God is not a Paramedic – Psalm 23:4

Psalm 23:4 (esv)

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.

We are continuing our study on Psalm 23. If you haven’t read the last two posts, you can here – Psalm 23:1 and Psalm 23:2-3.

A question to ponder – do we cry out to God when things are good, or just when they are bad? Do we let go now, or just when there is nothing left to hold on to?

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death

Also translated, ‘the valley of deep darkness’. The place that we are surrounded, we cannot even see the sun. A deep, dark valley surrounded by cliffs, filled with a dense forest that even the top of the cliffs is out of sight, let alone the sky. A place of no escape.

The psalmist here is giving us a vision of what is could be the worst time of our lives. Maybe death itself. Or intense sickness, or paralyzing fear. Even in those times, or especially in those times, we have nothing to fear if we are already submitted to God. I think the preface of ‘even though’ means this is just the example of worst case, but all of the verse applies – all of the time.

I will fear no evil. For you are with me

Even in the hardest, most fearful, most difficult times of our lives, we don’t need to fear. Why? Because just like sheep in a field, we have a mighty shepherd, and He is with us. He is guarding us. He is guiding us. He is mightier that we could ever be, and can do more than we could ever do.

Your rod and your staff they comfort me

What is a shepherds primary weapon? His rod. With it he fends off the attackers and protects his sheep. With it he clears the path of obstacles, and ensures his sheep can get through unhindered.

How does a shepherd guide his sheep? His staff. With his crook he pulls or pushes the sheep where they need to be, when they need to be there.

Giving ALL to God, ALL of the time.

In verse 1 we read how we need to give up all of our personal desires, all of our personal wants, not only to achieve an inner peace given by God, but that we can best serve Him and His kingdom.

Today we read that even in the worst possible circumstances in our lives, we also need to trust in God – because He is with us, He is guiding us, and He is protecting us. Just like we declared ‘I shall not want’, we also now need to declare ‘I will not fear’. God is in control. We can’t just choose to let a part of us go to be in Gods control – we need to let the lot go! The good, the bad, the ugly. All of it.

So back to our question – when do you call out to God? If you are like much of the population, it will be only when times are bad. It will be only when we get to the valley of the shadow of death, and we are paralyzed with fear. We call out to God when we have no other resources to call on. Like dialling emergency, we only do it when we think there is no other way out, but to call on a higher power. And I am not just talking about those outside of the church, but many of those within as well!

This is not how it should be! We need to submit our lives to God now – in the good times if at all possible. Let go of all of us, so we walk in paths of righteousness. And no matter what happens then, be it blessing or trial, we know God is with us, because we have submitted to Him.

God is not a paramedic. He wants to be there for you always.

Prayer

Lord God, no matter what circumstances are around us right now, grant us peace in you. Call us now, that we would respond to you now. Teach us to always trust in you, and not to call on your when we think our own resources are all gone first. Help us to see Your great power and love, and our own feeble weakness. Help us to trust in you. In Jesus Name. Amen.

(photo: Flickr / Cross Duck)

For His Name – Psalm 23:2-3

Psalm 23:1-3 (esv)

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.

Today we will look at the verses 2 and 3 of Psalm 23. If you missed it, Verse 1 was covered here. Please take a read as today I am building on that post!

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

Once we are submitted to God, and we have laid down our striving, our personal desires and wants, He begins to lead us. One of those places is that He will lead us to places of rest and recovery.

Remaining in the symbolic language of sheep and a shepherd, green pastures are just what the sheep need. It provides them with a place to rest and eat. To recover from any journey and get strong. In the life of a sheep, there is not a lot more they need!

An interesting aside at this point on the translation. I believe the literal Hebrew translation of ‘still waters’ is ‘waters of rest’.

And yet, physically, I don’t think many of us see a rest of this kind! So what is the Psalmist talking about?

He restores my soul.

He is talking spiritually. He brings us to a place of spiritual rest, and even emotional rest in Him. The hectic pace of life may well continue, our personal circumstances probably won’t immediately change – but our internal self will. We will suddenly find ourselves at rest in Him. We will no longer be striving, trying in vain to achieve ’Gods purpose’ in our life, which in reality may have less to do with God and more to do with our personal desires.

