Tag: Psalm 23

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IN GOD’S HOUSE FOREVER

On the second Friday of each month in 2019 we have been studying one of the most memorized chapters in the Bible: PSALM 23. Join me for this last installment in the series.

As we near the end of the year and our Psalm 23 study, I’m ruminating on ways to describe this famous chapter of Scripture. It is beautifully inspiring and certainly one of the most memorized portions of Scripture ever written.

For many, myself included, Psalm 23 is a place of solace and security; a place of hope and healing; a source for meditation during times of difficulty, loneliness and anxiety.

I can’t count the times I’ve prayed Psalm 23 while tossing and turning during a sleepless night. Or in times of uncertainty, indecision and just plain exhaustion trying to deal with life… again Psalm 23 consistently brings a balm of comfort and peace.

This particular stanza we have before us today encourages us of the future we have for eternity with Christ. No matter what we may be experiencing today, we can rest in the hope that one day we will be at home with God, in that beautiful mansion Jesus told His disciples that He was going to prepare for all of us. What a vision of peace and glory to hold on to!

If you haven’t put this chapter to memory, I highly recommend you take some time to do that. There’s nothing like having Scripture hidden away in your heart, when it’s needed at  a moment’s notice.

Now let’s take a look at the full chapter of Psalm 23.

Each of the stanzas below are hyperlinked to their corresponding columns that we’ve been studying this year for you to review. Enjoy…

THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD;

I SHALL NOT WANT.

HE MAKES ME TO LIE DOWN IN GREEN PASTURES;

HE LEADS ME BESIDE THE STILL WATERS.

HE RESTORES MY SOUL;

HE LEADS ME IN THE PATHS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS FOR HIS NAME’S SAKE.

YEA, THOUGH I WALK THROUGH THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH, I WILL FEAR NO EVIL; FOR YOU ARE WITH ME;

YOUR ROD AND YOUR STAFF, THEY COMFORT ME.

YOUR PREPARE A TABLE BEFORE ME IN THE PRESENCE OF MY ENEMIES;

YOU ANOINT MY HEAD WITH OIL; MY CUP RUNS OVER.

SURELY GOODNESS AND MERCY SHALL FOLLOW ME ALL THE DAYS OF MY LIFE;

AND I WILL DWELL IN THE HOUSE OF THE LORD FOREVER.

As you contemplate this poignant portion of Scripture I hope you will take a few moments to watch/listen to Audrey Assad’s version of Psalm 23 exquisitely put to music. Love, peace and blessings…

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GOODNESS AND MERCY FOLLOW ME

On the second Friday of each month in 2019 we will be studying one of the most memorized chapters in the Bible: PSALM 23. Join me as we bring fresh application of this beloved psalm to our lives.

As you look back on this journey called life… the school years, marriage, raising a family, having and changing jobs, moving around, buying houses, making various life choices… What do you see?

 

 MISTAKES

          or 

LESSONS LEARNED

 

It’s easy to look back with regret and see all the things you wish you could change. We need to remember that when we were living in that space and time we made the choices we did for a reason. We could only do what we could with what we knew at that particular moment.

Ok, maybe it was a bad decision that became a huge mistake.

But we who are followers of Christ must believe what God has promised us:

 

“…every detail of our lives is continually woven together to fit into God’s perfect plan of bringing good into our lives…” 

~ Romans 8:28  (The Passion Translation)

 

No one is going to manage our memory time. It’s up to us to not waste time looking back in the rearview mirror at yesterday with regret and sadness.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. ~ Psalm 23:6a

Today’s portion of Psalm 23 assures us that goodness and mercy will follow us all the days of our life. That means we can expect to look back and see God’s goodness in every season… to see God’s mercy sparing us of something bad that could have happened that was much worse instead.

When we take this perspective on our past, whether it is in the distant past or just earlier today, we must trust that God is faithful to His Word.

He is going behind us, as we follow His will in our life, He is making sure there is goodness and mercy following us as He weaves every detail of our life together according to His special plan.

When we do this, we can rest much easier without hanging on to regretted mistakes. We can trust that God knows who we were when we made those decisions and He will turn that mistake into a message that we can share with others along the way.

Join me in celebrating the Goodness and Mercy of God in our lives with this new music video by Encounter Music.

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ANOINTED FOR LIFE!

On the second Friday of each month in 2019 we will be studying one of the most memorized chapters in the Bible: PSALM 23. Join me as we bring fresh application of this beloved psalm to our lives.

