At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, “I praise You, Father, LORD of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was Your good pleasure.” Luke 10:21.

“Blessed are . . . ” Matthew 5:3-11.

I have hidden Your word in my heart, that I might not sin against You. Psalm 119:11. The LORD is my strength and shield, I trust Him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. Psalm 28:7. Many sorrows come to the wicked, but unfailing love surrounds those who trust in the LORD. Psalm 32:10.

And continuing our 351 Old Testament prophecies, promises of God, fulfilled in Jesus Christ, we come to number 92: I am the Good Shepherd. Psalm 23:1: The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want. And, John 10:11; 1 Peter 2:25: I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.

I loved this excerpt from My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers: “The teachings of Jesus are all out of proportion when compared to our natural way of looking at things, and they come to us initially with astonishing discomfort. We gradually have to conform our walk and conversation to the precepts of Jesus Christ as the Holy Spirit applies them to our circumstances. The Sermon on the Mount is not a set of rules and regulations – it is a picture of the life we will live when the Holy Spirit is having His unhindered way with us.” “The blessed are” – the poor for theirs is the kingdom of heaven, those who mourn, for they shall be comforted, the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied, the merciful, for they shall receive mercy, the pure in heart, for they shall see God, the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God, those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven, you – when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Matthew 5:3-11. And as we love and long for Creator God – Father, Son, Spirit, we are the light and salt of the earth in a world stumbling in the dark. For it is His light and His truth that is kindled and growing steadily within us as we allow Him, the Shepherd of our very souls longing for all that is true and good, to guide and teach us.

Our walk with Him begins within, deep inside, where we sense God speaking to us bringing comfort and hope so different from the way of the world. He doesn’t remove us from the world. He helps us hear His voice of love and truth about ourselves. As we come to experience and know His love, we are able in turn to be more loving to family and friends. We come to recognize the need for God’s compassion for those who do not yet know the love of God, and we trust Him for all they yet need. And a blessing God brings is the help of friends who also love Him and who share with us our journey of learning and trusting God for everything. As Chambers wrote, “a picture of the life we will live when the Holy Spirit is having His unhindered way with us.” And the amazing thing is that one day we will all of us share in that life-altering love of God.

***O SACRED HEAD (Verses 1-4, 6) O sacred head, now wounded, with grief and shame weighed down, now scornfully surrounded with thorns, Thine only crown; O sacred head, what glory, what bliss till now was Thine! Yet, though despised and gory, I joy to call Thee mine. What Thou, my LORD, hast suffered was all for sinners’ gain; mine, mine was the transgression but Thine the deadly pain. Lo, here I fall, my Savior! ‘Tis I deserve Thy place. Look on me with Thy favor, vouchsafe to me Thy grace. Men mock and taunt and jeer Thee, Thou noble countenance, though mighty worlds shall fear Thee and flee before Thy glance. How art Thou pale with anguish, with sore abuse and scorn! How doth that visage languish that once was bright as morn! My burden in Thy passion, LORD, Thou has borne for me, for it was my transgression which brought this woe on Thee. I cast me down before Thee; wrath were my rightful lot. “Have mercy,” I implore Thee, “Redeemer, spurn me not!” What language shall I borrow to thank Thee, dearest friend, for this Thy dying sorrow, Thy pity without end? O make me Thine forever, and should I fainting be, LORD, let me never, never outlive my love to Thee. Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153), “O Sacred Head, Now Wounded,” trans. Paul Gerhardt, 1656, trans. James W. Alexander, 1829.***