeds us. The Lord who holds- yes holds- the unmeasured weight of the depths of the earth, and the lofty heights of the mountains, holds and supports us. God who made and swirled and put boundaries around the sea, and whose hands crafted and dimpled and smoothed and forested the land, fashioned us fearfully and wonderfully. And He tends us now, watching over us in love. (Genesis 1:9-10; Job 38:8-11; Psalm 139:14; John 10:3-4,14-15)
When we know not which direction to go, we can trust His lead. When we are unsure where to nourish our souls, and with what, He leads us to green pastures of true spiritual food from His word. When we are lost in anger or bitterness we cannot shake, stuck in despair over choking, heart- wrenching circumstances, wandering in sin habits that have a foothold, He searches us out to rescue and cleanse. If I am timid in the noisy crowd, startled and shaken by events around me, lonely for fellowship because I’ve strayed from the fold, hungry for real satisfaction because the world’s fare has left me empty, I must remember, I am a sheep of God Almighty’s. The hands that crafted the heavens, earth, and seas are not too short to save, small to protect, or weak to uphold me. (Psalm 23:1-4; Isaiah 59:1; Matthew 18:12-14; Ephesians 4:27)
In this world’s pastures of grief, disquiet, and confusion, do I intentionally take time to recall what my Shepherd’s hands have made and now sustain, and make my way to rest in them? What difference in my perspective, emotions, and will, does it make knowing that He daily bears me up? Will it change fear to peace, worry to comfort, and transform whine to song? How could singing this psalm affect the rhythm and melody of my day? (Psalm 68:19; Colossians 1:15-17)
My Lord, because of who You are, and because I am the sheep of Your hand, therefore, may I stand firm and full of song in You. (Philippians 4:1)
As the rain and snow 