In ancient Israel, there is a clear distinction between a good shepherd and a hired hand. A hired hand only goes as far as tending to the needs of the sheep for the day.

A good shepherd tends to his sheep above what is required of his duties. He enjoys the time spent with his sheep and he answers to the faintest cry of each lamb. He comforts each lamb and knows their livelihood depends solely on his protection and provision. A good shepherd has deep knowledge for each of his sheep’s characters and his care is faithfully abiding.
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In John 10: 14 – 27 Jesus refers Himself as the Good Shepherd, “I know my sheep and my sheep know me…” Just like the sheep, we are able to place our helpless self to the capable care of our Good Shepherd, Jesus. How wonderful it is to know that we are not sheep with shepherd and with The Good Shepherd beside us, we are no longer helpless. We are able to rest in the promise of His sustaining care in each trial and season we face.

The Lord knows our livelihood depends solely on his protection, love and provision. Try our Good Shepherd, he is faithfully abiding.

John 10: 14 - 16
I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me - just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.

- Irene Soon

If you are planning a backpack trek through the wilderness, step one is to gather everything you might need. Step two is to get rid of half of what you have gathered. Step three is to get rid of half of that.

When you realise that everything you want to take along on your two or three days of hiking will be borne along on two straps digging into your shoulder muscles, it makes you a little more judicious about what you stuff into that backpack. Travelling light may help you enjoy the view with eased up shoulders, enabling you to set up faster and rest easier.

Life could be like that too. Many of us have the tendency to go on life carrying much burden in full steam ahead. Scripture, however, tells us to walk in the Spirit and to daily cast all our cares on Jesus who cares for every details in our lives. We might fool ourselves by thinking that the more we carry and the faster we go, we are accomplishing and pleasing the Lord. In fact, the very opposite might be true.

When we over-pack our lives without taking adequate time to rest, it may look outwardly heroic but there is a frenetic quality to our work that lacks true effectiveness as we lose our ability to be fully present. By that, we lose our ability to discern what is really needed in our situation.

Matthew 11: 28 - 30
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

- Unknown Author

Jesus Christ is the only one that can give rest to our souls. If your soul is weary, if your soul heavy laden and if there is no peace within, then you may want to stop and seek Jesus, He has come to give us rest. 

The universal truth is we will not rest till our bank account becomes positive, we will not rest once we have more, we will not rest when we are married or have children, we will not rest when the mortgages are paid.

We will only rest if we take the time to meet Jesus. In His presence, we will be able to lay all burdens in His hands and take upon His light yoke, only there we will find rest. Philippians 4: 6 -7 encourages us to be anxious for nothing but in everything in prayer and supplication with thanksgiving. We ought to be anxious for nothing in a thanksgiving attitude; painting an image of faith for a thanksgiving attitude is the immediate posture of an answered petition in the favor of the petitioner. Giving thanks is an immediate faith in action knowing the Lord has heard, acted and delivered us thus no concerns or worries should burden us any longer. Rest in the Lord all who labor and are heavy laden.

Matthew 11: 28 - 30
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

- John W.

Sometimes you will hear someone says many things can go wrong in a day

A realist may say many things can happen in a day; good and bad. A pessimist focuses on a fraction of the sentences and concludes many things can go wrong in a day. A person of faith however, has an assurance of God’s words to apply unto their lives.

King David wrote in the well known Psalm 23 – 6, “Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all of my days,” a wonderful assurance and reminder that our loving and faithful God has ordained goodness and mercy to constantly pursue us all of our days.

Though bad things may happen, we have the assurance that good things will surely happen for us. Instead of focusing on the “bad maybe,” ponder on the goodness of God’s providence and love, realize the mercy we have received because we got up today and we are able to experience another day of living, loving the people we love, having the freedom to pray and ability to try again in everything we aspire to achieve. These are good gifts that are freely bestowed unto our lives by our Lord Jesus Christ.

Surely, surely goodness and mercy will follow you and me all of our days. In Jesus name, we pray. Amen.

Psalm 23: 6
Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.

- Irene Soon

This is the story behind the hymn “It is well with my soul”. 

Horatio and Anna Spafford led an inspiring life of testimony Horatio was a lawyer who lived in Chicago with his wife Anna and 5 children.

In 1870 their faith was tested when their only son, age 4, died of scarlet fever. They then lose their entire savings and real estate investment due to the Great Chicago fire the following year.

Two years later, due to Anna’s health issues, Horatio decided to take his family to Europe for a vacation, but on the day of their departure, he was held by last-minute business appointment and he sent  his wife and daughters as scheduled, promising to follow in a few days. 

To his devastation, the ship his wife and daughter boarded into sank in the middle of the Atlantic. His daughters lost their lives but his wife was saved. In the midst of his deep sorrow, Horatio sought the Lord, and it was then he was inspired to write this well-known hymn – It is well with my soul. “When peace like a river attendeth my way, When sorrows like sea billows roll, whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say, It is well, it is well with my soul.” 

God then gave the Spafford 3 more children, but their son died at age 4 of scarlet fever, just like his brother before him. Christian friends started to say the Spaffords must have had great sins and God was punishing them. Due to the constant oppression from their church, the Spafford immigrated to Israel and they started a work serving the needy, helping the poor, caring for the sick, taking in homeless children. 

Horatio spent seven wonderful years helping to establish the ministry in Jerusalem, and then died of malaria in 1888, just before his 60th birthday. Anna served there for over 30 years, continuing to show the love of Jesus to all around her.

If you find yourselves in great sorrow, remember to sing the song in your heart: it is well with my soul.

Psalm 23:1
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want...

- Jenni Wang

While on the way to watch a gig in the city, I had a difficult time finding parking. It seemed like every free spot was taken. Empty lots turned out to be designated taxi stands, handicapped or motorcycle lots, no stopping areas, or loading zones. It definitely seemed like an unproductive journey as we went a number of times around the block.

Sometimes, life feels like a car ride around and around just to find that spot of rest. 

The good news is that we have rest at hand. When we take our eyes off the road and look into His face, and see things from His perspective, we will find our rest. All it requires is for us to be "sheep" and let him be the Shepherd.

Psalm 23:1-3 
The Lord is my Shepherd [to feed, guide, and shield me], I shall not lack. He makes me lie down in [fresh, tender] green pastures; He leads me beside the still and restful waters. He refreshes and restores my life (my self); He leads me in the paths of righteousness [uprightness and right standing with Him--not for my earning it, but] for His name's sake.

- Jo Voon