The LORD, My Shepherd, Part 3

"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." (Psalm 23:4)

When you read this particular verse, does your mind return to a funeral, or a hospital sick bed, or to some other post-tragedy event? On television, this verse is read during a scene of mourners dressed in black, standing in the rain in a grassy graveyard before a casket (or, if it's a Western, before a mound of earth with a wooden cross grave marker).

However, the psalmist has more than physical death in mind. "My Shepherd," the All-Sufficient, Ever-Present, Ever-Guarding One, is with me no matter where I am. When I "feel" alone, abandoned, forsaken -- it's a feeling, not reality.

"Even though. . ." not if or maybe; when . . .

"I walk through. . ." I may walk into a room or up to a window, but I walk "through" a door. I rarely stop in the doorframe and don't continue (unless it's one of those "senior" moments when I have no idea why I've come to this door and can't remember what I was going to get when I got there). I go through a door to the other side. Whatever is happening now, even if it is a "shadow of death," will not last forever; I'm going "through" and will come out on the other side!

"the valley of the shadow of death. . ." the Hebrew word picture is literally a place of deep thick darkness. Have you ever taken a tour of a cave, and the guide stops everyone, tells you to hold on to the handrail, and then turns off the lights? You literally cannot see your hand in front of your face; you lose your equilibrium, and have no real sense of where you are. It's frightening not to know what's in front of you when you cannot see, if you were alone. In the cave, you hold the handrail and have confidence that the guide knows where that light switch is, and will turn it on again before you take another step.

Sometimes God takes us into a valley of thick darkness. It may be a health issue, chronic or terminal; it could be a relationship that seems so broken that it will never be put right. It could be a dead-end job or an unreasonable boss or a child who is headed for self-destruction. It could be a move to a new place, leaving everything that is familiar and comfortable. Whatever "it" is, though we can't see "our hand in front of our face" (which is the same as realizing that I have no control over this) my Shepherd does know the way through this valley. ". . .even the darkenss will not be dark to You. . .for darkness is as light to You. . ." (Psalm 139:12 NIV)

"I will fear no evil . . ." Because my Shepherd is with me in this valley, I don't have to have the overwhelming sense of dread that I am alone, out of control, and completely helpless in the face of my circumstance. ". . .for You are with me. . ." My Shepherd is with me! If that statement seems repititious, it is! What will you tell yourself when circumstances seem overwhelming, when life seems out of control, when you are stressed and exhausted? Will you enforce the feeling of "I'm abandoned and alone and unloved and it's not fair!!!" or will you counsel your heart with "my Shepherd is with me; He knows the way through this valley; He has promised to give me what I truly need." One way breeds discontent, depression and misery; the other, rest and trust and contentment. It's a choice, not a fatalistic "roll of the dice."

". . .Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. . ." sheep can lie down and eat in contentment when the shepherd (and a good sheep dog) are watchful. The sheep know that they don't have to keep "one eye out" for danger; that's why the shepherd is there. I don't have to fear my Shepherd's rod and staff of authority; My Shepherd is with me to guide me, to restore me, to give me rest; He gives me comfort in my pain; compassion in my repentence; protection in my dark places; rest in His care. He is such a Good Shepherd!!

The LORD, My Shepherd, Part 2

Psalm 23:3 He leads me beside quiet waters, He restores my soul. . .

do you ever feel so overwhelmed by life that you want just a small time of quiet to "recharge your batteries?" I know I had those moments often as a mom of 3 in 4 years (which also meant 2-3 pre-adolescents and 3 teenagers at once) when I would chant the commercial banner, "Calgon, take me away!!!" I still have those times; being an "empty nester" does not mean that life stops, or that stress ceases. My All-Sufficient Shepherd knows this, and He knows me. When I choose to quiet my heart and pick up His Word, and listen to Him (more than just whining about how stressful my life is, etc.) my soul is restored, or brought back to the point of departure.

Was my "departure" worry? He reminds Me that He knows the end from the beginning, and
He is Sovereign;

fear? He is my constant Shepherd, and will never leave me.

anger/bitterness/desire for revenge? He is my Avenger; my job is to let
Him be in control;

disappointment? He gives me everything I need, and He knows best what
that is.

". . .He guides me in paths of righteousness for His name's sake . . ."

I love to read the stories of God's relationship with the children of Israel in the Old Testament. One of my favorites (and there are many) is the picture of God guiding His people through the wilderness with a pillar of cloud by day, and a pillar of fire by night.

By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people. . .

