Hungry Yet? (Saturday Spiritual Uplift)

When David wrote Psalm 23 I wonder what
he had in mind when he wrote You prepare a feast for me 
in the presence of my enemies. Was an army marching toward him while he was out having a picnic? Was he having a great feast after a battle victory? Or is he talking about the sheep—munching the grass safely while the shepherd fended off the wolf? What does this look like in our world? I realize it’s symbolic, but I wondered about believers suffering in poverty and persecution. Is there a feast available to them?

My conclusion was even in trying circumstances, I have a feast available to me in God’s Word and in talking with Him through prayer. Jesus said, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty . . .” And John describes Jesus as the Word in the beginning of his gospel: 

In the beginning the Word already existed.
The Word was with God,
and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him,
and nothing was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness can never extinguish it.

Reading the Bible, times of prayer and fellowship with God nourish the spirit, giving us direction, even if He’s asking us to be still, trust and wait on Him. Read the Psalms and He repeatedly whispers of His unfailing love and care for us. In the work of the Holy Spirit we are led to truth and He helps us in our weakness. Jesus left us a gift of peace: “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” John 14:27

The eternal part of us is strengthened and we have hope again, so that we continue to live for Christ, body and soul. Romans 8:35 and 37 says: Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? . . . No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. 

Jesus is always with His children and makes spiritual food available to us daily. The question is: Am I hungry enough to partake? Or has my heart at times grown cold and self-sufficient?

Heavenly Father, please keep my heart soft to hear the voice of your Holy Spirit and open to see your work. Help me to be hungry for your Word and wisdom, to be closer to You and more like Jesus.

Saturday Spiritual Uplift - Faith, Not Fear

Faith, Not Fear

He renews my strength.
 He guides me along right paths,
bringing honor to his name.

Even when I walk
through the darkest valley, 
I will not be afraid,
for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff
 protect and comfort me.

(NLT Psalm 23:3-4)

Remember when you were a child and you couldn’t sleep, because someone had told you a scary story or you had watched a frightening movie?  Or perhaps you have a little one in your house who wants you to repeatedly check for the monster under the bed or open the closet door to prove no horrible creature lurks there, waiting to jump out and devour them.

When I was a little girl, we had a Saturday afternoon program in the Detroit area, which played mostly old black and white horror movies—mild by today’s standards, but enough to fuel the imagination. I was probably nine or ten when I was allowed to start watching them. Back then vampires were villains that sucked the life out of you, leaving you doomed to the same evil form. 

To make matters worse, my upstairs bedroom had the door leading to the dust porch. What a convenient place for a ghoul to sneak in, despite Mom locking both the sturdy storm and inside doors. I was convinced that something would vaporize through the cracks around the frame! And I was sure, werewolves, or whatever else might lurk in the dark were athletic enough to climb up onto the porch and break the door down. I hid under the covers, so I couldn’t see shadows in the darkened room around me or anything that might think moved. I clung to my cross necklace or a rosary to protect myself, yet those were just symbols I held onto. 

How much greater is the real power of the One who overcame the cross and rose from the dead. Jesus Christ is here with us through each of life’s difficulties. As the shepherd would use the rod to protect the sheep from their predators or the staff’s crooked end to pull a sheep out of harm’s way, He is with His sheep today. One word from Him can fell our enemies. We can’t see what happens in the spiritual realm, but He is there.

We meet “darkest valleys” throughout our lives. Times when illness plagues us or returns when least expected, husbands or wives fall short of their wedding vows, friends hurt us deeply, someone we love is injured or dies. The car accident, house fire, job loss, deep disappointment and stress . . . on and on, life seems at times filled with these dark valley moments.

Jesus is always there with us, even when we can’t feel His presence. We need to turn our eyes toward Him and follow Him through the valley until we emerge out of it, whether here on earth or in His heavenly presence. These are times we can look back and often better see how the Lord worked in our lives.

While I can look back and smile at the thought of myself cowering under the blankets, because of imaginary monsters, I can have joy in the amazing things He has done in the past and will surely continue to do in the future. We can move forward with great confidence, knowing that the Good Shepherd watches over and protects us through whatever dark valley we face.

