Psalm 112 - The Unmovable Righteous

Psalm 112 - Praise the Lord! How blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who greatly delights in His commandments. His descendants will be mighty on earth; the generation of the upright will be blessed.Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures forever. Light arises in the darkness for the upright; He is gracious and compassionate and righteous. It is well with the man who is gracious and lends; he will maintain his cause in judgment. For he will never be shaken; the righteous will be remembered forever. He will not fear evil tidings; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord. His heart is upheld, he will not fear, until he looks with satisfaction on his adversaries.He has given freely to the poor, his righteousness endures forever; his horn will be exalted in honor.The wicked will see it and be vexed, he will gnash his teeth and melt away; the desire of the wicked will perish.

Message: The Blessed Man lives a righteous life

Time: The psalms were written by many different people across a period of a thousand years in Israel's history. They are thought to have been compiled and put together in their present form by some unknown editor shortly after the captivity ended about 537 B.C.

What the Lord is Saying: 

Praise the Lord! 

Psalm 111 puts the emphasis on the Savior. Psalm 112 puts the emphasis on the Saint. Psalm 111 and 112 are twins in structure.  

How Blessed is:

The man that fears the Lord

The man that loves the Word

The Sons of the Blessed Man
Are Mighty Men
Are Moral (upright) Men 

The Substance of the Blessed Man
A House full of riches
A Heart full of righteousness

The Serenity of the Blessed Man
Marked by Guidance
Marked by Grace
Marked by Goodness
Marked by Godliness

The Sense of the Blessed Man

The Security of the Blessed Man
Enjoys Everlasting Security
Enjoys Every-day Security
 - Bad News does not Shake Him
 - Good News does not Shun Him

The Status of the Blessed Man
His Pity
His Piety
His Power

The Supremacy of the Blessed Man
The Wicked Man's Frustration
The Wicked Man's Fury
The Wicked Man's Folly
 

Promise: How blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who greatly delights in His commandments.

Jesus Calling: September 30

I am perpetually with you, taking care of you. That is the most important fact of your existence. I am not limited by time or space; My Presence with you is a forever promise. You need not fear the future, for I am already there. When you make that quantum leap into eternity, you will find Me awaiting you in heaven. Your future is in My hands; I release it to you day by day, moment by moment. Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow. 
     I want you to live this day abundantly, seeing all there is to see, doing all there is to do. Don't be distracted by future concerns. Leave them to Me! Each day of life is a glorious gift, but so few people know how to live within the confines of today. Much of their energy for abundant living spills over the time line into tomorrow's worries or past regrets. Their remaining energy is sufficient only for limping through the day, not for living it to the full. I am training you to keep your focus on My Presence in the present. This is how to receive abundant Life, which flows freely from My throne of grace.

Matthew 6:34
English Standard Version

Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

John 10:10
English Standard Version
 
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

James 4:13-15
English Standard Version
 
¹³ Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— ¹⁴ yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. ¹⁵ Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”


Note: The devotion and scriptures are from author Sarah Young. If you haven't already, please purchase the book and support the author.

Also, bookmark https://bibletags.blogspot.com/2019/06/jesus-calling-366-days.html to have an easy link to the entire year of these entries.

Proverbs 3:5-6 - Straightening Our Paths

Proverbs 3:5-6 -

⁵ Trust in the Lord with all your heart
And do not lean on your own understanding.
⁶ In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He will make your paths straight.

Message: Trust the Lord not me

Time: It seems that Proverbs was written and then compiled sometime between the tenth and sixth centuries B.C. Proverbs was probably written during the reign of Solomon, 971-931 B.C.

What the Lord is Saying:

This is one of my most favorite passages in all of scripture. I memorized these verses upon trusting in Christ as Savior and Lord. I was probably 15 or 16 when I first memorized them. I quote these verses all the time and share them with people. That said, I think they are the most challenging verses in the Bible.  

Trust in the Lord with all your heart
To me, this phrase right here is the calling card of the Christian. When I trust in Christ as Savior, all the righteousness of Christ is imputed to me and I have everything I need. It seems from that point forward, my life is spent at times pushing that righteousness out and thinking I can manage without it. And the constant desire is to return to the state of trusting in the Lord with all my heart. 

Do not lean on your own understanding
These first 3 stanza's seem to be repeat the same idea, just stated in a different way. If I am trusting in the Lord with all my heart then I am not leaning on my own understanding. I wonder at what point of my reasoning it is my understanding versus trusting in the Lord. 

In all your ways acknowledge Him
To further clarify, to trust in the Lord is to acknowledge Him in all the aspects of my life. 

Promise: He will make my paths straight. 

Jesus Calling: September 29

I am with you and all around you, encircling you in golden rays of Light. I always behold you Face to face. Not one of your thoughts escapes My notice. Because I am infinite, I am able to love you as if you and I were the only ones in the universe.
     Walk with Me in intimate Love-steps, but do not lose sight of My Majesty. I desire to be your closest Friend, yet I am also your sovereign Lord. I created your brain with capacity to know Me as Friend and Lord simultaneously. The human mind is the pinnacle of My creation, but so few use it for its primary purpose--knowing Me. I communicate continually through My Spirit, My Word, and My creation. Only humans are capable of receiving Me and responding to My Presence. You are indeed fearfully and wonderfully made!

Psalm 34:4-7
English Standard Version

⁴ I sought the Lord, and he answered me
    and delivered me from all my fears.
⁵ Those who look to him are radiant,
    and their faces shall never be ashamed.
⁶ This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him
    and saved him out of all his troubles.
⁷ The angel of the Lord encamps
    around those who fear him, and delivers them.

2 Peter 1:16-17
English Standard Version  

¹⁶ For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. ¹⁷ For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,”

John 17:3
English Standard Version  

And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.

