“Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” Psalm 23:4c A shepherd’s rod and staff had four purposes: protection, guidance, discipline, and giving love. With the rod the shepherd could beat off a predator and with the staff he could pull a lamb back away from a steep precipice. He used…
“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me…”Psalm 23:4a Literally, the Hebrew translates “the valley of deep darkness”. Have you been there? Are you there now? Whether depression, grief, anger, or strife has taken you into that…
“H guides me in paths of righteousness, For His name’s sake.”Proverb 23:3b When my boys were young and we were getting ready to go out on a field trip or a grocery run or anywhere in public, I would remind them that they represented first, God and second, the Halydiers. …
“He restores my soul.” Proverbs 23:3 Wow! I need restoring often. Restoring is bringing back to original or top condition. When I sin, when I get apathetic, when I am tired or grumpy or…I need restored. Physically, restoration comes with a nap, a glass of cool water, or food. If…
“He makes me lie down in green pastures;He leads me beside quiet waters.”Psalm 23:2 “Abide in Me, and I in you.” John 15:4 Throughout John and 1 John, we find that we are to abide. To abide means to dwell there continuously. When we are abiding in Christ, we are…
“The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.”Psalm 23:1 God cares for you AND he has the resources to meet all your needs according to His riches in Christ Jesus! (Philippians 4:19) There was a time in my life when I moaned, “If Jesus is the answer, then I…
“Therefore there is now no condemnation in Christ Jesus.”Romans 8:1 Happy 4th of July! Today is the day that we celebrate freedom. Freedom from tyranny and coersion. Freedom to worship and speak, gather and bear arms. I think that I don’t really understand that freedom as I should because I…
To know wisdom and instruction, To discern the sayings of understanding,To recieve instruction in wise behavior…Proverbs1:2-3a I remember as a young mom when I would give my children knowledge and then get frustrated that they did not make wise decisions based upon that knowledge. Then I realized that knowledge does…
“Restore to me the joy of your salvation and sustain me with a willing spirit.” Psalm 51:12 Often our goal is to find happiness. We Americans spend a lot of money seeking for happiness. When we find it, it is only for a moment and then we must seek more…
“They confronted me in the day of my calamity,But the Lord was my stay.He brought me forth also into a broad place; He rescued me, because He delighted in me.”Psalm 18:18-19 Did you know that God delights in you? This is really profound. We are sinners; we mess up; but…