"The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not be in want...Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever." (Psalm 23:1, 6)

The most important man in my life for about twelve weeks was a fellow who wore a funny hat. We addressed the man in the funny hat as "Drill Sergeant". Every word that came out of that man’s mouth while in his presence was heeded as if it were life. The fifty guys in the barracks brushed teeth, showered, wrote letters, spit and ate only when the Drill Sergeant said to do so. If he yanked the freshly made bunk apart and threw it in the floor we dared not grin or be seen to breathe. Should he take the boots we polished for hours and tossed them out into the rain we watched as if it was a normal occurrence. The man controlled our lives and that was no error. You could say he was our shepherd.

It is difficult to relate to some person who is out in the peaceful pasture all day lounging under a shade tree watching a herd of sheep. But, it is not hard to relate to a drill sergeant or a supervisor. We are more accustomed to being told "when", "how", and "where" than we realize. Why is it then that human beings like you and me fight so hard against doing as God directs?

One Friday the company commander gave me a pass for the weekend. I was out on the road thumbing, heading for home. A truck slowed and stopped. To my horror it was the drill sergeant. "Hop in!" he commanded so I did. He drove me fifty miles toward home. Why? Because he just wanted to help me out.

The Lord is MY shepherd. He only wants the best for me and He cares for me. Every instruction He gives is to help me be a better me. Why should we resist when He only seeks good for us?

Today as you go through the day consider accepting the Shepherd’s leading with every decision.

God’s Wisdom: Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD And whose trust is the LORD. Jeremiah 17:7

Worldly Wisdom: "Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so."

Douglas Adams.