For His Name’s Sake Part 2

5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

There are 30 references in the Bible that use "for his name's sake." We can see by this the importance of his name to himself. It is the key to salvation and the credibility of his word. It's a comfort and a promise, but along with our caring for his name comes persecution and suffering. Yet we can rejoice and be glad for he protects us. He leads us to those green pastures and still waters.

In verse 5 we see a table. It's not about food; this is covered in the pastures where the sheep eat. It's an examining table, a place the shepherd puts a sheep to take a good look at him. He looks him over from head to toe searching for cuts, scratches, and wounds. He then anoints them and binds up the wounds. He doesn't say he's too lame or not fixable. He doesn't throw him away or call him a black sheep. He fixes him. The same is with God; he puts us on the table everyday and fixes our flaws and anoints them. It doesn't matter how blemished we are. He fixes us so we can keep on following him.

When it's dark and the day is done, the shepherd takes the sheep to the fold. The Lord intends to get us home. We'll go to his fold. When the darkness of this world comes, the Lord will take us home and shut the door. If we claim the Lord as Shepherd, he'll give us that rest.

Do you see the path–green pastures–still waters–valley of shadows–exam table–fold. There is a pathway. The sheep travel from place to place, and the shepherd leads them along it. Have you ever noticed a cow's pathway across the side of a hill? It's worn and hard. A cow won't go up a hill but it sure knows how to get around it. We have a pathway all the way to the fold. It is the pathway that connects all the places the Shepherd leads us. It is the path of righteousness. It's a path to and through righteousness.

Why would "righteousness" be chosen to describe the path? What is unrighteousness? It is sin, and that path is made by the devil. Our Shepherd is holy, pure and righteous. Why are we to follow this path? It's to protect his name. The Shepherd is the leader, and he cannot follow a pathway of sin. We can't do wrong and right at the same time. We are to walk in the way of righteousness and follow the Lord in it. Many times it's a matter of what we don't do that shows we're in the path of righteousness. It's a matter of action, deed, thought, heart and choice. When we live right, it protects his name. We show it, not just say it. If I say I'm a Christian, I need to show it by walking in the path he's set forth. It's what we practice. Doing the wrong thing brings a reproach.

Reproach is what we do to the Shepherd. It's a stumbling block to others. When we don't live and talk right, we're not following the path; we are misrepresenting the Shepherd and giving a false impression of him. Reproach hurts the Lord's name and hurts others. We become a deceiver when we don't follow Him in the path of righteousness. We don't help others see the Shepherd.

The only path the Shepherd follows is the path of righteousness. It connects everything and brings us to the fold, all the way to heaven. He leads us in this pathway. If we claim the Shepherd we need to follow his leading everyday. We need to do right to others, our family, our friends and even those who don't do right by us. We are enabled to do this, for if we follow him, we will be in his righteousness. He will lead us in what to say. He'll help us to do right by people. We'll make the right decisions and give the right responses. He never lets us down; it's by his grace that we can be righteous.

Look back over your life. Are there things you see that make you wonder how you ever got through them or things you somehow endured? It's because of the grace the Shepherd gives in the pathway. He led through the green pastures and still waters. He took you through the valley and to the examining table. He bound you up and told you to go on so you can get to the fold.

We can get to heaven because the Shepherd will lead us there. The path of righteousness is a straight and narrow path; sometimes it's dark, but it's wide enough for us and the Shepherd. Walk there for his name's sake. Because the Lord is my Shepherd. I shall not want.