The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name. Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me. You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. You honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings. Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever. Psalm 23:1-6
I’ve never heard of shepherds
branding their sheep; according to Jesus it’s entirely unnecessary, because the
relationship is deeper than the skin’s surface:
My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. John 10:27
More about my interest in tattooing
in a moment; first a disclaimer:
I am neither a proponent of, nor an opponent of tattoos; I do not judge the worth of anyone who chooses to adorn themselves with ink.
As an art-form, tattooing is not something today’s
generation discovered…people have been inking themselves for thousands of
years. Like all personal choices,
hairstyles, fingernail length and décor, music, clothing, and accessories, popularity
of style is momentary and varies within cultures; it rises and falls on everything
from whimsey to social outcry. I am,
however more curious about what the numbers might look like if you tried to
figure out the why of people choosing to get tattoos.
To name a few categories there are, it’s pretty, manly-macho, my social statement, identity (such as clubs and gangs), and the
list goes on. All choices are personal;
some are deeply-meaningful, and some border on just filling time.
The closest I ever got to a physical
tattoo was a few marks I didn’t choose; targets, really. They were the location points for radiation
due to throat cancer. The markers
disappeard eventually.
The tattoo, or brand, I did choose was the Psalm 23 type. The sheep-branding of the heart, where you
are known by the Good Shepherd is that which brings you safely through a
lifetime of both sorrow and joy. It is
the seal of God[1], placed by the Spirit of God in
the heart of one who has accepted the offer of God to be saved by the blood of
the Son of God. Christ-followers are branded with the seal of the Holy
Spirit. It is a promise of things to
come, of eternal life, joy, and peace, not only in Heaven, but here and now, through
this current life of toil, pain, and darkness.
This seal of the Spirit is (like
the ink artwork in fashion today), a deeply personal choice. It isn’t a matter of putting your name on a
church roll, or going through someone’s prescribed rituals; it’s a matter of
surrendering your heart to be sealed. That
means surrendering your will, bending your choices to fit what God has
ordained, not what simply pleases you.
Following Christ is all about
personal choice; Jesus chose to frame the relationship He offers as sheep with a
shepherd. Sheep are led by one who is
worthy to follow and trust…not like cattle which must be driven, or dangerous
wild animals which must be tamed, incarcerated, or killed. Those who follow Christ follow a worthy Good
Shepherd…one who lays down His life for His sheep.
For You Today
You
chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day!
Go to VIDEO
For other posts on Psalm 23 see In Green Pastures and Beside Still Waters and Enough and The
Tools of a Shepherd
No comments:
Post a Comment