I just want to take a quick detour here. One of the things we need to keep in mind when we are even contemplating rest in God, is that God is our creator. He made us. And not only did He make us, but He made us as we are. He gave us the physical and emotional make-up that we have. Some of our desires are no doubt twisted and distorted by sin, but many of them, or at least the root of them were given to us by God.

Just because you give up all for God doesn’t mean he is suddenly going to call you to do something that you are not able to do, or would not be able to deal with. He made you. He created you, just as you are, for His purposes. And He will use those talents, gifts, emotions and circumstances in your life to further His kingdom.

He leads me in paths of righteousness

He leads me. He guides me. Once we have given up the desires that we held so dear, the striving to do Gods work, He can then finally lead us.

Many of you will have seen someone, or had experience trying to lead a toddler through a shopping centre (or anywhere really!). As you walk down the aisles, it is all taking just too long. The want to scream, they want to run, they want to play, they want to touch, they want to grab. They want anything else but the apparently mundane chore of walking up and down aisles of goodies without touching most of them. The junk food aisle is the inner dread of any parent or caretaker, as they know they will be dragged in, and could well face a tantrum of nuclear proportions if the situation gets out of hand. I want this! This is what I WANT! I WANT IT NOW OR I WILL SCREAM!

The toddlers desire is for the things they want. We as parents know what is best for them, and that is not a huge bag of red candy! Yet in the toddlers mind, that is best for them, right now.

Whilst it is an extreme example, I am sure you know where I am going. I wonder how many times God has to sit back and say ‘no, that is not what is good for you’. ‘No’. Or even ‘Do it then, but you will be sick’ (A common parental response especially after Easter!).

One more thing on God leading us, is that he leads us in paths of righteousness. He leads us on the right paths, that are pleasing to Him. Every decision we take is like choosing between one path and another, and only God in His infinite wisdom can lead us down all the right ones, when we submit our desires to Him.

But what is it all for?

For His names sake.

And finally, we come to the clear reason. God is leading us to where He needs us, for His kingdom, and His glory. By submitting to God, we are putting God, the creator of the whole universe, the creator of each one of us, in His rightful place.

Revelation 4:11 (esv)

“Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”

We were created not because God needed friends, or even worshippers. We were created for His glory.

Once we let go of our personal desires, and let God take control of our lives, we will not only find rest, but we will be used in the most effective way possible for Gods kingdom and glory.

Prayer

Lord God, thank you for the peace offered in you. Thank you that we can come before you, declared righteous through your son Jesus, and seek rest and direction. Even more so, thank you that you don’t just turn us away, but offer us rest and refreshing in you! Teach us to always seek you, and help us to know Your paths, that we might be used for Your kingdom. Grant in us a desire to see Your kingdom come in our lives now. In Jesus Name. Amen.

(photo : flickr / sshb)

I Shall Not Want – Psalm 23:1

Psalm 23:1 (esv)

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

Over the past few weeks, I haven’t been able to get this verse out of my head! It usually starts with just the verse rolling around up there (I am guessing there is plenty of space!), and ends up with the Keith Green rendition wandering around with it.

I am thinking, God is trying to tell me something. Does that ever happen to you?

So, as part of what God is trying to tell me, I will share some of my thoughts here with you.

The Lord is my shepherd.

This part of the verse is a double declaration. Firstly, David (the psalmist who wrote this) is declaring ‘The Lord’. That God is Lord over all, that God is in control. Secondly, he is immediately declaring allegiance ‘The Lord is MY shepherd’. My. That is a personal declaration of headship, that David firmly beleives in God, and trusts Him with his life. It is not claiming God as ‘his own’, but the exact opposite – he ‘belongs to God’.

What is the role of the shepherd? To provide, to protect, to guide, to heal.

By declaring that the Lord is my shepherd, David is declaring that the Lord will guide him, protect him, provide for him and heal him. And I think this leads to the second part of the verse perfectly.

I shall not want.

This is both a declaration of faith and intention.

Of faith – David is trusting the Lord to provide for him. To look after him. To guide him. To heal him. David shall not want, because God will provide no matter what the circumstance. The Lord will provide exactly what David needs ‘for His names sake’ (vs 3)

Of intention – David is also declaring that he is going to submit his will to God. His desires to God. His wants to God. He is declaring that he shall not want for anything, because God will not only provide but He will also guide.

