The winding down of one or the beginning of another…

Now that Christmas is over our focus has changed and is now zeroing in on the New Year that is closing in on us.  With each New Year we become more aware of the great responsibility that they bring with them.  This is a realization that bears upon us as we mature in Christ.  Along with the realization of the New Year comes a stark reality of the responsibility we have here as a child of God, an understanding that each day is important.  As we all know, at this time of year many people are busy planning and out their New Year's resolutions getting ready to make promises that they cannot keep will not keep or even try to keep.  It is sad that we wait for one day of the year to do so when it should be our practice every day of the year.  Many of the New Year’s resolutions that will be made may last weeks some will last days, most will only make it a few hours.  I know of a person who made a resolution and broke it 13 seconds later.  What we need to do instead of making a New Year’s resolution, we should make New Years revolutions for and regarding Christ.  To be what He wants us to be.  To act as He would have us to act.  In other words, we are to act and live our lives Christ-like.  People should be able to see him in us, they should desire that which is within us.

Instead of making a New Year’s resolution why not do something significant for Christ.  Why not make a New Years Commitment to Him.  What if God’s people decided to take the time this New Year’s Day to rededicate their hearts and minds to Him?  Why not take a moment to re-commit your heart and life to love, honor and be all for Christ as He would have us to be?  We just went through a holiday that celebrated His birth.  The season that began with a holiday celebration of His physical commitment to us; a commitment to come and walk among us, to live with us and to ultimately be a sacrifice for us.  This then leads us to the end of the year with many planning for the New Year.

Too often we find ourselves quickly turning form the joyous celebration of the birth of Christ and reverting back to our selfish ways or toward selfish desires. Our failures at resolutions are just that, they are “our failures.” We want to do or not do, we want to have or not have or we want be like or unlike. All in all they are “Our” wishes, they are “Our” desires and they are all based on “Our” selfishnesses. We cannot serve Christ in our selfishness. Getting back to the root of the majority of many New Year’s resolutions is a selfish boasting on our part.

 

The Bible reminds us in James 4:13- 16, “Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit’; (14) whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow.  For what is your life?  It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.  (15) Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.’ (16) But now you boast in your arrogance.  All such boasting is evil.”

 

If we really believe what the Scripture says here then should we not want to commit or recommit out hearts and minds to Him?  Instead of making a resolution that we know will not last, why not make a commitment to Him, to re-dedicate our life to Him and allow the help of the Holy Spirit to encourage you though out the year to keep our promise to Him as He has kept His promises to us?

 

If the Scriptures are right (and I do believe that they are) then life is a vapor and is destined to pass away and at best quicker than we expect it to.  Why not re-surrender your heart, soul and mind to the Lord Jesus.  Why not make this year the Year of the Lord for all in your life to bear witness too.

 

Today, December 25, 2012

Today there are presents under Christmas trees in Newtown that will go unopened.  This will be a Christmas morning that will be filled with tears of pain and sorrow.  It will be a day that is filled with questions anger and doubts.  For some it will also be a day of victory, one of overcoming and the start of much needed healing.  This year so many will have more to be thoughtful for while others will be facing another day of emptiness that they should not have to be facing.  There will be an emptiness that will never be filled, a void that is now nothing more than a cold, dark empty space with the heart and souls of the parents who have suffered loss.

Today in Newtown CT there are Mother’s tears which will flow uncontrolled and will go unanswered.  There are father’s sorrows that will grip at their hearts that only the pain of a loss can do.  There are arms that will ache for that which has been too soon removed from them.  One small town in Connecticut like so many across America has a suffered loss of a great price. 

Today across America we must also not forget the parents and spouses of our fallen military.  Their sorrow is so often overlooked because of the separation and sacrifice of war.  It is still a sacrifice as they have volunteered to go and defend our country and those on foreign lands.  It is a sadder loss because of separation, the news of the loss reaches the hearts long before the closure of a final look. 

Today some 2000 years ago God’s son left heavens glory for a bed of straw of a stable in the little town of Bethlehem.  He came down from His eternal home to be born to die for the sins of mankind.  He came to offer all men something that had never before been offered, a personal relationship with God.  This relationship offers us Grace for every trial and tribulation that we will face while we are alive here.

Today the invitation to accept Christ is open and extended to anyone who has not received Him as their personal savior.  His saving grace is available to any and all who will repent of their sins and call upon Him.  He offers and abundance of mercy t all those who will accept Him.

