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.