Pastor’s Place: The Good Shepherd

By Pastor Jahaziel Cantu, Iglesia Gracia, Flower Mound

“The Lord is My Shepherd” from Psalm 23 is a confession; it declares commitment and trust in the Lord. King David, the writer, understood that God alone can be our true Lord and shepherd. God becomes our good shepherd when we trust in Christ as our Savior.

Last year, when I was diagnosed with testicular cancer, my family could see that God is our good shepherd. The Lord took care of us by: providing peace, sending us helpers for our two young kids while my wife was pregnant, servant-hearted church members mowing our yard, church brothers taking me to the hospital (sometimes daily) during 9 weeks of chemotherapy, helping with hospital bills.

David says his relationship with God grew closer during his times of affliction. The Lord had not forsaken him during hard trials, but instead had been especially merciful in those times.

In these difficult moments, which David calls “The valley of the shadow of death,” he did not have answers or solutions; he didn’t know how to fix his problems. But it was then that the divine shepherd came to rescue David. For us, this “valley” can be: cancer, temptations, loved ones’ death, addictions, family problems, sexual sins, financial stress.

The best news we can receive is that God promises to face problems with us. He guided David to a safe haven, and He will also guide us into that safe haven: into His presence. The beautiful thing about being in the “valley of the shadow of death” is that our relationship with the Lord grows closer. The Lord is in control of your life like a father is to his son, like a shepherd to a sheep. Sometimes we forget that God is with us during the “Valleys of the shadow of death,” but He is always there.

Christ relates to us when we face trials; He faced the worst when He died on the cross. To share in the blessings during good and bad times, open your heart to Him. By accepting Christ in your heart, He will become your good shepherd.  Rom. 10:9-10

The Pastor’s Place features articles written by a different area church leader each month.Call 940-728-8284 for more information.