One of the problems with ‘wanting’ is that it is not always a Godly desire. The things that reside in our heart are not always the best for us, and are not always in Gods will. By wanting, and driving ourselves towards those wants, we can often drive ourselves away from Gods plan for our lives. He knows what we are going to do – but that doesn’t mean what we do will be the best for us!

What shall we do?

What shall we then do, in light of David’s example? I think it is already obvious, to agree with David and declare in our own lives ‘The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want’.

If we are to read the Lords Prayer again in Matthew 6:10-11, you will see this is also covered in there. ‘Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread‘. We are declaring that our desire is not to live by our wants and desires! But to live by Gods will and desire, that His kingdom would come, and His will be done. We are also praying that we don’t just get what we want, but are provided for that day the things we need to get through.

The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.

Prayer

Lord God, thank you for the example of your servant David. Help us to be like him and also declare that You alone are our shepherd, that we commit ourselves completely to your care. Help us to see that it is not our desires in this life that will bring your Kingdom, but your will alone. Help us, teach us, guide us, protect us and provide for us like sheep, just as we put our complete faith and trust in you. In Jesus Name. Amen.

(Photo flickr/markscott)

Old Wives Tales – Mark 10:23-27

Mark 10:23-27

And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” And the disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him, “Then who can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.”

I was reading a great post today from Trevin Wax – Urban Legends: The Preachers Edition. It is about stories and myths that preachers use to emphasise their point or help explain the Bible - believing them to be true in most cases. I know personally I had heard the first two.

The first one is around this verse in Mark, and relates how there is a gate in Jerusalem called the “eye of the needle.” A camel could pass through it only after stooping down and having all its baggage taken off.

The take away is supposed to be that we can be saved (if we are rich) – but we need to lose our baggage, and be on our knees before God.

The problem is, there is no proof that such a gate existed, and from my perspective, even when I first heard it preached, it weakens what Jesus is saying here. Take a look though at the last verse, which I believe is the key take away for us all.

And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him, “Then who can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.”

With man it is impossible. Totally. Even on our knees with no baggage, we still can’t do it, because it is simply impossible to be saved without the work of Jesus in our lives.

So what does this mean for our lives now (apart from without God we are lost)?

If it’s not in the Bible – be wary. If then further research doesn’t show it to be accurate through reliable scholars, then it is a fable, an old wives tale, a myth to be left out. God doesn’t need help to spread His word – no matter how great we think the example is!

John 8:31-32

So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

2 Timothy 2:15-17a

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. But avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness, and their talk will spread like gangrene.

1 Timothy 1:3-4

As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine, nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardshipt from God that is by faith

2 Timothy 4:3-4

For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.

Lord God, help us to rightly handle Your Word, allowing the Holy Spirit to speak to us and others through it, not falling into myths and false teachings, no matter what we think of them or how helpful we think they will be. Help us to focus on You and You alone. In Jesus Name. Amen.

Hungry? Starving? Matthew 4:4

Matthew 4:4 (esv)
But he answered, “It is written,
“‘Man shall not live by bread alone,
but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

How often do you eat? I don’t know about you, but I live in a ‘prosperous western’ country. Three times a day is pretty much the minimum. Add in a few snacks and nibbles and you pretty much total it.

Am I hungry? Occasionally. Am I ever truly hungry? Probably not. I would honestly say no, it has been a very long time since I experienced real, desperate hunger. I know I am very blessed and fortunate in this regard.

How often do you read the Bible?

How often do you take time to meditate on Gods Word?

John 6:47-51 (esv)
Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.

If you are not reading Gods word regularly – then I would say you are starving. You are malnourished. You are hungry. We are called not to live by physical ‘bread’ alone – not to just eat and drink and ‘live life’ – but to live by every word that comes from the mouth of God.

Where do we find Gods Word? Where can you go to nourish your soul, to fill up your spiritual self with the sustenance it needs to live?

The Bible.

Read it. As much as you can. Make time for it. Just as you make time to have breakfast, lunch and dinner – make time to read Gods Word every day. Multiple times a day if you can!

Lord God, help us to know when we are hungry, when we are malnourished and when we are starving. Show in us a natural hunger for the things of You – to know You, to read Your Word. Give us a desire to want to live by Your Word, and to never have enough. In Jesus Name. Amen.

(Photo:Flickr/jamieanne)