Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people and the
sheep of his pasture. Psalm 100: 3
Today’s Watchword presents one of the most simple and profound truth in all the universe: that
God is God, and we are His. Humans have always had a challenge with this, dating back to the
Garden of Eden where Adam and Eve wanted to take God’s place. Today, we still try to play the
role of God. Frankly, this is a tiresome, overwhelming, weight-bearing, impossible and
sometimes deadly pursuit. Psalm 100:3 reminds us: God is God … He made us …We are His
… and we are under His care. Sometimes we forget this, neglect this, even rebel against this. In a
thousand ways, we tend to want to lord over our own little universe. When we do this, our
reward is fear, apathy, anxiety, discontentment, and the deadly pride to think that we are better
off being self-dependent.
As members of the fallen human race, there are certain things that we all need to know. We need
to know that the Lord Himself is the One and Only Sovereign God and Supreme Ruler of all. We
should know that He is the great Creator of the universe and everyone in it, and that He is the
One who formed and fashioned us in the beginning. It was God who created us! We did not
create ourselves, meaning we owe our existence and life completely to Him. As for those of us
who have trusted Christ as Saviour, we should also know that we are both His people and the
sheep of His pasture. As His blood-bought children, we are to reckon ourselves dead to sin and
alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
In the midst of our desire to rule our lives, God, in His tender care, graciously reminds us that it
is best for us to be subject to Him, to operate under His care, to look to Him alone for all our
needs, to acknowledge His Lordship, and embrace our position as God-dependent. We know that
a fruitful life and ministry come only through Christ-dependency (John 15:5). Because God
made us, we belong to Him. This removes self-reliance and places our identity in our Maker.
In today’s Watchword, God is pictured as a loving shepherd. Sheep need constant help, and this
phrase shows that God feeds, guides, and protects His people. He is the Sovereign Ruler of the
universe and great Creator of all, who is enthroned above the Cherubim. Yet, He is our good and
gracious shepherd who leads us beside still waters, restores our soul, guides us into the way of
righteousness. He is our ever-present help as we travel through the valley of the shadow of death.
As we reflect on today’s text, let us be grounded in these basic scriptural truths: 1) God’s
sovereign rule. 2) His goodness and grace to all. 3) The duty of all people and nations to exalt
His holy name. Today, let’s take some soul-level rest knowing that the Lord, He is God. Let’s
look to our shepherd, Jesus Christ, for all our needs, like a sheep would, because we belong to
Him. May the God who has shepherded this nation, especially since our Emancipation, continue
to guide, lead and bless Jamaica, land we love. Amen.
Jermaine Gibson