(Exodus 13:21,22 NIV)

That same constant Guide, leading from the front (not from the sidelines by remote control) is my Shepherd! He guides me in the right way, the way that is for my best. And the reason or purpose? It's for His name's sake. All this guiding, leading, restoring, providing, is so that my life will bring glory and honor to my Shepherd, and so that others will desire to be His sheep, too. "It's not about me. . ." really isn't a deprivation; it's a liberating, freeing concept. My life is not mine, it's God's; my purposes are not mine, but God's. He gets the credit for everything that I have and everything that I am. He is the ultimate Provider, and I'm so grateful!

The LORD, My Shepherd

A Psalm of David.
23:1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

2 He makes me lie down in green pastures.

He leads me beside still waters.

3 He restores my soul.He leads me in paths

of righteousness for his name's sake.
4 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.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;

you anoint my head with oil;my cup overflows.

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,

and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Lately, I've been returning to very familiar passages in my private worship time. Rather than just "breezing through" them, the promises and word pictures have struck me in a fresh way. This psalm is probably one of the most familiar. There are so many books written about it: from a "shepherd's perspective" (I always remember fondly the border collie on the cover); when addressing grief or adversity; every 1st grader in AWANA learns it. Please allow me to spend a few posts meditating and musing on this psalm . . .

"The Lord is my shepherd . . ."

Jehovah God, the Self-Existent One, the God who needs nothing, who sustains everything is my Guide, my Protector, my constant companion, my Provider. Mine, personally, singularly, not just in a general or corporate sense; He chose me and chooses continually to be "my"

"I shall not want. . ."

I will not lack for anything that I need. Note: this doesn't promise that I will have everything I think I want all the time. I'm so grateful for some of the things God chose not to give me! Because God is the Ultimate Provider, He also knows perfectly exactly what is best for me. When I stay close to my Shepherd, and trust His provision, I am satisfied. If I'm dis-satisfied, if I feel neglected, is it because I've wandered away from my Shepherd?

"He makes me lie down in green pastures . . ."

Gracie Lynn, my European shorthair tiger tabby cat (yes, true royalty) has been my dear companion for the past 5 years. When she is completely content (meaning, there are no dogs or small children or vacuum cleaners to disturb her repose) she will tuck her front legs underneath her, close her eyes, and truly relax. When she feels really safe, she will stretch out full length (in front of the fireplace is her favorite rainy-day hangout). My Shepherd provides so watchfully, so sufficiently, that I can "lie down" and rest in His care without being "ready to run" at any moment.

My God WILL take care of me! Oh, how I want to stay close to my Shepherd!

The Greatest Hope

I'm inserting a link to the June 1 entry of Oswald Chambers' "My Utmost for His Highest."
http://www.rbc.org/utmost/index.php. Of course, if you own the devotional (I highly recommend that you have a copy; it's high on my list of 'must haves') just get it out and read today's entry.

Here's a couple of statements that especially struck me:

"It is much easier to do something than to trust in God; we see the activity and mistake panic for inspiration." Am I so busy trying to "fix" a situation that I have forgotten to ask God what He wants to do, and how He is best glorified?

"The degree of hopelessness I have for others comes from never realizing that God has done anything for me. . . .The degree of panic activity in my life is equal to the degree of my lack of personal spiritual experience." Do I believe that God can do miracles? Are those "miracles" limited to only what I can see? Am I more concerned about my reputation as a fixer than I am that the people with whom I interact see Jesus, and desire to live fully-devoted, God-following lives?

"If the Spirit of God has ever given you a vision of what you are apart from the grace of God (and He will only do this when His Spirit is at work in you), then you know that in reality there is no criminal half as bad as you yourself could be without His grace." Do I tend to give the impression that I have "arrived?" When I'm frustrated at people's bad decisions, am I forgetting all the mistakes I've made?

Oh, how I need God's grace! The longer I live, the more I know how "poor in spirit" I truly am. I wasted so many years trying to "prove" to God that it was worth His while to save me. The truth is, God wants an empty vessel in which to pour His life; He doesn't need someone who offers a clay pot filled with junk!

When it comes down to the basics, all I have to offer anyone is "Jesus rescued me from certain death (spiritually, emotionally, physically). Are you tired of trying to be your own rescuer? Jesus is waiting to rescue you, too. That's why He died (to satisfy the wrath of God that we deserve); He rose again to conquer death. We just need to come to Him with "empty hands," knowing that we have nothing to offer. We need to repent of our sin (stop dead in my tracks and decide to go a different way, i.e. God's way) and accept His payment on the cross to satisfy God's just wrath."

I can't think of better news; I can't imagine a greater hope.