Psalm 139:14
English Standard Version 

I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
    my soul knows it very well.


Note: The devotion and scriptures are from author Sarah Young. If you haven't already, please purchase the book and support the author.

Also, bookmark https://bibletags.blogspot.com/2019/06/jesus-calling-366-days.html to have an easy link to the entire year of these entries.

Psalm 23: The Lord, Our Shepherd (Part 5)

Psalm 23 - The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even 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 overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Message: Goodness and Mercy always

Time:  The psalms were written by many different people across a period of a thousand years in Israel's history. They are thought to have been compiled and put together in their present form by some unknown editor shortly after the captivity ended about 537 B.C.

What the Lord is Saying:

The conclusion of this chapter is after knowing that I have no wants with the Lord as my Shepherd, and knowing that He provides for my needs and with Him I can rest, and knowing that even at the dark and gloomy times of my life He will be there and He will keep me safe and victories in front of my enemies, that I can be confident that goodness and mercy will follow me and I will dwell with the Lord forever.

This is a complete chapter. It really covers everything. God is with me, in this life, providing me what I need and in the end, I know that my permanent residence is with the Lord.

Surely Goodness and Mercy will follow me
In the previous verse, the phrase, "My cup overflows" is really kind of amazing. God will always be my shepherd and friend. And even more so, the fact that my cup overflows, tells me, that all my needs have been met. Stated another way, He will never leave me wanting.

I was sitting in church yesterday thinking about the fact that each Sunday I am left with this feeling of "do more" or "stop doing what you are doing" or "be better." The message that I am left with is I'm not good enough. That is true. I am not. But, that is not the message here in this chapter. The message is not that I need more, the message is, "I shall not want." The message is that I have everything, "My cup overflows." The message is that goodness and mercy will follow me. I am not sure I comprehend how it is I am to live in this way. But, I think God really wants me to remember this daily. That in Him, I shall not want. My cup overflows.

All the days of my life
This reminds me of Romans 8:28, "All things work together for good." Goodness follow me. Mercy, which is not receiving what I deserve, will follow me. And they will follow me all the days of my life. So, through all of life's situations, as life changes, all the days of my life are secure.

I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever
This is the really the hope of each person in Christ, that our dwelling place in with the Lord. I don't think it means forever, as in, for eternity. But rather it means dwelling all the days of my life.

Promise: I will dwell in the House of the Lord, all the days of my life.

Jesus Calling: September 28

Open your mind and heart--your entire being--to receive My love in full measure. So many of My children limp through their lives starved for Love, because they haven't learned the art of receiving. This is essentially an act of faith: believing that I love you with boundless, everlasting Love. The art of receiving is also a discipline: training your mind to trust Me, coming close to Me with confidence.
     Remember that the evil one is the father of lies. Learn to recognize his deceptive intrusions into your thoughts. One of his favorite deceptions is to undermine your confidence in My unconditional Love. Fight back against these lies! Do not let them go unchallenged. Resist the devil in My Name, and he will slink away from you. Draw near to Me, and My Presence will envelop you in Love.

Ephesians 3:16-19
English Standard Version

¹⁶ that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, ¹⁷ so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, ¹⁸ may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, ¹⁹ and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Hebrews 4:14-16
English Standard Version
 
¹⁴ Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. ¹⁵ For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. ¹⁶ Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

John 8:44
English Standard Version
 
⁴⁴ You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

James 4:7-8
New King James Version

⁷ Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. ⁸ Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.


Note: The devotion and scriptures are from author Sarah Young. If you haven't already, please purchase the book and support the author.

Also, bookmark https://bibletags.blogspot.com/2019/06/jesus-calling-366-days.html to have an easy link to the entire year of these entries.

Psalm 23: The Lord, Our Shepherd (Part 4)

Psalm 23 - The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even 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 overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me

all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Message: My Shepherd, So I don't have a want

Time:  The psalms were written by many different people across a period of a thousand years in Israel's history. They are thought to have been compiled and put together in their present form by some unknown editor shortly after the captivity ended about 537 B.C.

What the Lord is Saying:

Today I continue with verse 5 of this celebrated Psalm. I've often wondered why so many people revert back to this Psalm and call it out as their favorite passage in scripture. As I study it, I see that it is in fact a fantastic lament and promise from God. It makes me wonder if people really comprehend its words.

"You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows." On the heels of seeing that the shepherd will walk me through, showing me the right way and right path, difficult times or sadness or sorrow or low points of my life, I see now that He will prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. From the first verse was the statement, "I shall not want," and ever since there has been the idea that God provides for my needs and he is there with me in the low points of life. And He is also there for me in the presence of my enemies.

God, the Shepherd, provides a feast for me in front of my enemies. My enemies may want the feast but God has provided it for me. God will provide for my needs. It feels sometimes like people that are enemies of God or have no regard for God, get everything they want or desire. They live a happy life, it seems and have discovered through things or ambition, that life can be fulfilling. They have found their answers.

God anoints my head with oil. This is a customary act of pouring oil on a persons head with abundance to the point of making fat. There is abundance of God's provision.

My Cup Overflows. From Spurgeon:

The intention of the Psalmist was to picture himself as a favored guest in the house of the Lord. When you are entertained in an Oriental house, a portion of meat is served out for you which constitutes your mess or portion; to highly esteemed and welcomed guests, a further honor is given, oil is poured upon the head; and yet further, a certain cup is placed before the favored one containing the portion which he is to drink. Now David felt himself to be not a beggar knocking at the door of Mercy, receiving a crust and a sip by the way, but he felt that he had been received by the great Master of the feast, and permitted to sit down to receive the supply of all his necessities, and what was more, to receive of the luxuries of the feast as one who was thoroughly and heartily welcomed to all that was provided. Brothers and Sisters, a little while ago you and I were among the blind, and the halt, and the lame lurking in the hedges and the highways, far off from the heavenly banquet—but Eternal Mercy has brought us, by living Faith, to sit down at the feast which Mercy has prepared! This day ours is the lot of those who are saved! Ours is a portion with the Justified! We sit at the table, this day, with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob—having been made children and heirs of God, even as they were. We participate in the pardon, the Justification, and the security which God gave to His saints in the olden times, and which Christ clearly revealed to His Apostles in the latter days. All heavenly things are ours! We are denied none of the luxuries of the Banquet of Mercy. Whatever belonged to any child of God belongs to us; whatever was enjoyed by the brightest of the saints may be enjoyed by us, if by Faith we are sitting at the table of Divine Grace! 

