“He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.” Psalm 23:3b
In Palestine, there were any paths sprawled across the terrain. Some have been worn by travelers going from city to city. Others by robbers who want to lead a flock aside to attack the shepherd and steal his sheep. Other paths have been made by the winds that have blown across the sand. To the untrained eye, they all look like real paths. But when you follow them, they lead nowhere.
David asserts that when he trusts the Lord as his Shepherd, he shall not want for righteous living because God leads him in the right paths. God not only leads us to the right places, He also guides us to the right kind of life. When we make decisions, we often only want to know where God wants us to be, whether it is in California, Iowa, the Philippines, Nigeria, or India.
But God’s leading is not so much to a place as it is to a position and character. Maybe you are at a crossroad in your life. You may be facing a career change, a move to another place, a new school, or a new season in your life. Where does God want you to be? The emphasis in the Bible is not on where God wants us to be geographically, but on who He wants us to be. Not where I am but who I am.
There are not any verses in the Bible that tell you a specific college to attend, state to live in, job to apply for, mutual fund to invest in, or a specific name of a person to marry. Do you know what God’s will is for you today? First Thessalonians 5:18 says, “In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” We need to realize, that if we are what God wants us to be, then He will place us where He wants us to be.
The word “He” is key here. “He leads me…” This guidance grows out of a personal relationship with our Good Shepherd. God does not give us a set of directions and tell us to follow them. Instead, He Himself goes before us to take us to the place of His choosing.
In Palestine, shepherds used fruit to get sheep to follow them. He led them as He fed them. For us as Christians, I believe the “fruit” is God’s Word. God works through His Word to show us His will for our lives (cf. Psalm 119:105). He can also work through circumstances, people, personal guidance from the Holy Spirit, and even His peace in our hearts to confirm His leading. But the primary way God leads us is through the Bible (cf. 2 Timothy 3:16-17).
Why is the Lord so concerned about leading us “in the paths of righteousness?” How can we be certain we can trust His guidance? Because our Good Shepherd has a reputation (“for His name’s sake”) to maintain. If a shepherd were to lead his sheep down the wrong path or lose them to wolves or thieves, he would be disgraced and no one would trust other sheep into His care. God will not lead us astray for the sake of His reputation and His name. God safely leads all His sheep that put their trust in Him. He leads them down the paths of righteous so that His reputation is upheld.
Before we can trust the Lord as our Shepherd to meet our daily needs, we must first trust Him as our Savior to meet our eternal need. Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep” (John 10:11). Jesus Christ died in our place to pay the penalty for all of our sins. Whether we have sinned once or a million times, we need a Savior to save us from the penalty of our sins which is “death” or separation from God for eternity (Romans 3:23; 6:23a; Revelation 20:15). After Jesus died in our place, He rose from the dead three days later just as He promised to prove that He is God and had conquered sin, death, and the devil (I Corinthians 15:3-6; cf. Matthew 16:21).
Christ is alive today and He says, “I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved” (John 10:9). Jesus does not say, “I am a door,” leaving open the possibility of other ways into the fold. He is “the door.” He is the only way into God’s fold. The phrase “by Me,” is in an emphatic position (at the beginning of the sentence). Literally it says, “Through Me, if anyone enters, he will be saved.” Only Jesus can provide access or entrance into God’s sheepfold through faith in Him. There is no other way for people to be saved from their sins and enter God’s family except through Jesus Christ (cf. John 1:12; 3:16; 14:6; Acts 4:12; I Timothy 2:5-6). Notice what Jesus promises the person who enters through Him – “he will be saved.” He does not say, “he might be saved,” or “he could be saved.” “He will be saved.” His salvation is absolutely certain and complete.
If you have never understood this before, simply believe Jesus’ promise, “I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved.” Believe or trust in Christ alone, and you will be saved from eternal separation from Him and enter the sheepfold of His family forever.
Once you believe in Christ, you can begin to trust Him as your Shepherd to meet your daily needs, including the need for righteous living.
Prayer: Good Shepherd, thank You for saving me the moment I believed in You for everlasting life! I am trusting You now to lead me in the paths of righteousness for Your name’s sake. Thank You for Your personal leading in my life that is molding me into Your image. I can trust Your guidance because You will never lead me in a way that would undermine Your reputation. Your leading is always consistent with Your righteous character. There are so many voices to listen to today and paths to take, but Your voice and Your leading is my heart’s desire. Thank You for not abandoning me, but for leading me to be the person You created me to be. I praise Your holy name for never giving up on me. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.