We have a “Good Shepherd” who can be trusted to lead us in every sphere of our lives. We, no matter how hard we try, will only be sheep. But this is a good thing, not a bad thing. Satan was not satisfied with this and started a revolt in heaven. Most of our problems rest in this same problem, we want to be in charge rather than being led. We don’t have to understand why our Shepherd does this or that, we simply need to know that He loves us and cares for us more than we love ourselves. When our thoughts are in conflict, His thoughts are better (Isaiah 55:8-9, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.”). But our ability to be led by Him is based on a relationship. Just like our marriages and our role as parents, relationships must be developed. His love is perfect, but ours is not. His love is undivided, but ours is not. If we want to enjoy the peace that comes from this relationship, it requires us to make our Shepherd our priority. Again, we don’t have to understand why He does everything, but we must understand just who He is.

Little known and often overlooked, as is every book in Scripture, there are some amazing gems to be found. The book of Habakkuk begins with a question on the part of the prophet who didn’t understand why God was allowing things to continue as they were without intervening. But notice the prophet’s trust and faith, in Habakkuk 2:1, “I will stand my watch And set myself on the rampart, And watch to see what He will say to me, And what I will answer when I am corrected.” That’s relationship and the proper submissive attitude of a sheep who trusts his Shepherd. He simply waits to be led. He is given a vision which includes the important verse in 2:4, “Behold the proud, His soul is not upright in him; But the just shall live by his faith.” This verse is quoted three times in the New Testament in the three heaviest doctrinal books in the Bible : Romans 1:17, Galatians 3:11, and Hebrews 10:38. The ending of this little book is great, because though he doesn’t understand why God would choose to use an evil nation, Babylon, to mete out His justice, his faith remains steadfast in His Shepherd. We read in Habakkuk 3:17-19, “Though the fig tree may not blossom, Nor fruit be on the vines; Though the labor of the olive may fail, And the fields yield no food; Though the flock may be cut off from the fold, And there be no herd in the stalls - Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength; He will make my feet like deer’s feet, And He will make me walk on high hills.”

Habakkuk learned the lesson of simple faith. He trusted in God despite his circumstances. He didn’t have to understand why God was choosing to act a certain way, He simply trusted that God knew better than himself and He was trustworthy. This faith is simple, but it requires commitment on our part. It is a relationship like all others. We can’t make a profession of faith then go off and live our lives without Him just like we cannot stand at the altar and state our marriage vows then walk away and ignore our spouses. Habakkuk was strengthened as he spent time with God. Likewise, we may not understand everything, we will be strengthened as we spend time with God in His Word, in prayer, in worship, in fellowship, in service. There are no shortcuts to a sincere relationship. People like to make a distinction between quality and quantity time today. If we want to experience the peace that our Shepherd offers us, we need to spend both quantity and quality time with Him. May we all enjoy the beauty of this simple and wonderful relationship made available to all who desire to be called His sheep.