S(Ezekiel 34:25) I will make with them a covenant of peace and banish wild beasts from the land, so that they may dwell securely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods.
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In this context, God reveals His design of being the shepherd for each of His sheep--He yearns to supervise and nurture us directly even though He often also uses people. He alone successfully abolishes our enemy's access to us (Satan and sin were successfully subjugated at the cross). Yet God doesn't automatically remove us from the wilderness (desert wastes). Instead He allows us to dwell securely there in total dependence on Him.
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This covenant of peace is always available for me to enjoy: freedom from all threats from my spiritual enemies as well as freedom to live and thrive in otherwise barren places of danger and abundant dissatisfaction. The wilderness speaks to me of deprivation and the woods speaks to me of getting lost or entangled (like Absalom). Both become safe and peaceful, though, because of the Good Shepherd's presence.
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Lord, You know how much I resist Your peace when I focus on barren settings and wild, undomesticated threats. Thank You for sending showers of refreshing in the right seasons, and even more miraculously, for letting me be a shower of blessing to others (verse 26). You are a truly great Shepherd!
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