” The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.

Yes, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over…”

 

In this section of Psalm 23 we see God represented as our Heavenly Host instead of our Shepherd. He has prepared a feast for us even though we are surrounded by enemies. During Biblical days a proper host would anoint their guests as a sign of honor and hospitality, as well as refreshment.

When priests, kings and various people were anointed in the Old Testament the sacred oil that was poured over their head signified that they were being set apart for divine use, they are now established to represent God to the people and that they were now empowered by the Holy Spirit for tasks at hand.

Today, we aren’t anointed in this traditional way, rather we’ve been anointed by the Holy Spirit when we are born again. The symbolism of the oil anointing can be applied to the Holy Spirit anointing as well.

When we are anointed by the Holy Spirit: 

        • We have been honored by God.
        • We have been set apart for God’s service.
        • We have been designated as God’s representative.
        • We have been empowered to perform the tasks set for us.

Looking at the anointing by the Holy Sprit in this light gives it such a stronger meaning. Another thing to consider when God anoints us it isn’t a one time thing. The anointing is always flowing. It’s overflowing God’s power, healing and blessings in our lives!

If you haven’t accepted Christ as your Lord and Savior today is the best day to do that. Simply call out Jesus’ name, ask Him to come into your heart and to set you free. Ask the Holy Spirit to anoint you with His blessings, power and healing today!

Allow the Holy Spirit to anoint you like a flood with this powerful spontaneous worship song by Molly Skaggs and Bethel Music.

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THE PREPARED TABLE

On the second Friday of each month in 2019 we are studying one of the most memorized chapters in the Bible: PSALM 23. Join me as we bring fresh application of this beloved psalm to our lives.

The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want.

He makes me to lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside the still waters.

He restores my soul.

He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil;

for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies…

In our culture today we don’t really have enemies surrounding us like David who faced lions and bears that were trying to get his sheep. However later in his life, David had to run for his life many times when being chased by enemies like King Saul and even his own son sought to kill him at one point.

What enemies do we face?

Because you’re reading this column most likely you have all the basic comforts of the Western world: food, clothing, shelter, medicine, etc… In a spiritual sense the biggest enemy we face I believe is doubt and fear. Our physical enemies are often things such as lack or sickness.

Our own worst enemy.

Sometimes my biggest enemy is my own mind. I may have physical struggles although I have all my basic needs met. But when I wake up in the morning my mind goes right to today’s challenges or to the things I wish could be different. Starting my day with worship music always helps me with this. Maybe that’s why David wrote so many songs.

See the blessings not the struggle.

The lesson I get from this portion of Psalm 23 is that no matter what enemy we may be facing: lack, illness, fear or doubt… We need to look around and see all the things we already have before we grumble about the things we don’t have.

God has already blessed us with so much.

See His Goodness now!

Contemplate God’s goodness with this beautiful video by Elevation Worship.

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THE COMFORTER

On the second Friday of each month in 2019 we are studying one of the most memorized chapters in the Bible: PSALM 23. Join me as we bring fresh application of this beloved psalm to our lives.

The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Yes, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff they comfort me.

 

In the shepherd fields of David’s day the sheep depended on their shepherd for everything. Because sheep aren’t very smart creatures they need guidance to food and water; protection from predators and from getting lost or hurt. If a sheep wondered off from the fold they could easily get lost and die.

In his most famous psalm, David uses the rod to represent discipline and protection. While the staff represents grace and comfort.

When a sheep got lost it could look up and see the shepherds staff guiding them back to the fold. Or when a sheep got caught in a bush or a ravine the shepherd could use the crook at the top, which is the staff, to rescue it.

In much the same way God is always ready to guide us when we need it or to correct us when necessary. And with His sweet amazing grace He reaches down and rescues us from a bramble bush when we get caught.

Where can we find our Good Shepherd’s rod and staff today?

How does God guide, discipline and rescue us today

The revelation of God is whole
    and pulls our lives together.
The signposts of God are clear
    and point out the right road.
The life-maps of God are right,
    showing the way to joy.
The directions of God are plain
    and easy on the eyes.
God’s reputation is twenty-four-carat gold,
    with a lifetime guarantee.
The decisions of God are accurate
    down to the nth degree.

God’s Word is better than a diamond,
    better than a diamond set between emeralds.
You’ll like it better than strawberries in spring,
    better than red, ripe strawberries.