Promise:  God has set me apart and made me more special than I will ever know.

Jesus Calling: September 27

Relax in My everlasting arms. Your weakness is an opportunity to grow strong in awareness of My Almighty Presence. When your energy fails you, do not look inward and lament the lack you find there. Look to Me and My sufficiency; rejoice in My radiant riches that are abundantly available to help you.
     Go gently through this day, leaning on Me and enjoying My Presence. Thank Me for your neediness, which is building trust-bonds between us. If you look back on your journey thus far, you can see that days of extreme weakness have been some of your most precious times. Memories of these days are richly interwoven with golden strands of My intimate Presence. 

Deuteronomy 33:27
English Standard Version

The eternal God is your dwelling place,
    and underneath are the everlasting arms.
And he thrust out the enemy before you
    and said, ‘Destroy.’
 
Psalm 27:13-14
English Standard Version

¹³ I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord
    in the land of the living!
¹⁴ Wait for the Lord;
    be strong, and let your heart take courage;
    wait for the Lord!

Note: The devotion and scriptures are from author Sarah Young. If you haven't already, please purchase the book and support the author.

Also, bookmark https://bibletags.blogspot.com/2019/06/jesus-calling-366-days.html to have an easy link to the entire year of these entries. 

Psalm 23: The Lord, Our Shepherd (Part 3)

Psalm 23 - The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even 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 overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me

all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Message: My Shepherd, So I don't have a want

Time:  The psalms were written by many different people across a period of a thousand years in Israel's history. They are thought to have been compiled and put together in their present form by some unknown editor shortly after the captivity ended about 537 B.C.

What the Lord is Saying:

I have been taking this lesson slow. Or rather, I have been having trouble getting through it. My study in the Word has just been slow lately. These lessons through the wisdom literature are a little different as they jump around. It is different from the Romans study I just finished that had a clear beginning and end of each book. But, I also have just sort of lost some consistency.

But, this is a good reading. "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want." I am still amazed by these words, that with the Lord, I really do not have wants. And yet I notice as I get my eyes off of time in the word, wants creep up. And then I looked at the fact that God is the one that supplies all of my needs, He is the active agent in my life.

So today I look at those verses that seem to be the most popular verses and the reason this chapter is a strong anchor in the lives of so many upon death, "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me." What is key to this phrase? God is with me. Isn't this interesting? This is a Psalm, a chapter, words that so many people hold onto. What are they holding onto? They are holding onto this idea that "God is with them." This is the ultimate desire of each person: that God is with them. There is nothing to fear because God is with them. Even though they walk through the valley of the shadow of death, God is with them. They can traverse anything in life, even the darkest of days, because they always know that God is with them.

This verse almost sounds like Paul because in verse 3 it states that "he leads me in the path of righteousness" or the right way or right path. As I was reading and studying through this chapter, I was reminded that this isn't just a verse that speaks of death, but it really is talking about any dark or gloomy part in our lives. Verse 4 is really a further clarification of verse 3 which ends with "he leads me in the paths of righteousness." Paths of righteousness are right path or right ways. So, in that dark and gloomy valley, though I could not guide myself, I will not be alarmed; I will not be afraid of wandering or being lost; I will not fear any enemy there, for My Shepherd is there to guide me still. Valley of the shadow refers to any path of gloom or sadness, solitude, or sorrow, dark or dangerous way. God is trying to remind us that He will accompany us and can lead us safely through, however dark it may appear. The true believer has nothing to fear in the most gloomy scenes of life; he has nothing to fear in the valley of death; he has nothing to fear in the world beyond. "For Thou art with me." Though invisible, thou will attend me. I shall not go alone; I shall not be alone. The psalmist felt assured that if God was with him he had nothing to dread there. God would be his companion, his comforter, his protector, his guide. O, how I hope we can both believe and hold onto this.

Promise: God is there, even when things seem low; even when I am walking through a dark point of life, experiencing pain or loss. Even in those moments, I have nothing to fear. God is with me.

Jesus Calling: September 26

Come to Me and listen! Attune yourself to My voice, and receive My richest blessings. Marvel at the wonder of communing with the Creator of the universe while sitting in the comfort of your home. Kings who reign on earth tend to make themselves inaccessible; ordinary people almost never gain an audience with them. Even dignitaries must plow through red tape and protocol in order to speak with royalty.
     Though I am King of the universe, I am totally accessible to you. I am with you wherever you are. Nothing can separate you from My Presence! When I cried out from the cross, "It is finished!" the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. This opened the way for you to meet Me face to Face, with no need of protocol or priests. I, the King of kings, am your constant Companion.

Isaiah 50:4
English Standard Version

The Lord God has given me
    the tongue of those who are taught,
that I may know how to sustain with a word
    him who is weary.
Morning by morning he awakens;
    he awakens my ear
    to hear as those who are taught.
 
Isaiah 55:2-3
English Standard Version
 

² Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,
    and your labor for that which does not satisfy?
Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good,
    and delight yourselves in rich food.
³ Incline your ear, and come to me;
    hear, that your soul may live;
and I will make with you an everlasting covenant,
    my steadfast, sure love for David.

