Vazquez Counseling

Tonight, in my time of devotion, the Holy Spirit led me to Psalm 23, which says the following:

“The LORD is my shepherd;

I shall not want.

He makes me to lie down in green pastures;

He leads me beside the still waters.

He restores my soul;

He leads me in the paths of righteousness

For His name’s sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil;

For You are with me;

Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;

You anoint my head with oil;

My cup runs over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me

All the days of my life;

And I will dwell in the house of the LORD

Forever.” (New King James Version)

As I meditated once more on this wonderful Psalm, my thoughts went back to my Dad, who passed away last year. My Dad was a wonderful man of God, who served God and the people of God, and he was a quiet, unassuming leader of his Family. My Dad had many Friends, and he was loved greatly. In fact, at the end of his life, there were at least 35 people gathered around his hospital bed.

We had decided to remove the oxygen from my Dad that night. The nurse was coming in at various intervals, lowering the oxygen that was keeping Dad alive. Without the oxygen, Dad would pass from this life to the next. It took about an hour for him to pass. My Wife, my Mom, my Brothers and Sisters, my in-laws, several of my nephews, and several of my cousins were all there. My Dad passed from this world and into the Presence of our LORD, surrounded by his loved ones.

As we waited for Dad to pass, I called up Psalm 23 on my phone. As Dad’s breath ebbed away, I meditated on this Psalm that was written to comfort us. The LORD brought me great peace as I waited for the moment Dad would go to Heaven.

Our LORD is truly our loving Shepherd. Have you ever really considered this analogy? The Holy Spirit compares us to sheep, and if you really think about it, they are some of the dumbest animals to have ever lived. I mean, if it wasn’t for the shepherd, a sheep would literally wander off a cliff. I believe sheep are the biggest argument against evolution. I mean if it’s supposed to be survival of the fittest, how did sheep survive? It’s a serious question, and I want you to really think about it.

Sheep are dumb, but they are not evil. So, I think this is actually a gracious description of us. God does not think of us as evil fools. He knows that we are prone to wander, like sheep, so He promises to protect us, like a shepherd. The thing with sheep is that they never know that they are wandering. They break from the herd and go their own way, never realizing they are leaving the safety of the shepherd and the herd behind. It’s not until they fall off a cliff, or a wild animal gets them that they even realize anything is wrong, and maybe not even then.

But, how wonderful is it that our Blessed LORD promises us that He will be our Holy Shepherd, that He will protect us, not only from bad people or bad situations, but most importantly from ourselves. How many times have you wandered away from the herd, so to speak, and away from God, and you ended up in a bad situation? And how many times has God saved you from that situation? Think back on your life, and you will see that our Shepherd, the LORD, has been a constant presence in your life, protecting you from yourself and from the enemy of your souls, who prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he can devour.

When my Dad was about to meet Jesus, I meditated on Psalm 23 because I needed comfort. I knew where Dad was going, so I was not fearful. I was sad because I was going to miss him greatly, like Everyone in that room, but we were all confident that Dad would soon be with the LORD. Dad died as he lived, surrounded by those he loved and who loved him. On the way home that night, after Dad passed, I told my Wife Laura, that’s the way I want to go out, surrounded by my loved ones, with Scripture being read over me.

If you don’t yet know this peace that our LORD offers you, secure in the knowledge that He will shepherd you and protect you from Everything, including the evil one, then I invite you to know our Savior Jesus right now. Take a deep breath, calm your heart. and say this prayer, asking the Holy Spirit to guide you into all Truth:

Heavenly Father,

I come before you, and I admit that I am a sinner. I recognize that I cannot solve the problem of my sin on my own, and I need a Savior who can help me. Father, please forgive my sin and grant me salvation through my acceptance of the facts that my LORD Jesus came to this Earth; He lived a perfect Life on my behalf; He went to the Cross where He died to pay the penalty for my sin, thereby reconciling me to You, Father; then, on the third day, our Precious Holy Spirit raised Jesus from the dead, to not only prove who He was as our Messiah, but to guarantee us Eternal Life in Him. Father, I accept this Gospel of Peace. I know I am now your child, LORD, because You promise in Your Scriptures that if we believe the Gospel, and we place our faith and trust in our LORD Jesus, then we will be Yours Forever. I pray all of this in the Name of my Blessed LORD Jesus. Amen and Amen.

Friends, the Word of God teaches that the means of salvation is the Gospel. If you prayed the above prayer, and you sincerely meant it, you are now a child of God. Welcome to the Family of God! Our LORD invites Everyone to know this Good News and accept His free gift of Salvation because He is not willing that anyone perish. Amen.