Today the statement once said still holds true, “Wise men still seek Him.” 

Will you? 

Will you show yourself wise and open your heart to Jesus? 

Will you recognize that you are a sinner lost and in need of His saving grace?  -  Romans 3:10 & 23

Will you confess that you are a lost sinner in need of His saving grace?  -  Romans 6:23

Will you open your heart to him and con fess your need of His saving grace?  -  Romans 10:9 & 10

And:

Will you call upon Him and receive Him as your personal Savior?  -  Romans 3:23

If you will please let us know, we would love to hear from you.

The Wrapping…or what’s inside?

There is not a single parent who will read this that will not testify to the fact that for kids it is more about the box than the gift.  I can remember many a Christmas morning sitting on the couch with my wife in the family room.  We were both in our night clothes drinking coffee relaxing, easing down from the excitement of Christmas morning.  The dog was there on the couch between us seeking protection from the unwrapping frenzy that had just taken place.  We sat there watching the kids play with the empty cardboard boxes that we had paid plenty for.  Of course the toys that were in the boxes were now scattered around that same room.  Action figures with their blank stares looking straight at the ceiling half covered in wrapping paper left behind from the gift opened after it.  New books stacked against the couch, teetering on the coffee table or laid open on the floor.  Of course there were a few new clothing items, most were un-carefully wadded up into a ball and tossed up over the couch toward the tree.  All of which made for the festive picture before us as we relaxed midst the blinking of the Christmas lights and the laughter of the boys playing.
 
As I surveyed the room I could see the piles of wrapping paper, I could almost make out each gift that we purchased but the only thing missing from the picture were the boys and the boxes.  Somewhere behind the remaining furniture in the room you could here the sounds of the boys playing.  Their laughter was overwhelming at times which in turn increased our joy.  They were having fun; there was no doubt about that.  I was just amazed at what they were having fun with.  Sometimes I wonder if I would be better off just purchasing some empty boxes for their Christmas presents.  That of course we could never do but I have to admit that the thought had crossed my mind more than once and has always been shot down.

Reflecting upon this scene of Christmas past I am wondering if this could be part of the reason that so many of the young believers that I come in contact with have no depth to them.  The question that is raised is, “Could this be why Christianity is getting shallow?”  Could it be that so many people are more fascinated with the cross than they are with the Christ?  They openly strut around with a large wood, silver or gold cross hanging around there neck.  Their Persona reeks of a look-at-me attitude as they strut around like roosters in a hen house.  Their appearance is of a Christian nature but their actions are far from it.  It has often been quoted, “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and ugly goes all the way to the bone.”  The truth is, it really matters not because that which we see is initially the package wrapper.  It is what’s inside the package that counts.  Our society is so caught up in looks and appearance that they often miss the true message.

My plea at this time is that we must not get too caught up in the wrapping.  Look beyond that which is obvious and see the real beauty of Christ.  Remember:

·         John the baptist wore animal skins and Solomon was partial to wearing fine robes. 

·         Elijah was a hairy man & Elisha was a bald man. 

·         Saul was at least a head taller than most men & David was a small ruddy looking boy. 

·         Moses and Aaron were brothers, Moses had a speech impediment and did most of talking where Aaron was an eloquent speaker and spoke very little. 

·         Naaman was a leper and Steven had the face of an angel. 

·         Rachel and Leah were the daughters of Laban. Rachel was more beautiful than Leah who was considered plainer in looks. 

·         Hezekiah was a king and Lazarus was a beggar. 

Jesus came to us as a babe, wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger (Luke 2:11-12).  He left us wearing modest clothing and hanging on a cross (Luke 23:33-34).  I must tell you that He is more than the babe in the manger and far greater than the man on the cross.  He is the Christ, our risen Lord and Saviour.  He is the Lord and creator of all things and He alone is to worshiped and adored everyday of the year and not just during this holiday season.  We need to look beyond the wrapping and look inside and see Him as He really is.  We need to see Him and more; we need to fall in love with Him afresh.  Renew your relationship with Him or start a relationship with Him.  Let’s be as excited as the woman at the well who after meeting Him ran back to town with a message, “Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?” John 4:29

Please do not take me the wrong way regarding the cross; there is nothing wrong with wearing a cross as a sign of your faith.  But it is far greater for people to see Jesus in you and to be called a Christian, than to be shallow and all show, having to proclaim your stand.  Having actions and behaviorisms that are Christ-like will far out weigh anything that we say.  Especially now that we are in the midst of this special Holiday season, people need to see Christ in others.  They need to see it in actions as well as hear it in word. 