John 19:30
English Standard Version
 
When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
 
Matthew 27:50-51
English Standard Version
 
⁵⁰ And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit.
⁵¹ And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split.

Note: The devotion and scriptures are from author Sarah Young. If you haven't already, please purchase the book and support the author.


Also, bookmark https://bibletags.blogspot.com/2019/06/jesus-calling-366-days.html to have an easy link to the entire year of these entries.

Jesus Calling: September 25

Poor all of your energy into trusting Me. It is through trust you stay connected to me, aware of My Presence. Every step on your life – journey can be a step of faith. Baby steps of trust are simple for you; you can take them with almost unconscious ease. Giant steps are another matter altogether: leaping across chasms in semidarkness, scaling cliffs of uncertainty, trudging through the valley of the shadow of death. These feats require sheer concentration, as well as utter commitment to Me.
    Each of My children is a unique blend of temperament, giftedness, and life experiences. Something that is a baby step for you may be a giant step for another person, and vice versa. Only I know the difficulty or ease of each segment of your journey. Beware of trying to impress others by acting as if your giant steps are only baby ones. Do not judge others who hesitate, in trembling fear, before an act that would be easy for you. If each of My children would seek to please Me above all else, fear of others' judgments would vanish, as would attempts to impress others. Focus your attention on the path just ahead of you and on the One who never leaves your side.

Psalm 23:4
English Standard Version

Even 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.

Matthew 7:1–2
^{English Standard Version} 

“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.

Proverbs 29:25

English Standard Version   The fear of man lays a snare,     but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe.

Thoughts (2019)

The comparison trap is a huge one in life. If I can just walk through life, with My Savior, and not look to my left and right, at my neighbor, at my friends at what they are doing, at what they have and simply stay focused on my relationship with God, then all is fine. The problem is I do stop and stare and in the process I begin to question my Maker. I must return to the Word each day and examine in light of the gifts that God has given me. He has gifted me, but in a unique way. And my responsibility is to lay hold of those gifts and use them for His glory. At times, I actually think that life would be better if everyone was just like me. I want everyone to have my temperament, and often think my life experiences make me greater than others. Jesus meets each of us right where we are. 

Prayer (2019)
Lord, forgive me for the thoughts I have inside of me, that stir in my head. Rarely do they come out of my mouth. If they do, I am embarrassed, but you know me, all of me, and you hear my thoughts of envy, of me thinking I am better than others. Lord, there are good things that happen to friends in my life and yet I often want them to fall and experience hardship. I want to come out on top. I want to get the medals and thought of as the great one. Lord, free me from myself. Help me to rejoice more in the victories of others and come alongside those who are hurting. I am not in a race with others. I want to be a man of integrity - inside and out. Take me there. 

Note: The devotion and scriptures are from author Sarah Young. If you haven't already, please purchase the book and support the author.


Also, bookmark https://bibletags.blogspot.com/2019/06/jesus-calling-366-days.html to have an easy link to the entire year of these entries. 

Jesus Calling: September 24

Live first and foremost in my presence. Gradually you will become more aware of Me than of people and places around you. This awareness will not detract from your relationships with others. Instead, it will increase your ability to give love and encouragement to them. My Peace will permeate your words and demeanor. You will be active in the world, yet one step removed from it. You will not be easily shaken, because my enveloping Presence buffers the blow of problems.
    This is the path I have set before you. As you follow it wholeheartedly, you experience abundant Life and Peace.

Psalm 89:15–16
English Standard Version

¹⁵ Blessed are the people who know the festal shout,
    who walk, O Lord, in the light of your face,
¹⁶ who exult in your name all the day
    and in your righteousness are exalted.

 

Psalm 16:8
English Standard Version 

I have set the Lord always before me;
    because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.

2 Peter 1:2
English Standard Version  

May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

Thoughts (2019)
As I read these devotions again and again, the phrase "in my presence" comes up again and again. I've noticed that the Old Testament seems to have more references to this phrase than the new, but it remains a common phrase. It seems to mean a personal encounter with God, yet it was not necessarily a dramatic encounter, but could occur in many different fashions. And I think that is what she is trying to convey that God's presence is with us throughout all of life. For one, followers of Jesus have received the Holy Spirit so God is with us at all times, but still as humans we try to do things our own way and in our own power still, and we need to stay surrendered and trusting in God. And in these verses is that understanding, the results of "blessing" and "not shaken" and "grace and peace multiplied." Thus, I can be confident in this place, and it will make all the difference in my life.

Note: The devotion and scriptures are from author Sarah Young. If you haven't already, please purchase the book and support the author.


Also, bookmark https://bibletags.blogspot.com/2019/06/jesus-calling-366-days.html to have an easy link to the entire year of these entries.

Jesus Calling: September 23

Walk with Me in the freedom of forgiveness. The path we follow together is sometimes steep and slippery. If you carry a burden of guilt on your back, you are more likely to stumble and fall. At your request, I will remove the heavy load from you and bury it at the foot of the cross. When I unburden you, you are undeniably free! Stand up straight and tall in My Presence, so that no one can place more burdens on your back. Look into My Face and feel the warmth of My Love – Light shining upon you. It is this unconditional love that frees you from both fears and sins. Spend time basking in the Light of My Presence. As you come to know me more and more intimately, you grow increasingly free.

Psalm 68:19
English Standard Version

Blessed be the Lord,
    who daily bears us up;
    God is our salvation.  

1 John 1:7–9
English Standard Version

⁷ But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. ⁸ If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. ⁹ If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

1 John 4:18
English Standard Version

There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.

