Olùṣọ́ Àgùntàn — My Shepherd

Dearest gentle reader,

Hi, it’s Oluwatosin again. 🥹
I trust you’re glad to hear from me.

How have you been?

Lately, I’ve had to sit down and really reflect on who God is to me.

I think a lot of us tend to sit comfortably in the knowledge of God that we already have and never really explore the vastness of who He is.

But God is so much.

I once heard a popular Rabbi say that God is so vast that you can spend your entire lifetime discovering who He is, learning more about Him, and still not scratch the surface.

And honestly, that thought has stayed with me.

My favourite Scripture for this season says:

“One thing I have desired of the Lord, that will I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in His temple.”
— Psalm 27:4

To behold His beauty.
To know Him.
To keep learning Him.

Because, dearest gentle reader, the more you know about God, the more armed you become against life’s daggers.

In my last letter to you, I spoke to you about Agbanilagbatan — the One who delivers and delivers completely.

Knowing that dimension of the Lord has armed me so much. I now know that whatever God has started with me, He is undoubtedly able to complete perfectly.

“He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion…”
— Philippians 1:6

He is able to finish His work completely.

And that’s why I have written again to you — to arm you with another truth from the knowledge of God.

Olùṣọ́ Àgùntàn.

My Shepherd.

Have you ever really experienced God as your Shepherd?

I’m sure you’ve heard the popular Scripture:

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.”
— Psalm 23:1

But today, I want to talk to you about that Shepherd.

The Olùṣọ́ Àgùntàn.

A shepherd is someone who leads his sheep.

Someone who knows where the green pastures are.

Someone who leads them beside still waters.

Someone who watches over them.

Someone who protects them.

Someone who guides them.

Someone who notices when they are hurt and brings them back to safety.

Someone who doesn’t just accompany them on the journey but knows where the journey is going.

And that’s who God has been to me.

My life travel guide, not just my life travel companion.

And I am only just discovering that I’ve had the Chief Shepherd with me all along.

“And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.”
— 1 Peter 5:4

Having the consciousness of the Chief Shepherd around you changes something.

It reverberates through your heart that, even as you walk through the valleys of the shadow of death, you do not have to fear.

Because the Shepherd is there.

“Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.”
— Psalm 23:4

As you walk through life, you can rest in the assurance that the Lord is with you and will be with you wherever you go.

And I think this made me understand even more deeply why David connected so strongly with God as his Shepherd.

David was a shepherd himself.

He understood the rich benefits sheep receive when they have a good shepherd.

A sheep with a shepherd is protected, guided, fed, watered and cared for.

The shepherd knows when to lead them to better pasture.
He knows when they need water.
He knows when danger is near.
He knows when one sheep has wandered away.

And there’s something so beautiful about yielding yourself to the Lord as His sheep.

You begin to experience the deep caring and nurturing dimension of God.

You begin to see Him as the One who:

Makes you lie down in green pastures.

“He makes me lie down in green pastures…”
— Psalm 23:2

The One who leads you beside still waters.

“…He leads me beside quiet waters.”
— Psalm 23:2

The One who restores your soul after immense grief, hurt, trauma, disappointment or pain.

“He restores my soul…”
— Psalm 23:3

The One who guides you in the paths of righteousness, making you right with Him and teaching you how to walk in His ways.

“…He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.”
— Psalm 23:3

The One whose presence makes you realise that you don’t have to fear whatever darkness brings.

Because He is with you.

Even His rod and His staff become comforting to you because you understand that His correction is not rejection.

He is simply making you better.

“Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”
— Psalm 23:4

And then, there is the part that absolutely melts me.

He prepares a table for you in the presence of your enemies.

He causes you to sit, dine and thrive despite opposition.

“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies…”
— Psalm 23:5

He doesn’t wait for every enemy to disappear before He blesses you.

He sets the table while they are watching.

And then He showers you with so much love, anointing your head with oil until your cup runs over.

“You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.”
— Psalm 23:5

And when you really understand the goodness of this Shepherd, you realise that His goodness and mercy have been following you all along.

“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life…”
— Psalm 23:6

And because they follow you, you have no choice but to follow Him too.

Until you dwell in His house forever.

“…and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”
— Psalm 23:6

Dearest gentle reader,

I am inviting you.

Let’s see the Lord as our Shepherd together, shall we?

Let’s stop seeing Him only as the God who answers prayers.

Let’s know Him as the One who leads us.

The One who feeds us.

The One who protects us.

The One who corrects us.

The One who restores us.

The One who carries us when we are too tired to walk.

The One who knows exactly where He is taking us, even when we don’t.

And perhaps, when we finally surrender to the Shepherd, we get to enjoy the treatment of being God’s favourite baby.🥹❤️

So, dearest gentle reader, come.

Let’s follow the Shepherd.

Till I write again,

God’s favourite baby,
The Chief Shepherd’s sheep,

Oluwatosin🌹