Rules, no matter how much we dislike them are Necessary

Rules are a part of life and they exist to help us enjoy and endure the life in which we live.  We must even agree that we will often find rules when placed in a situation where we are unaware of them.  The truth is, rules are set in place to help set up boundaries and these boundaries actually provide us more freedom than they do restrictions.  Many will say just the opposite that rules are restricting until they come to the realization that most of our freedom is based upon rules.  Without the presence of rules there would be absolute chaos.  No one seems to be in favor of many of the rules in their lives yet they are there to help us more than hurt us.

We find that throughout the Scriptures God presented the children of man with rules.  He began the process in the Garden of Eden with one basic rule, and as we all know, man failed.  He tried again with Noah and the Ark, though Noah obeyed them, not all of his family did.  God tried again with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and then with Joseph and the trials they went through in Egypt.  Later in the Word of God we find that He set forth His first major attempt of setting up rules with Moses.  God put forth His foundational set of ten rules written is stone, given to Moses on Mount Sinai and they are called the Ten Commandments.  These Ten Commandments or rules if you will were given by the hand of God for us to live by.  They were given to Moses by the direct hand of God.  This was His foundational set of ten which are still current to all men today.  From these hand written commandments God continue to build upon to build up to a total of over 600.  That is a lot of laws, a lot of rules to follow.  But they are all set in place as helps, as boundaries to improve our lives and relationship with the Lord.

In our day and age we still observe the Ten Commandments (or all at least struggle trying to do so).  We find that there are rules set I place to help, guide and protect us.  All of them are important no matter how much we may dislike them.  Some rules are placed before us and we are fascinated by them.  Many who have watched the TV Series NCIS know that the lead character, Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs has a set of some 69 rules that he lives by.  These rules are also used to help manage and mature those who work for him.  Those whom he is responsible for are well aware of his set of rules and try to work with in them.

The truth of the matter is, for society as a whole to function properly there must be rules.  Even in the possible absence of society there will be rules.  One major fascination in the entertainment world today is the unlikely event of a “Zombie Apocalypse.”  What helps the people survive even in those circumstances are the establishment and following of rules.  We see evidence of this in the spoof movie “Zombieland.”  In this film we find that the lead character has his set of 32 rules.  These are set in place to help him to survive.  In the AMC Television series “The Walking Dead,” there are rules.  Without the existence of rules there is chaos.  When people are gathered together for whatever reason we find that there will soon set up some rules. 

No matter where we are in our lives, no matter what position we hold, there are always rules there are always boundaries that help formulate each step I life.  I know that with some people when it comes to rules there is a lot of disgust, detestation, abhorrence, and loathing going on in the world today, and that often translates down into one word which is hate.  Rules and boundaries are a part of our lives and quite necessary no matter who we are or what we do. 

With this said, I do not know how many times I have spent many hours in my office counseling those who are in need.  All who come in, for whatever reason, are there because of a rule infraction.  The rules have been broken, lines have been crossed and violations have occurred.  One of the most popular statements made when it comes to rules is that the violator hates to be controlled by them.  Hate, is a strong word and is common in the counseling room.  I have often heard that little four-letter word come across my desk in the counseling office.  What I do find that saddens me is that those who come in and sit across from me are often guilty of the same sin that they hate in others.  They have come into the office to discuss their anger and hatred of others totally oblivious that they are equally as guilty.  They are tired of the rules; they are tired of the boundaries.  Jesus said in John 14:15, “If you love Me, keep My commandments.”  Here in these seven words we find a perfect statement.  To love is to keep the commandments or the rules.  They wonder why they have problems, they wonder why there is strife and they wonder why God is not blessing them.  From here we must direct them to what is said prior to verse fifteen.  John 14:12-14, “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. (13) And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. (14) If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.”