Thoughts (2019)
A couple of weeks ago I started attending BSF, my brother and my oldest son have been asking me to attend for years and thought this would be a good time to get going with it, as well because my brother is now the weekly teaching leader. Right now, we are studying Acts, specifically Acts 2. It has been good to dive into the Word. I think what I appreciate about these studies is the questions, while not numerous, are self-examining. I notice as I age (52 now), I also seem to be more aware of my sin, but also thinking about more of what I spend my time doing and what I value. Let's face it, there are a lot of routines with life and going through the motions. Thus, it is nice to come back to the Word which sort of re-positions me and trains me, in Christ. Yet, I admit struggling with doing thing differently, yet this I see is a personal struggle, done on my own strength. One of the amazing truths I have been reminded of in this study is that the Holy Spirit is with me, in me, guiding me, speaking to me all the time, and shaping me, with the purpose of God wanting me to receive His power (Acts 1:8) in order that I might do great things (John 14:12) of being His witness. Today's reading talks of "the path we follow" and burdens. Psalm 68:19 says that "God bears our burdens." I John 4:18 says "love casts out fear."

My Prayer (2019)
Lord, I sense you speaking to me today about burdens and what seems to weigh on me each day, if I am not careful. I do realize that my time is spent often in service - serving my mom right now who is struggling through a multi-month sickness and my wife supporting her father 400 miles a way who recently had a stroke, and also continue to work my full-time job, serving my family - but I think the burdens I am speaking of are the thoughts and concerns and worries that often weigh me down when I am just preparing for the day or in between these acts of service or even when I am doing those acts.  And you are there saying - I got this. Lord, are there things you have called me to do through your word that I am not doing because I spend too much of time in fear or wondering about outcomes or results? O God forgive me. You have probably been speaking to me, but I'm too busy worrying to listen. Lord, I want to commit to knowing You more and letting you be in control. I will step aside and let you take care of it. Show me where you are working and how I can join you.


Note: The devotion and scriptures are from author Sarah Young. If you haven't already, please purchase the book and support the author.

Also, bookmark https://bibletags.blogspot.com/2019/06/jesus-calling-366-days.html to have an easy link to the entire year of these entries.

Jesus Calling: September 22

Trust me and refuse to worry, for I am your Strength and Song. You are feeling wobbly this morning, looking at difficult times looming ahead, measuring them against your own strength. However, they are not today's tasks – or even tomorrow's. So leave them in the future and come home to the present, where you will find Me waiting for you. Since I am your Strength, I can empower you to handle each task as it comes. Because I am your Song, I can give you joy as you work alongside Me.
    Keep bringing your mind back to the present moment. Among all My creatures, only humans can anticipate future events. This ability is a blessing, but it becomes a curse whenever it is misused. If you use your magnificent mind to worry about tomorrow, you cloak yourself in dark unbelief. However, when the hope of heaven fills your thoughts, the Light of My Presence envelopes you. Though heaven is future, it is also present tense. As you walk in the Light with Me, you have one foot on earth and one foot in heaven.

Exodus 15:2
English Standard Version

The Lord is my strength and my song,
    and he has become my salvation;
this is my God, and I will praise him,
    my father's God, and I will exalt him.

Verse Thoughts
In this instance, salvation refers to Moses and the children of Israel being saved from the hands of Pharaoh. And our response to this is to praise Him and exalt Him. 

2 Corinthians 10:5
English Standard Version 

We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.

Hebrews 10:23
English Standard Version 

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.

Note: The devotion and scriptures are from author Sarah Young. If you haven't already, please purchase the book and support the author.


Also, bookmark https://bibletags.blogspot.com/2019/06/jesus-calling-366-days.html to have an easy link to the entire year of these entries.

Jesus Calling: September 21

Wait quietly in My Presence while My thoughts form silently in the depths of your being. Do not try to rush this process, because hurry keeps your heart earthbound. I am the Creator of the entire universe, yet I choose to make My humble home in your heart. It is there where you know Me most intimately; it is there where I speak to you in holy whispers. Ask My Spirit to quiet your mind so that you can hear My still, small voice within you. I am speaking to you continually: words of Life...Peace...Love. Tune your heart to receive these messages of abundant blessing. Lay your requests before Me and wait in expectation. 

I Kings 19:12
New King James Version

and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.

Verse Thoughts
In this moment, God chose to be lenient; he is merciful. The Gospel is a gentle voice of love, grace, mercy, of peace, pardon, righteousness, and salvation by Christ. 

Psalm 5:3
English Standard Version

O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice;
    in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch.

Verse Thoughts
The first thing I am to do in the morning is pray. It is to go to God. Some turn on the TV and some read the newspaper, but I am to begin my day with my Creator. Only God knows what is in store for my day so I should begin the day talking to him.

Note: The devotion and scriptures are from author Sarah Young. If you haven't already, please purchase the book and support the author.


Also, bookmark https://bibletags.blogspot.com/2019/06/jesus-calling-366-days.html to have an easy link to the entire year of these entries.

Psalm 23: The Lord, Our Shepherd (part 2)

Psalm 23 - The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even 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 overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me

all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Message: My Shepherd, So I don't have a want

Time:  The psalms were written by many different people across a period of a thousand years in Israel's history. They are thought to have been compiled and put together in their present form by some unknown editor shortly after the captivity ended about 537 B.C.

What the Lord is Saying:

Again, I have not studied this passage before, but wanted to make a good attempt to go through it. I was just somewhat amazed by that first line that with God as my shepherd, I shall not want.

Next I see:

• He makes me lie down in green pastures. 
• He leads me beside still waters. 
• He restores my soul. 
• He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

God is the Active Agent
The first thing I notice from these verses is it God that is the active agent in orchestrating these events in a person's life. Again, I have just left or been introduced to the principle that the Lord is my Shepherd and I shall not want and so therefore, I can see that the Shepherd will be the one that makes things happen in my life. He is the cause or the reason in my life. He is the giver of life and He sustains life.