There’s more: God’s Word warns us of danger
    and directs us to hidden treasure.
Otherwise how will we find our way?

~ Psalm 19:7-11 (The Passion Translation)

Certainly God uses people and circumstances to direct, protect and discipline us. But primarily today God guides us through His living Word: The Holy Bible.

This is why it’s so important that we stay close to God’s Word everyday! As sheep, we’re easily distracted. We may wonder off and put ourselves in a tempting, even dangerous situation.

Just like a loving parent, whose child has wondered away from them, we may need to be rescued and then disciplined. It’s sometimes hard, but we need to see our corrections and rescues as comfort from a loving father.

With this sweet song by Ellie Holbomb contemplate God’s loving arms reaching out to comfort you today.

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THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW

On the second Friday of each month in 2019 we are studying one of the most memorized chapters in the Bible: PSALM 23. Join me as we bring fresh application of this beloved psalm to our lives.

The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me…*

 

During the time David wrote this psalm, a traveler going through the desert valley of Judah on foot would often risk their lives. The shadows cast by the mountains may be hiding unknown dangers: lurking bandits or wild animals. But the faithful could be assured that they need not fear because the Lord was near.

Each one of us walks through dark valleys in various seasons of our life. During these times of struggle it’s important that we not compare our valley walk with that of fellow believers. We each struggle in different ways and for different reasons. A dark valley experience for you may not be a dark valley experience for me and vice versa.

I may be going through the toughest season of my life while you seem to be floating along on cloud nine. If I’m not careful I could become resentful and bitter at you and/or God.  What I don’t know is that you may be having a family crisis that you can’t talk about. But all I see is you composed; not stressed or worried.

Others are watching us walk through our valleys.

What are they seeing?

Do they see someone who is bitter, angry and afraid?

Or do they see someone joy-filled and trusting God’s plan for good?

To be honest, this is difficult for me. I must remind myself almost daily to be patient, trust God and know that He loves me and hasn’t forgotten about me. I’m not in this valley alone. This valley has a lesson to build in my faith and character if I will just let it.

There are measures of God’s Presence that you can only experience in the valley. ~ Bill Johnson

The dictionary defines a shadow as a dark figure or an image cast on a surface of a body intercepting light. What’s intercepting the Light in your life today?

Maybe your valley seems dark because God’s Presence is so near protecting you under His wing.

If you are walking through a dark valley today take a few minutes to contemplate God’s Presence with this beautiful prophetic worship song by Nathaniel Coe III and Somer Jordan.


*New King James Version

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THE PATHS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

On the second Friday of each month in 2019 we are studying one of the most memorized chapters in the Bible: PSALM 23. Join me as we bring fresh application of this beloved psalm to our lives.

The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.*

 

What the path looks like isn’t important.

Whatever our path looks like or where it leads we can always know that God has a purpose and a plan. We can be sure that today’s path is especially designed for our good, for our growth and for His glory.

God’s children walk a privileged path.

Some days it may not feel so privileged because we’re going through tough times. But in my life experience I can look back on the toughest seasons and see that my faith grew more during those struggles than through times of ease.

Look at your path from a higher viewpoint.

If we look at our life from a helicopter view to see God’s big picture we can see the path going through the dry desert, past the lake then over and around the mountains. As a new friend of mine recently wrote, we each have good days and growth days. The path of the good days may feel like we are walking along a beautiful sandy beach.  Whereas the growth days are like climbing a steep rocky hill. If we can look at God’s viewpoint maybe we can see the mountain winding roads as the learning curves that they are.

Giving God’s name glory.

How we express ourselves along our path will determine how those around us view God. If we walk our easy path with humility and thanksgiving we’re representing God properly. However, if we’re walking a rocky path unhappy and complaining we’re not giving God’s name a good reputation. We can’t speed up God’s timing but we can slow it down with a poor attitude. Let’s travel the path to our victorious destination expecting God’s goodness to shine brighter and brighter on us each day. As we do God will be glorified in our life and we will bring others along with us!

But the lovers of God walk on the highway of light,
and their way shines brighter and brighter
until they bring forth the perfect day. ~ Proverbs 4:18 (TPT)**

Enjoy this beautiful video as you contemplate The Waymaker’s path for you today.


*New King James Version.

**The Passion Translation.

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BE RESTORED

On the second Friday of each month in 2019 we are studying one of the most memorized chapters in the Bible: PSALM 23. Join me as we bring fresh application of this beloved psalm to our lives.

