Praise the Lord for His Righteousness
1 Sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous things. His right hand and His holy arm have worked salvation for Him.
2 The LORD has made his salvation known and revealed his righteousness to the nations.
3 He has remembered his love and his faithfulness to the house of Israel—al l the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
4 Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music—
5 Make music to the LORD with the harp, with the harp and the sound of singing…
6 With trumpets and the blast of the ram's horn, shout for joy before the LORD, the King.
7 Let the sea roar, and everything in it, the world, and all who dwell in it.
8 Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together for joy—
9 Let them sing before the LORD, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples with equity.
"Why should I follow Jesus?"
He assures us of His care and that He will accomplish every purposes He has for us.
Paul says in Romans 5:7-8, "For one will scarcely die for a righteous man, though he might consider to die for a "good" man... But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Christ wants us to know and to feel His deep, selfless care for us. We understand "good" to be something useful or pleasant. But the beauty of Jesus, the shepherd who gave Himself to rescue us from God’s judgment, should draw the deepest part of ourselves to His heart.
He laid down His life for us—He died in our place. Before Christ came, we all would face God’s righteous eternal judgment because of all our sins… but Jesus intervened with His own blood to pay the debt. "He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." 2 Corinthians 5:21
The Good Shepherd knows His sheep personally—and we will know Him John 10:14-15: "I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me,
even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep."
It is impossible to know our Heavenly Father as intimately as Jesus did. On our behalf He intercedes for us before the Father. There are no barriers between Christ and God His Father as there are between us and God. Jesus knows us perfectly and with great intimacy. For us, it is a lifelong journey as we grow in wisdom and knowledge of Him.
As you are willing to follow Jesus if we know it will also teach us obedience and bring us closer to the Father? The abundant life that Jesus gives consists in having God Himself as our portion, both now and forever. That’s why you should follow Jesus as your good shepherd.
"My heart and my flesh may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."
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