Green Pastures
This is a place he has me to lie down. If I am not wanting, what am I doing? I am trusting God to provide and therefore, he makes me lie down on the greenest grass, on the pastures. It is the idea of flocks lying down in pastures with their wants completely satisfied. "I shall not want." The wants of my person would be no more.

Am I ever in state where I do not want? Or do not want more? I know I am to be content. Philippians 4:11 says, "I have learned that whatever situation I am in, to be content." To be content is not natural to natural man. It is a state of mind that comes from someone in the grasps of God's love and Providence. This contentment is not the result of financial security or safety or any sort of material abundance. This is allowing God to be the Shepherd of my life and then seeing the contentment that this arises.

I believe this is true. I have noticed from the reading of God's word, the fellowship with other Christians, time in prayer or praise, that it does move you to a state of contentment. God also provides this in the relationships we have. Their is contentment with God when I am with other people.

Still Waters
This further describes the idea of not wanting. With the Lord as My Shepherd, I am not wanting, I am lying down on green pastures and I am beside still waters. These are waters of quietness. It is a well-watered oasis rather than gently flowing streams. Here there is peace.

Restores My Soul
I just realized that one of my favorite songs is called, "Restore My Soul." It is by the Choir. Well, how about that? "He causes my life to return" or "He quickens me" or causes me to live. He restores me. So, when I am tired or exhausted or troubled or anxious or just worn down, He fills me with a new joy. He brings me back to the land of the living. See, difficulties will arise. They are not optional. They will come into my life. I will get tired. I will get exhausted and troubled and anxious and worn down. But, he will restore my soul.

He leads me in the path of righteousness
He directs me to the right path. He directs me. This is very important. The proper way of life comes about because of God directing me to it. I do not find it on my own nor do I try to justify myself. But, rather, he directs me to where I need to be.

Why? For His Name's Sake; for his purposes; for his praise.

Promise: The Lord gives me rest, rescues me and leads me to greatness.

Jesus Calling: September 20

Try to see things more and more from My perspective. Let the Light of My Presence so fully fill your mind that you view the world through Me. When little things don't go as you had hoped, look to Me lightheartedly and say, "Oh, well." This simple discipline can protect you from being burdened with an accumulation of petty cares and frustrations. If you practice this diligently, you will make a life-changing discovery: You realize that most of the things that worry you are not important. If you shrug them off immediately and return your focus to Me, you will walk through your days with lighter steps and a joyful heart. When serious problems come your way, you will have more reserves for dealing with them. You will not have squandered your energy on petty problems. You may even reach the point where you can agree with the apostle Paul that all your troubles are light and momentary, compared with the eternal glory being achieved by them.

Proverbs 20:24
English Standard Version

A man's steps are from the Lord;
how then can man understand his way?

Verse Thoughts
This is somewhat of a difficult verse to wrap one's thoughts around. To say that 'a man's steps are from the Lord' means that all of man's purposes and actions are subject to the control of God's overruling providence. This would seem to mean then that the order of man's life is even a mystery to himself. The Bible says that there is a time for every purpose under heaven (Ecclesiastes) and it also says that all things work together for good (Romans) and now in this verse a man's steps are from the Lord. Thus, God's holds the thread of man's life and connects all of his undertakings. And yet throughout the Bible it speaks of choices that men make (John 3:16 being one of the most famous), and we are given commands and laws which infer that we have a choice whether we will obey or disobey. If God determined all my steps, then intercessory prayer seems unnecessary. So, for me, on this side of heaven, I'm not sure how this all fits together, but I trust that it does because I trust my Creator.

2 Corinthians 4:17-18
English Standard Version

For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

Verse Thoughts
These verses, to me are about trust. And that seems to be today's reading - helping me to trust God throughout all of life. That said, i don't think that the issue with my worries is that they are insignificant, but rather in all of life, I am not to worry, but instead trust God and if I have worries, pray to Him about those concerns rather than worry. Could it be that compared to the eternal weight of glory that awaits us, everything in life, no matter the size is somewhat light or momentary? For Paul, who wrote this, he experienced danger, stoning, weariness, and scorn from the world. But what we know is these are momentary experiences and we will, in the future, be with God forever.

Note: The devotion and scriptures are from author Sarah Young. If you haven't already, please purchase the book and support the author.

Also, bookmark https://bibletags.blogspot.com/2019/06/jesus-calling-366-days.html to have an easy link to the entire year of these entries.

Jesus Calling: September 19

There is a mighty battle going on for control of your mind. Heaven and earth intersect in your mind; the tugs of both spheres influence your thinking. I created you with the capacity to experience foretastes of heaven. When you shut out the world and focus on My Presence, you can enjoy sitting with Me in heavenly realms. This is an incredible privilege reserved for precious ones who belong to Me and seek My Face. Your greatest strength is your desire to spend time in community with Me. As you concentrate on Me, My Spirit fills your mind with Life and Peace.      The world exerts a downward pull on your thoughts. Media bombard you with greed, lust, and cynicism. When you face these things, pray for protection and discernment. Stay in continual communication with Me whenever you walk through the wastelands of this world. Refuse to worry, because this form of worldliness will weigh you down and block awareness of My Presence. Stay alert, recognizing the battle being waged against your mind. Look forward to an eternity of strife-free living, reserved for you in heaven.

Ephesians 2:6
English Standard Version

and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.

Verse Thoughts
We are united in Christ. We die with Him and live with Him; we share His sufferings and we share His joys. 

Psalm 27:8
English Standard Version

You have said, “Seek my face.”
My heart says to you,
    “Your face, Lord, do I seek.”

Verse Thoughts
To Seek God's face is to seek His favor.  

Romans 8:6 English Standard Version

For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.