Their anger and hatred of rules can often be traced to selfishness and the sin of rebellion against God.  Those who are tired of the rules are tired of the boundaries and in essence they are tired of God trying to rule their lives.  As I sat in the office going over my notes for the week’s sessions I could not help but to notice the one common thought that ran like a thread though almost every case.  That thought lay in the phrase “I hate.”  It was associated with almost every session.  The hate that they held for the other was rooted in distrust resulting in anger toward God and the rules of God.  Jesus said in John 15:9-14, “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. (10) If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. (11) ‘These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. (12) This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. (13) Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. (14) You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.’”  We find in this passage that Jesus Himself said that if we keep His commandments His rules that He will abide in us.  Verse fourteen clearly says sums it up in that our keeping His commandments is a sign that we are His friends and that we love Him.  If we are to “abide in Him” we need to follow Him and His commandments.  If we are to prove our love for Him we are to follow His rules. 

The truth many of us need to face is that rules are necessary.  Rules are necessary because we do not belong to ourselves anymore; we do not have the right to succumb to our own selfish desires any more.  We belong to Christ, He has bought us and we are subject to his rules.  I Corinthians 6:19-20, “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? (20) For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.”  To hate the rules is to hate the one who wrote them.  To hate the writer is to hate Christ.

A sheep’s look at the Shepherd of Psalm 23 (Part VI)

 

Verse 6
 

We are about to conclude our observation on Psalm 23 closing out with verse 6.  This beautiful passage clearly speaks to us of the assurance we can have in the Lord.  So far in this Psalm we are witnesses to the Lord as he offers us His presence, His provisions, His protection, His preservation and His preparation and finally in this last verse we see the extent of His Peace as we find the precious conclusion to this passage.  Each step leading to the culmination of the peace of God found in this verse.

 

Please allow me at this time to share my final thoughts and ponderings with you on this passage.  As always, there is a lot that can be gleaned from this last verse of the 23 psalm.  All of this is noted in these final pen strokes of the palmist as he concludes this beloved Psalm.

 

Psalm 23:6, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.”  This beautiful and beloved Psalm now sets before us our eternal home at the Father’s house.  The house of the Lord also includes with it the fact that we as God’s people are His sheep following Christ as our as a beloved and most trusted shepherd.  It is Christ who both rules and feeds the sheep mentioned above.  This closing verse expounds for us the blessings that have been mentioned in the first six verses are concluded for us in the spiritual realm of His home.  Let’s take a few moments to see what this final verse has to say to those who know and trust in the Lord.

“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me...”  This verse starts out for us with the palmist stating for us as in fact or in truth.  He is stating for us that what he has said and is about to is irrefutable and at the same time encouraging.  This is to be noted with his choice of the word “Surely.”  It is not by chance he has chosen this word but choice as if to set as a seal upon what has been said and including his conclusion.  It is a word that is used with confidence and certainty that what he is about to conclude is in truth or in fact.  With this thought in mind we can in fact read the opening sentence as, “only goodness and mercy.”  Only through an experiential relationship with the Lord and a working knowledge of both His grace and Mercy can this statement be made.  Not only is he consciously aware of these two attributes but he confidently makes the statement, “…goodness and mercy shall follow me...”  This tells us that these two attributes of God stand by us as if they were twin guardian angels.  He writes for us with the assurance that the believer will always assured that they will be there to protect out back and surround us when necessary.  

With the knowledge that the goodness and mercy will follow him always means, “all the days of his life” this includes the dark days we experience as well as the bright days we relish in.  It includes the days of drought that we are currently experiencing as well as the days of the flourishing rain.  Through days of fasting and or feasting or the cold of winter as well as the heat summer he is always going to be there.  I am reminded of a similar passage by the Apostle Paul which states, “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19).  Again as with the Psalmist we see a passage written to and for us with the confidence that this is a truth for us to believe and live with.  It is a statement of truth to the believer that the goodness of God supplies our needs, and it is His mercy that blots out our sins.

 

This Psalm concludes with the final statement, “And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”  This is one of the most precious statements in this psalm stating a truth that many believers over look.   This truth being, “A servant does not abide in the master’s house for ever, but the son does and he abides there forever.”  Notice the scripture referenced below:

 

John 8:34-36, “Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. (35) And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. (36) Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.”

 

John 15:14 - 15, “You are my friends, if ye do what I command you. (15) No longer do I call you slaves; for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.”

 

Romans 8:14-17, “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. (15) For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, ‘Abba, Father.’ (16) The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, (17) and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.”

Galatians 4:6-7, “And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, ‘Abba, Father!’ (7) Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.”

 

While we reside here on earth we are to serve Him while we are considered a child of God.  We serve because we Love Him and out of reverence for him. 

