In Christ, you are God's beloved.

Believer, there is comfort in knowing that as Christ's sheep, we have His rod and His staff to comfort us ALWAYS, even when all seems to be going downhill and it looks like the lion (devourer) is nearby or already has us in its mouth. 

Recall Emmaus road and how Christ taught us to read the Old Testament in Luke 24? The Old Testament is filled with faith pictures of Christ and His saving grace in our lives.  Remember what David said to Saul as Saul tried to dissuade him from facing Goliath in 1 Samuel 17: 34-37:

"34....David said, “I take care of my father's sheep. Any time a lion or a bear carries off a lamb, 35 I go after it, attack it, and rescue the lamb. And if the lion or bear turns on me, I grab it by the throat and beat it to death."

36 I have killed lions and bears, and I will do the same to this heathen Philistine, who has defied the army of the living God. 37 The Lord has saved me from lions and bears; He will save me from this Philistine.”

Just imagine what was going on in the mind of the lamb that David saved while it was in the mouth of the lion or bear: acute fear and anxiety like many of us deal with today as we get threatened by or carried off by lions and bears of bills to pay, poor (health) prognoses, work targets, kids' homework, the safety of our loved ones, consequences of stupid actions and silly mistakes, imperfections and even what other people think of us! David here is a picture of Christ. One with Him and not cut off by trying to make ourselves right with God by doing what the law commands (Galatians 5:4,) He says to us:

“I take care of my father's sheep. Any time a lion or a bear carries off a lamb, 35 I go after it, attack it, and rescue the lamb. And if the lion or bear turns on me, I grab it by the throat and beat it to death."

The lamb cannot rescue itself from the mouth of the lion. No amount of fasting, sowing seed or curse-breaking can truly free the sheep from the clutches of the devourer. Any relief is temporary. Beware of all these pastors that try to get you into a "trade by barter" arrangement with God who gives us all things freely with Christ according to Romans 8:32. Only Christ can rescue you and I from all of our fears, anxieties, earthly ills and their causes and cause us to live right. He does this FREELY. By grace we believe, "for He who promised is faithful." Hebrews 10:23.

Remember David slew Goliath the reproach of Israel who put terror and dread in the Israelites? The "Philistine Goliath"  here represents anything that puts terror in you or causes you to worry. Just as Goliath put terror in the hearts of the Israelites with his massive size and constant reproach. Jesus Christ "the same yesterday, today and forever" will save you from all that strikes terror in you.

In Christ, know that no matter the turmoil that is going on in your heart right now, no matter the multitude of worries and anxieties that beset you because it seems like life's problems are carrying you away, like a shepherd with its sheep that gets in trouble, even troubles of its own making, Jesus Christ The Good Shepherd will never condemn you, leave you to get yourself out of the pit or ask you to go and sow a seed or fast before He rescues you. He will save you FREELY. In Him, we don't GIVE TO GET; we GET TO GIVE.

The Parable of the Lost Sheep shows us that the Lord our Shepherd is not in the business of disflocking, beating or abandoning His sheep that go astray or leaving us to the devices of the devourer. He never tells us to first go and sow seed or asks for tithe records, etc before He saves. His eyes never leave us. His rod and His staff they comfort us. Covered on every side! 

The Lord saves/protects us His sheep and keeps us from going astray. This is not to say that we are given a free pass when we sin. God hates sin, but He loves the sinner. He disciplines us and His correction is for our profit, that we might live, that we might be partakers of His holiness (we have none of ours) and that we might live right- according to Hebrews 12; His correction is never harmful and never with any of the things that He gave His own Son to save us from e.g. poverty, sickness, etc.

Believer, see our heavenly Father's love for us. David was a shepherd so he understood how helpless sheep are without their shepherd. He wrote in the last verse of Psalm 119-

"I'll never forget what You've taught me, Lord, but when I wander off and lose my way, come after me, for I am your beloved."

In Christ, we are God's beloved. We are Christ's sheep. Jesus Christ our Shepherd is not in the business of abandoning His sheep that go astray to the devices of the devourer or telling us "I told you so" and leaving us to rot in even the messes that we create by ourselves. He saves us. Always. And with Him as our righteousness, we never remain the same. Our path gets brighter and brighter...!

Right believing always produces right living.