Verse Thoughts
This is the deception of the flesh. The flesh thinks it is alive. The flesh thinks it is about life, but in reality there is no peace in that life. There is living and going through the motions and not really thinking beyond the grave or in the afterlife or in outcomes. The mind set on the flesh is death. The mind set on the Spirit is life and peace.

I John 2:15-17
<sup>English Standard Version

15</sup> Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. ¹⁶ For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. ¹⁷ And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

Verse Thoughts
I feel like the world and its ways are wanting and getting more and more of me. Its desires are becoming my desires. But, then I return to the scripture and these devotions and I see that they are not meeting my eternal needs. They are temporal, passing away, so why do they get so much of me?

My Prayer
Lord, give me strength to resist the world and its ways. I don't want to be trained by the world, but rather I want to be trained by You and Your word and Your ways. 

Note: The devotion and scriptures are from author Sarah Young. If you haven't already, please purchase the book and support the author.


Also, bookmark https://bibletags.blogspot.com/2019/06/jesus-calling-366-days.html to have an easy link to the entire year of these entries.

Jesus Calling: September 18

Seek to please Me above all else. Let that goal be your focal point as you go through this day. Such a mind-set will protect you from scattering your energy to the winds. The free will I bestowed on you comes with awesome responsibility. Each day presents you with choice after choice. Many of these decisions you ignore and thus make by default. Without a focal point to guide you, you can easily lose your way. That's why it is so important to stay in communication with Me, living in thankful awareness of My Presence.
     You inhabit a fallen, disjointed world, where things are constantly unraveling around the edges. Only a vibrant relationship with Me can keep you from coming unraveled too. 

Matthew 6:33
English Standard Version

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Verse Thoughts
This verse concludes a paragraph that began with the command to not worry about my life. How often do I let the events of my life distract, distrust, and disquiet me? Too often. But instead, seek first (through prayer) the kingdom of God and his righteousness. 
 
John 8:29
English Standard Version 

And he who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him.
 
Verse Thoughts
These are words of Jesus, speaking of his relationship to the Father. The Father is with Jesus, is with me, at every step, at every turn, and so I do always things pleasing to Him. 

Colossians 3:23-24 
English Standard Version 

²³ Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, ²⁴ knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.

Verse Thoughts
As I serve, I am not to do it grudgingly, with a feeling of necessity, or murmuring, but rather delighting the work with a cheery attitude, as my service is unto the Lord and my payment, even if it is small from people, is primarily focused as coming from the Lord, in his time, in his way. 

My Prayer
Lord, I need an attitude overhaul. Bring an attitude of delight to my service each day. Thank you for being near, with me, every day. I want to stay focused on your kingdom and your righteousness and let you bless me in your time, in your way. 

Note: The devotion and scriptures are from author Sarah Young. If you haven't already, please purchase the book and support the author.


Also, bookmark https://bibletags.blogspot.com/2019/06/jesus-calling-366-days.html to have an easy link to the entire year of these entries.

Jesus Calling: September 17

You will not find My Peace by engaging in excessive planning: attempting to control what will happen to you in the future. That is a commonly practiced form of unbelief. When your mind spins with multiple plans, Peace may sometimes seem to be within your grasp; yet it always eludes you, but when you think you have prepared for all possibilities, something unexpected pops up and throws things into confusion.
     I did not design the human mind to figure out the future. That is beyond your capability. I crafted your mind for continual communication with Me. Bring Me all your needs, your hopes and fears. Commit everything into My care. Turn from the path of planning to the path of Peace. 

I Peter 5:6-7
English Standard Version

⁶ Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, ⁷ casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

Verse Thoughts
Humbling myself means that I do not place myself above others. I am to submit myself to him and let him lift me up. If afflicted, I do not murmur; if corrected, I accept it. I wait for his timing to lift me to a high place. 

Proverbs 16:9
English Standard Version

The heart of man plans his way,
    but the Lord establishes his steps.

Verse Thoughts
Do I need to plan? Yes. Do I need to prepare? Yes. But this doesn't mean troubles and difficulties will be averted. And am I willing to change my plans, if the Lord is leading me in a new direction? 
 
Psalm 37:5
New King James Version

Commit your way to the Lord,
Trust also in Him,
And He shall bring it to pass.

Verse Thoughts
Why do I commit m way to Him? Because he will, either way, he will work out my life in the way He deems appropriate, so why not start by surrendering my will to him rather than fighting with him.

My Prayer
Lord, I notice too often the world in which I live, the media often, spends much time analyzing the "what if" of life. And if I am not careful, I mirror this approach to my own life. Help me to understand how I am to prepare and plan. Speak to me Holy Spirit throughout my day to confirm His will on my life. I want to trust in You alone, Lord, even when it hurts. Thank you for caring for me and help me to not start at my circumstances to the point that I forget this.

Note: The devotion and scriptures are from author Sarah Young. If you haven't already, please purchase the book and support the author.

Also, bookmark https://bibletags.blogspot.com/2019/06/jesus-calling-366-days.html to have an easy link to the entire year of these entries.

Jesus Calling: September 16

I designed you to live in union with Me. This union does not negate who you are; it actually makes you more fully yourself. When you try to live independently of Me, you experience emptiness and dissatisfaction. You may gain the whole world and yet lose everything that really counts.
     Find fulfillment through living close to Me, yielding to Me purposes for you. Through I may lead you along paths that feel alien to you, trust that I know what I am doing. If you follow Me wholeheartedly, you will discover facets of yourself that were previously hidden. I know you intimately--far better than you know yourself. In union with Me, you are complete. In closeness to Me, you are transformed more and more into the one I designed you to be. 

Mark 8:36
English Standard Version

For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?