 

David wrote this praise in song 1000’s of years ago yet we see it culminated in the Scriptures that followed long after his death but truly in line with that which the Spirit gave him.  We may ask, what need is not met, what need is not fulfilled, what need is not supplied?  The answer is none; He has surpassed them all in the work and ministry of our Lord Jesus our Shepherd.  Again we must turn to the Apostle Paul in which he stated, “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19).

Solomon in his ecclesiastical conclusion stated that all is vanity.  David in his conclusion says just the opposite, as did the Apostle Paul.  What ever the need, be it Spiritual, emotional or physical, the needs of the flock are all met by “My Shepherd.”  Yes, I do understand and plead with David as he states, the Lord is “My Shepherd,” and because He is, I shall not want.

A sheep’s look at the Shepherd of Psalm 23 (Part V)

We continue on in Psalm 23 looking now at verse 5.  While pondering over this passage I found His presence offered to us in ways that only God can.  He has already offered us more than we deserve.  He has offered us His presence, His provisions, His protection, and His preservation which includes protection from the power and penalty of death.  Now in this verse we see His Preparation.  There is nothing more that we could possibly ask from Him yet He continues to offer to meet the needs that we have.  Let us now take this opportunity to see what God offers us as we continue to glean what we can from His precious Word.  There is still a lot to ponder from the 23 psalm.

Psalm 23:5, “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over.”  Once again we see the psalmist placing before us in another perfect word picture, the eloquent illustration of God’s unfailing provision and care provided for His own.

“You prepare a table before me in the presence of mine enemies.” There is not one of us reading this that has not had an enemy, some of us more than others.  Here in this passage we find that our God offers and prepares for us a table in the presence of our enemies.  To some believers their greatest enemies are their own imaginations but whether real or in thought God prepares the table.  This statement is here because of the reality of the life in which we live.  We all have enemies and those who know not the Lord are His enemies and in turn ours as well.  A truth that we can observe here is that if we did not have enemies, we are not the friends of God.  “…Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” (James 4:4b)  The bible also tells us that we are to do what we can to live at peace with all men, the best that we can is what is expected.  “If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.” (Romans 12:18)  Notice that the Scripture says that it depends upon us.  The author of Hebrews put it this way, “Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord:” (Hebrews 12:14).  Once again we are to be the pursuers of peace.  Enemies are a part of life, and a fact that we must live with.  But having the blessings of God and knowing that He is there to protect us is more than any of us deserve.  With this thought in mind we can break down this passage a little more to see the greatness of it and the preciousness of our Lord. 

“You prepare a table before me.”  When taking a closer look at this passage we must first unpack the thought that it is God that is preparing the table, “You prepare a table...”  This is not the responsibility of the Master, the preparation of the table it the normal responsibility of a servant, they are the ones who prepare the master’s table.  It is the servant that is to unfold the tablecloth laying it across the table.  It is the servant who is to put the table setting in place from the dinner ware down to the folded napkins on which the silver ware rests.  The feast is at hand but here in this passage we see that it is the Master who is preparing and setting the table and He will do it for us.  As it is always His practice, we find that nothing is hurried as it is done in His perfect time.  I do believe that since it is His table that all is at peace because we are in the presence of the Master.  The normal confusion at a meal time is minimized, even though the enemy is lurking at the door.  Here we find that though we may be stressed God continues to prepare the table for His own, He is still in complete control.  Here at the Lord’s table the believer can sit down and eat in peace because he is in the presence of God and once there, everything is in perfect peace.  Notice what Scripture says, “You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.” (Isaiah 26:3) and “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:7)  He is the one who provides the peace which is directly linked to His presence.  He does this in the presence or in the sight of our enemies.  He does this to let the enemy know that He is the Master of all and there is nothing that is outside of His control.

Once He has satisfied our appetite and we have received the proper nourishment He then turns to address our spiritual needs.  “You anoint my head with oil.”  Anointing is often found as a symbol of gladness it is a representation of the presence of the Holy Spirit.  Here we find that the psalmist longed for a daily blessing from God, he longed for a receiving a fresh anointing from God.  In the Old Testament economy the Holy Spirit did not dwell within the believer as He does today, so the psalmist here longed for a fresh filling of the Holy Spirit in his life.  Today every believer has the indwelling of the Holy Spirit of God, “In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,” (Ephesians 1:13).  This indwelling does not exclude us from desiring a closeness with God and thus like the psalmist we can and should request a refreshing of the Spirit in our lives. 

