Never look ahead to the changes and challenges of this life in fear. Instead, as they arise look at them with the full assurance that God, whose you are, will deliver you out of them. Hasn’t He kept you safe up to now? So hold His loving hand tightly, and He will lead you safely through all things. And when you cannot stand, He will carry you in His arms.

Do not look ahead to what may happen tomorrow. The same everlasting Father who cares for you today will take care of you tomorrow and every day. Either He will shield you from suffering or He will give you His unwavering strength that you may bear it. Be at peace, then, and set aside all anxious thoughts and worries. FRANCIS DE SALES

“The LORD is my shepherd” (Psalm 23:1). Not was, not may be, nor will be. “The LORD is my shepherd.” He is on Sunday, on Monday, and through every day of the week. He is in January, in December, and every month of the year. He is when I’m at home and in China. He is during peace or war, and in times of abundance or poverty. J. HUDSON TAYLOR

He will silently plan for you, His object of omniscient care; God Himself undertakes to be Your Pilot through each subtle snare. He will silently plan for you, So certainly, He cannot fail! Rest on the faithfulness of God, In Him you surely will prevail. He will silently plan for you Some wonderful surprise of love. No eye has seen, no ear has heard, But it is kept for you above. He will silently plan for you, His purposes will all unfold; Your tangled life will shine at last, A masterpiece of skill untold. He will silently plan for you, Happy child of a Father’s care, As if no other claimed His love, But you alone to Him were dear. E. MARY GRIMES

Whatever our faith says God is, He will be.

I once met a poor woman who earned a meager living through hard domestic labor but was a joyful, triumphant Christian. Another Christian lady, who was quite sullen, said to her one day, “Nancy, I understand your happiness today, but I would think your future prospects would sober you. Suppose, for instance, you experience a time of illness and are unable to work. Or suppose your present employers move away, and you cannot find work elsewhere. Or suppose—”

“Stop!” cried Nancy. “I never ‘suppose.’ ‘The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want’ [Psalm 23:1 KJV]. And besides,” she added to her gloomy friend, “it’s all that ‘supposing’ that’s making you so miserable. You’d better give that up and simply trust the Lord.”

The following scripture is one that will remove all the “supposing” from a believer’s life if received and acted on in childlike faith: “Be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’ So we say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?’ ” (Hebrews 13:5–6). HANNAH WHITALL SMITH

There’s a stream of trouble across my path; It is dark and deep and wide. Bitter the hour the future hath When I cross its swelling tide. But I smile and sing and say: “I will hope and trust alway; I’ll bear the sorrow that comes tomorrow, But I’ll borrow none today.”

Tomorrow’s bridge is a dangerous thing; I dare not cross it now. I can see its timbers sway and swing, And its arches reel and bow. O heart, you must hope alway; You must sing and trust and say: “I’ll bear the sorrow that comes tomorrow, But I’ll borrow none today.”

The eagle that soars at great altitudes does not worry about how it will cross a river. SELECTED

The great Father above is a Shepherd Chief. I am His and with Him. I want not. He throws out to me a rope, and the name of the rope is love, and He draws me to where the grass is green and the water is not dangerous.

Sometimes my heart is very weak, and falls down, but He lifts it up again and draws me into a good road.

Sometime, it may be very soon, it may be longer, it may be a long, long time, He will draw me into a place between mountains. It is dark there, but I’ll draw back not. I’ll be afraid not, for it is in there between the mountains that the Shepherd Chief will meet me, and the hunger I have felt in my heart all through this life will be satisfied. Sometimes He makes the love rope into a whip, but afterwards He gives me a staff to lean on.

He spreads a table before me with all kinds of food. He puts His hands upon my head, and all the “tired” is gone.

My cup He fills, till it runs over.

What I tell you is true, I lie not. The roads that are “away ahead” will stay with me through this life, and afterwards I will go to live in the “Big Tepee” and sit down with the Shepherd Chief forever.

Fear not, little flock, He goeth ahead, Your Shepherd selecteth the path you must tread; The water of Marah He’ll sweeten for thee, He drank all the bitter in Gethsemane.

Fear not, little flock, whatever your lot, He enters all rooms, “The doors being shut”; He never forsakes; He never is gone, So count on His presence in darkness and dawn.

Who is it that is your Shepherd? The Lord! Oh, my friends, what a wonderful announcement! The Lord God of heaven and earth, and Almighty Creator of all things; He who holds the universe in His Hand as though it were a very little thing.

He is your Shepherd, and has charged Himself with the care and keeping of you, as a shepherd is charged with the care and keeping of his sheep.

If your hearts could really take in this thought you would never have a fear or a care again; for with such a Shepherd how could it be possible for you ever to want any good thing?

Come, my sheep, shadows deep fall over land and sea, Fast the day fades away; Come and rest with me. Come, and in my fold abide— Dangers lurk on every side—till at last night is past; In my fold abide.

Come, my sheep, I will keep watch the long night through. Safe from harm and alarm, I will shelter you. Through the night my lambs shall rest Safe upon the Shepherd’s breast, folded there free from care Through the night shall rest.

Come, my sheep, calmly sleep sheltered in the fold, Weary one homeward come— Winds are blowing cold. Rest until the dawn shall break, Then with joy my flocks shall wake; pastures new wait for you When the dawn shall break.

The Shepherd is responsible for the sheep, not the sheep for the Shepherd. The worst of it is that we sometimes think we are both the Shepherd and the sheep, and that we have both to guide and follow. Happy are we when we realize that He is responsible, that He goes before, and goodness and mercy follow.

There remaineth . . . a rest to the people of God.—My people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places.—There the wicked cease from troubling; and there the weary be at rest.—They . . . rest from their labours.

The forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.—In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength.

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

The chief Shepherd.—I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.—I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.—I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick.—Ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.

Come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

Jesus, . . . that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate. Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach.

[Jesus] said, . . . Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while.

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

The Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost.—What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God?

It is God which worketh in you.

We know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which can not be uttered.

And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

He knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.—A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench.

The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

My times are in thy hand.—He shall choose our inheritance for us.—Lead me, O Lord , in thy righteousness; . . . make thy way straight before my face.

Commit thy way unto the Lord ; trust also in him; and he shalt bring it to pass.—In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.—Thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; he leadeth me beside the still waters.—Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him. For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.—Your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.—Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all … things shall be added unto you.—He that spared not his Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him freely give us all things?

All things are yours: whether Paul or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours; and ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's.—As having nothing, and yet possessing all things.

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.—The Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will be withheld from them that walk uprightly.—The living God, … giveth us richly all things to enjoy.—God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.