Verse thoughts
Our fulfillment is through living close to Jesus, not living close to the world. It is not the world and Jesus. It should not be that we seek to be the greatest in the world, and then, oh yeah, I also am with Jesus. We can't serve two master. 
 
Psalm 139:13-16
English Standard Version 

¹³ For you formed my inward parts;
    you knitted me together in my mother's womb.
¹⁴ I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
    my soul knows it very well.
¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
    intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
¹⁶ Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written, every one of them,
    the days that were formed for me,
    when as yet there was none of them.

Verse thoughts

God knows us better than we know ourselves. 

2 Corinthians 3:17-18
English Standard Version 

¹⁷ Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. ¹⁸ And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

Verse thoughts
Each day my ambition should be to deny myself and let Christ live in me. My goal is to be designed by the Lord and the Spirit will do this, but I must let him. "Lord, I surrender to you." 

Note: The devotion and scriptures are from author Sarah Young. If you haven't already, please purchase the book and support the author.

Also, bookmark https://bibletags.blogspot.com/2019/06/jesus-calling-366-days.html to have an easy link to the entire year of these entries.

Jesus Calling: September 15

Rest in Me, My child. This time devoted to Me is meant to be peaceful, not stressful. You don't have to perform in order to receive My Love. I have boundless, unconditional Love for you. How it grieves Me to see My children working for Love: trying harder and harder, yet never feeling good enough to be loved.
     Be careful that your devotion to Me does not become another form of works. I want you to come into My Presence joyfully and confidently. You have nothing to fear, for you wear My own righteousness. Gaze into My eyes, and you will see no condemnation, only Love and delight in the one I see. Be blessed as My Face shines radiantly upon you, giving you Peace. 

John 15:13
English Standard Version

Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.
 
Zephaniah 3:17
English Standard Version 

The Lord your God is in your midst,
    a mighty one who will save;
he will rejoice over you with gladness;
    he will quiet you by his love;
he will exult over you with loud singing.
 
Numbers 6:25-26
English Standard Version 

the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.

Note: The devotion and scriptures are from author Sarah Young. If you haven't already, please purchase the book and support the author. 

Also, bookmark https://bibletags.blogspot.com/2019/06/jesus-calling-366-days.html to have an easy link to the entire year of these entries.

Jesus Calling: September 14

Worship Me by living close to Me. This was My original design for man, into whom I breathed My very breath of Life. This is My desire for you: that you stay near Me as you walk along your life-path. Each day is an important part of that journey. Although you may feel as if you are going nowhere in this world, your spiritual journey is another matter altogether. That is why walking in the Light om My Presence is essential to keep you from stumbling. By staying close to Me, you present yourself as a living sacrifice. Even the most routine part of your day can be a spiritual act of worship, holy and pleasing to Me. 

Genesis 2:7
English Standard Version

then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.
 

Psalm 89:15
English Standard Version 

Blessed are the people who know the festal shout,
    who walk, O Lord, in the light of your face,
 
Romans 12:1-2
English Standard Version 

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Note: The devotion and scriptures are from author Sarah Young. If you haven't already, please purchase the book and support the author. 




Also, bookmark https://bibletags.blogspot.com/2019/06/jesus-calling-366-days.html to have an easy link to the entire year of these entries.

Psalm 23 - The Lord, Our Shepherd (part 1)

Psalm 23 - The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even 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 overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Message: My Shepherd, So I don't have a want

Time:  The psalms were written by many different people across a period of a thousand years in Israel's history. They are thought to have been compiled and put together in their present form by some unknown editor shortly after the captivity ended about 537 B.C.

What the Lord is Saying:

I have never, personally, studied this Psalm. It is one of those passages of scripture that I think is overused, but maybe that is not possible. I feel at times people know it or use it without really understanding it. It is interesting how it has become the funeral psalm.

It is just 6 verses.


The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
Because the Lord is my shepherd, he takes care of me, guides, and directs me. He knows my needs and he satisfies them, so therefore, I shall not want. Isn't that sort of incredible, that I could trust God and then not want. That I would find my sustenance in Him. 

I was talking to someone recently about the Christian walk. We were talking about the fact that when God saves us, by grace through faith, we have everything we need and we spend most of our life trying to convince ourselves that this is really true. Church is interesting because every week we gather together to basically be told the same thing: Christ is sufficient to meet our needs. Each week, I leave work and pretty much start this tug of war relationship with God. I serve him, I serve him not. I serve him, I serve him not. I sin. I trust. I sin. I trust. In Christ I have everything I need, but I often just don't live in this manner. Instead, I want to make my own moves, do my own thing, but in the end, and generally at church, I am confronted with the same gospel message, the same truth, the same realization that without Christ being my anchor, I fail. 

Psalm 48:15 - And he blessed Joseph and said, “The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd all my life long to this day." 

Isaiah 40:11 - He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.

John 10:27-28 - My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.

That John verse is incredible. I have been talking to this atheist now for several years. We talk back and forth. He's always asking Christian questions, but never really interested in the answers and really can't understand my perspective. He just doesn't get it. He thinks I'm a bright guy, but he can't understand me believing in the Bible. He isn't a sheep. He is a wolf. He can't hear God's voice.  

Psalm 34:9 - Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack!

This idea of not wanting is so prevalent in the scripture. It is so opposite of how we live in the World. I just think God knows what I need and his timing is perfect. Therefore, can I really make the effort to see Him as my shepherd and then not want? 

The whole idea behind the 10 commandments, specifically the relational ones beginning with no. 5 is to not want. It's when our desire becomes so great that we get into trouble. Honor your parents. Trust them. Do not murder. Like people. Do not steal. Believe that God can meet your needs. Do not lie. Accept that the truth is what you need. Do not commit adultery. Again, trust that God can take care of your needs. Do not covet. Again, God can take care of your needs.  

Promise:  The Lord is My Shepherd and so therefore I do not have to want