In our search for a closer relationship with God we do so through the Spirit of God in our lives.  This is often described as the “filling of the Spirit” which is the crucial work of God.  It is specifically the ministry of the Holy Spirit that gives a believer the capability of change, the transforming of our lives and growth in righteousness.  Ephesians 5:18 we are commanded to be “…filled with the Spirit.”  This is the empowering ministry of Spirit of God.  The “filling” mentioned in Ephesians is a metaphor (or picture) of control.  We can be filled (or controlled) by fleshly desires or by the Spirit of God.  So for a believer there is one indwelling of the Spirit but there can be many fillings.  We are command to “Be filled” and so that we can follow the command to “Walk in the Spirit” (Galatians5:16).  The Spirit’s presence is permanent (at salvation as noted earlier) but we must repeatedly choose to yield to God, we must choose to experience the precious transforming power and work of His Spirit within our lives to change and to grow us.  So we see that the true Christian experience is to, “walking in the Spirit” and to “be actively filled with the Spirit.”  By our surrendering ourselves to the work and will of the Holy Spirit, we can face the many challenges that this life offers through the work and power of the Holy Spirit within us.  It should not be enough for a believer to be sealed by the Holy Spirit; we should desire an active filling of the Spirits power.  In doing so we can add to our lives a new day to day closeness to God.  This is how we as believers have “our heads anointed with oil.”

“My cup runs over.”  The cup here represents abundance that our God does supply and we cannot help but notice that the psalmist states that this abundance is more than his cup can handle.  The cup if you will overflows because of the abundance of God.  This cup rests at the table which is prepared for believers who may feast.  This table once again is set before us in the presence and in spite of the believer’s enemies.  It is here that the believer can feast knowing that God is there, it is faith and trust in His presence and knowing that we are protected by His strength and power where which He watches over us.  It need not matter where the table is spread but even in the presence of our enemies we can sit and feast in peace. 

This verse notes for us the preciousness of this table and its blessing.  Every believer who resides at this table soon comes to the realization, as our psalmist reflects that God’s provision far exceeds our expectations.  We cannot help but notice that his cup was more than full, it overflowed.  Our God provides us with so much more than enough.  We to get all of this in God, and our cup overflows because more than the psalmist had because we have Jesus and the Holy Spirit as well.  In Christ we are truly wealthy, for we are fully complete in Him.

To be continued…

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A sheep’s look at the Shepherd of Psalm 23 (Part IV)

We are continuing through Psalm 23 and having looked at the first 3 verses we now come to verse 4. We have seen how the Lord has had His hand on us to prepare us for life and fellowship. Knowing that all things work together because He is the Master planner we note that there is a slight turn in the flow of this passage. Now we begin our path through reality of life, we begin to see the application of His promise’s mixed with the obedient life of a believer. Here is a beautiful word picture passage for us to ponder. Here in this passage we find the closeness of the Lord and our availability to get close to Him. We can glean a lot from this verse as we continue to ponder the 23 psalm.

Verse 4

Psalm 23:4, “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.”

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,” - Here we find that even in the darkest and most trying hours of our life God is near. The valley of the shadow of death that the psalmist references here is a ravine overhung by high steep cliffs, filled with dense forests. It appeared to be purposely designed to arouse dread and fear to all that would enter to. Though this valley was one of great danger and often caused a spirit of fear to those who trespassed there it would dim in the presence of the greatest fear of all, which was death. Death was one journey that we all face alone except for the believer. Here in this passage suggests to us that even in the passage of Death our Shepherd will still be with us. Every word in this passage has great depth in its meaning.

“Yea, though I walk,” here as we begin our ponderings of this passage, we are the ones who have to do the walking. He has prepared the path but we must walk down it. He does not call us to step up the pace, nor does he call out a cadence He just calls out to us to walk. We are not to hurry especially since this path leads to death. We can calmly walk down this path with Jesus. To walk here is actually in reference to a steady advance (if you will) of a soul. We walk here almost as if we have advance knowledge of the road, and we do in a sense know its end. It is our purpose, our bent as believers, to follow the path. While we do so, we can feel safe and content because He is there. The believer who is close to the end of his path does not hurry nor does he panic and fret he simply walks. Once we are near the end we know that we cannot stand still though we may desire to go no farther, instead we simply keep up the same pace as before.