The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pasture, he leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul…

Jesus the Great Shepherd restores our weary souls.

He wants us to know that, because He cares for our every need, we can rest our worried minds and be content with what we have today and trust Him for what we will need for tomorrow.

Jesus the Great Shepherd nourishes our weary souls.

He lovingly guides us to the lush green pastures where we will be nourished. He lead us to the calming still waters that will refresh our thirst for peace.

Jesus the Great Shepherd knows us better that we know ourselves.

God knows when His children are down. Because He created us, He knows exactly what will restore us and when we will need it.  But often when we’re weary God is the last person we turn to for help.

Jesus the Great Shepherd is waiting for us to look to Him for our help.

We often turn to our friends or family in times of need. We may turn to media or substances to distract our weary heart. What we need is to sit in a quiet moment with the Lord and just be.

He is here. Your restoration is waiting. Call on Him. Be with HIm…

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STILL WATERS

On the second Friday of each month in 2019 we are studying one of the most memorized chapters in the Bible: PSALM 23. Join me as we bring fresh application of this beloved psalm to our lives.

The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pasture, he leads me beside still waters…

We weren’t created to live in state of frenzy… stressing to make it to the next paycheck so we can pay off the debt we accumulated buying things we never use… Hustling to make it to the next rung on the corporate ladder so we can feel better about ourselves.

Life seems to be focused on what we don’t have today. Many of us are stretching ourselves to the breaking point just to get the next best newer things.

When God created Adam and Eve He gave them a peaceful home. They were privileged to live in a Garden created just for them where they walked with God in the cool of the morning. Because The Garden of Eden was the perfect home, I imagine it must have had a beautiful lake where Adam and Eve could sit by the still waters and enjoy the evening sunset with God at their side.

For me one of my most relaxing things is to sit beside water. Whether it’s the ocean, a lake, a river or stream it makes no difference. Water soothes my soul. It brings peace to my spirit and resets my mind after a hard week.

Sheep require still waters before they will drink. Sheep are nervous around moving water and they won’t drink. Because they fear flowing water they’re unable to be refreshed unless the water is still.

We need to find stillness to be refreshed. This is a good lesson for us. It might not happen every day, but we can make a point to regularly find a place of stillness to spend alone time with ourselves and God.

Let technology help if you can’t get to a natural source of water. There are apps and Internet videos galore that can give you a sense of being near water. I listen to an app during my lunch break at work most days. It helps me to rest, reset and prepare for the afternoon.

Seek time with the Living Water. In Scripture Jesus is called the Living Water. So as we’re able to spend time reading God’s Word our soul and spirit will be refreshed.

“All you thirsty ones, come to me! Come to me and drink! Believe in me so that rivers of living water will burst out from within you, flowing from your innermost being, just like the Scripture says!” ~ John 7:37-38

Contemplate the Still Waters that God provides to refresh your soul today as you watch/listen to this lovely video by Stephanie Bayne.

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GREEN PASTURES

On the second Friday of each month in 2019 we are studying one of the most memorized chapters in the Bible: PSALM 23. Join me as we bring fresh application of this beloved psalm to our lives.

The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures…

Sometimes the pasture may seem greener on the other side of the fence. I think the other pasture is greener only because there’s more manure there. If you get my meaning. But seriously, just because other pastures appear to be better doesn’t mean they are.

Don’t believe everything you see.

Don’t compare your pasture to that of others. Stop and see the lush green pasture God has provided for you today. Your pasture may not be all you dream for, but I’m pretty sure this pasture is better than where you came from. I know mine certainly is!

Striving and stressing.

Are you striving to keep up with your friend, neighbor or co-worker? God wants us to rest in the green pasture He’s already provided for us. Yes, we can work to improve our pasture where needed. But to strive and run after things that are not in God’s plan for us today will wear us out. If we are experiencing frustration we’re working in our own power not God’s power.

Cultivate thankfulness.

We must find our way to gratefulness. If we can’t be thankful for what God has given us today, why would He want to give us more to complain about tomorrow? The enemy of our soul tries to keep us in a state of discontent. Our challenge is to push past the battle in our thoughts to find the joy in our hearts that God has given us. Then we will be able to rest in the green pastures God has given us today.

Contemplate God’s goodness that surrounds you right this minute as you listen to this classic Bluegrass Gospel song recorded by Ricky Skaggs.