Heavenly Father, help us to remember you are with us always and to have the faith to continually trust in You. Amen.

Saturday Spiritual Uplift - Be the Sheep

Be the Sheep

The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need.

He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength. (Psalm 23:1-2, NLT)

Psalm 23 gives us such a lovely pastoral scene. Jesus is the Good Shepherd, who takes care of His children as though they are sheep. The sheep’s instincts are to flock together, especially toward the center of the herd to stay safe. Out alone, by itself, the sheep doesn’t have much defense against preying animals.

I can’t imagine a safer place to be than by the Good Shepherd where He leads. Jesus desires to lead His children into a peaceful place in the meadow. As a sheep, wouldn’t it be great to nibble on the cool green grass and rest there instead of pushing our way to the center of the flock for protection? We can trust Him to watch over us. He desires to have His sheep be refreshed in peaceful waters, not dangerous rapids. How often do I want to run ahead and deal with things on my own, not considering that He has a better way for me?

If I want the Good Shepherd to lead me, I need to follow Him. I must trust and rest in Him. That’s where I can feed on His Word and drink in His living presence. Some days I feel like I’m growing closer than others. I am thankful Jesus will never leave me or forsake me, even when I’m not the smartest sheep in the bunch!

Father, lead me closer to You through your Son. Without You I am nothing. Thank you for your unfailing love and mercies every day. Help me to trust in your presence and guidance one day at a time. 

Tweet this: Jesus, the Good Shepherd, cares for His own.

SATURDAY SPIRITUAL UPLIFT

Psalm 23:1-4 NKJV

The Lord is my shepherd;


I shall not want.

2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures;


He leads me beside the still waters.

3 He restores my soul;


He leads me in the paths of righteousness


For His name’s sake.

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.

Psalm 68:19

Praise the Lord: praise God our savior!

For each day he carries us in his arms.

Carried by the Shepherd

When I was 24 years old, something happened that forever changed my perspective on life. My brother, John, passed away in a terrible car accident, leaving behind a young family. The Lord was with me through the shock of it, but later there came the questions about why it would happen to such a good person, how unfair it was for his two-year-old son to not have the privilege of knowing him or having his nurture and influence as a father. I was sad for my sister-in-law, my parents and my nephew.

John wasn’t just any big brother, he was much older than I, old enough to be my dad. He was the one who was there for me when my emotionally distant father wasn’t. John was the one who played games with me, hugged me and as I got older, encouraged my writing; especially since he was an author, too. When John passed away, I lost a not only a wonderful big brother, but a substitute dad, a friend and a mentor.

I threw myself into comforting my parents, because I didn’t know how to grieve. Trying to console the inconsolable was I suppose one way I thought I could make a positive difference. While I’ve never liked the valley of the shadow, I’ve never been good at the process of getting out of it.

We encounter the valley of the shadow of death on so many levels throughout our lives, some not as serious as others, but still a loss. We watch a loved one go through ageing, sickness and death or we attend a funeral or visitation of a friend or acquaintance at the funeral home. There are the sad stories we hear or read about, such as a young person with a happy marriage losing their spouse or children left behind as orphans from some tragic accident. 

Then there are other losses we don’t expect to feel so keenly, such as when someone we love changes dramatically and they don’t seem to be the person we once knew. Sometimes friendships change, because of losing contact or unresolved issues. Some people mourn the loss of a pet, a job, or even their home. Even living in a different place can bring a sense of loss of the past.

Earlier this week I read Psalm 68:19 “Praise the Lord: praise God our savior! For each day he carries us in his arms.” I had this lovely picture in my mind of Jesus carrying a little lamb in His arms, like the shepherd that He is to us. I sensed a closeness to my Lord, knowing I am one of those lambs He carries each day, staying with me, making sure I rest in the pasture, drink from the Living Water and stay near Him. He will renew me and strengthen me.

Whatever grief is on your heart today, come to Jesus, the Good Shepherd. Let Him comfort You through difficult times. He wants to carry you.

(Sheep is from Microsoft Word Clip Art Animal Package '08)

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