“Yea, though I walk through…,” – one thing to point out here is that it is not so much that we walk in the valley, but we are to walk through the valley. Our goal, our objective is that we must go through the dark valley of death; no man can pass on this. We know that there is fear in this valley because of its existence, but the believer also has the assurance that Christ walks the path with us. We walk with this understanding that He is with us. We can confidently step out into the light of eternity because He is there with us and will welcome us home. As believers in Christ we must realize that we do not die, but we do but do sleep to wake up in glory. In his book “The Treasury of David” Charles Spurgeon says, “Death is not the house but the porch, not the goal but the passage to it.” We must realize and understand here that this walk through the valley is in a sense, our walk home.

“Yea, though I walk through the valley” – The psalmist is referring to a valley here to give us word picture and reference point in our own lives. We know that in life storms will come and go, some we can easily endure but there are those that take us off the mountain placing us in the valley. It is in the valley where we find peace that is so desperately need to calm the troubled soul. Many of us can testify of spending time with an aging saint who is facing their last days and find them more peaceful then those who surround them. They are at peace in their walk with Christ and have the peace that He offers and they are ready to meet Him. Their peace grows with each passing moment knowing that they are closer to the time that they will meet Him. While we are young life can be rough as we struggle on our way but it is often in the valley where we make the most progress. It is here in this psalm that we are confronted with a different view of the valley; it is here where we find shade, rest and refreshment. More believers have felt more alive here on their final passing through than they ever did when they were alive and well.

“… the valley of the shadow of death,” an interesting observation here is that this it is not “the valley of death,” but “the valley of the shadow of death.” This is important because death is not a threat to us, that has been removed, “So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. (55) O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? (56) The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. (57) But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 15:54-57). With the power of death removed all that remains is its shadow. We must also note that if there is a shadow to be seen then there has to be light somewhere. With this in mind we know that Christ is the light and death can only cast a shadow in His presence. All it can do is stand idly by as we pass through this valley. Life can be a fearful place but all of it dims in the presence of His Glory. There is nothing to fear in a shadow for it cannot harm us. It may startle us from time to time but there is nothing to fear from it. The light that shines around it is that which comes from heaven, coming from the reigning Son of God, the eternal light is there. It is no wonder that the words “I will fear no evil” follows the mention of the path.

I will fear no evil; - Why should we fear? The psalmist says this with strong confidence. He did not say that there would not be evil because he knows that there will be. He goes beyond that thought and assures us that we do not have to fear it. We who know Jesus know that as our Shepherd will carry us through the times of evil, I do not need to fear them. He said “I will fear no evil,” letting us know that even his every fear, including those hiding out in the shadows and those in the light were forever gone. Sadly, the worst evils many of us face in life are those which do not exist except in our imagination. Here in this thought we find that the psalmist offers us the cure for the disease of fear, he said “I will fear no evil,” that would include the Evil One himself. This thought would even include the fear of dying. Death may be the last enemy that we face but, we can look upon its face as a conquered foe, an enemy that has already been defeated in Christ.

“…for You are with me;” – what a comforting thought to know that He is with you. How often we fail to recognize the closeness of the Lord in our lives. “…be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5) One of the great joys of being a believer is knowing that the Lord is there with you. We are safe in the shelter of His arms which is something few believers ever get a handle on. We can experience the Peace that only the Lord gives once we realize that He is there and that He is there for you. We can say with the psalmist in complete comfort and security “…for You are with me.”

Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” – The rod and staff are the tools by which the shepherd protects his flock. They are a sign of his protection and care. In the light of the Lord they represent His sovereignty, His mercy and His grace. They are there not just to protect me but to comfort me as well. They comfort because He is the gate to the sheep fold and there is nothing that can or will get by Him that He does not allow. And that which He does allow He is in complete control of. This can be our standard in all things that we fear, even death. Paul said in Philippians 1:21, “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” This is a thought that many have claimed over the years until they begin to get close to death. Paul went on to say in verse 23 of this same passage in Philippians, “For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better.” Our desire to be with Christ is better, but letting go is the real issue we face. Letting go is what we fear most, yet one day, we will be united with Christ in presence. This hope is strengthened in us through this passage knowing that His Rod and Staff are there to comfort you even in the times of great pain and sorrow.


To be continued.

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