shadow

Shepherd

The Great Fixer Upper

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“He restores my soul.”
Psalm 23:3 NASB

As I look through my dining room window, I catch a glimpse of the old church pew sitting on the front porch. A gift from my son and daughter-in-law several years ago, it remains unfinished. I really should do something with it. It’s an eyesore; a weathered and worn out piece of furniture.  Rather ugly and useless since it is not a very inviting place to sit. What a great project it would be for one of those TV shows that can turn junk into treasure!

Thinking about it, there have been times when I deemed myself to be much like the description of that pew. Maybe you have, too. I felt tired and worn out; worthless and of no use to anyone; unattractive, both inside and out.

During those times, we can rest assured knowing that we have a fixer upper that trumps all the experts on every TV show combined. He’s our Shepherd – the guard, caregiver, and ruler of the flock. He watches over us, tends to our needs, feeds us, and delights in our presence.

He restores my soul. He renews my strength. He refreshes my soul. He renews my life. [Ps. 23:3 NASB; NLT; NIV; HCSB]

As the great Shepherd, God watches over us and knows our every want and desire. He sees when we’re weary and inadequate. Gathering us in His arms, He carries us to a safe place and renews, repairs, and renovates our tired soul, bringing much-needed healing. And then, He tenderly guides our steps in the right direction because He has a purpose and plan for our lives…for YOUR life! (read the rest of Ps. 23:3).

[Digging deeper – Psalm 19:7; Psalm 51:12; Isaiah 40:29-31]

Being restored,

Beverly <><

Take Time to Remember: “God is enough.”

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I co-parent teenagers. The daily dilemmas, disputes and doldrums can leave any parent feeling pretty defeated by day’s end. If I don’t carve out time to remember who He is and who I am in the midst of my week, the frequent storms will wear me down.

Together, let’s take time this week to recount a few basic yet extraordinary truths to help us stay emotionally and spiritually afloat as we cling to Him in the midst of the mundane and marvelous tasks of the day before us.

 

“God is enough.”

The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want.

Psalm 23:1

God_is_enoughRecently, I met with a good friend at a favorite coffee shop. I love meeting with her because of the respite and renewal it always offers me. Once we arrived we found the perfect spot in a quiet corner. Within minutes of talking to my friend, an aroma filled the place. My grumbling tummy kept trying to convince me that I needed to go check out what was cooking behind the counter. Alas, overcome by desire and curiosity, I finally excused myself.  When I got to the counter, freshly baked pumpkin muffins with cream cheese icing sat on a platter. These were my favorite treat—surely, a sign that I needed to buy one. I bought one for the two of us and returned to our spot.

Minutes later a group of women laughing and chattering nearby pulled my attention away again. Even though I loved being with my friend I found myself wanting to know what they were talking about as well. How awful! Several times my dear friend graciously reeled me back in. Yet, every time we got going, something else seemed to vie for my attention- a cellphone, other conversations, or even the cars buzzing by. Here I was finally sitting with the friend I had longed to see all week, yet everything around me battled for my attention.

Sadly, the struggle I had with my friend often mirrors my time with the Lord. I crave intimacy and insight from Him, but too often I allow mental and physical distractions to take precedence over our time together. To combat this tendency I have started to repeatedly remind myself of one simple truth when something begins to lure me away from Him. I whisper or mentally repeat the words, “God, you are enough.” I find myself saying this over and over again to help me fix my eyes solely on the only One who can really hear, understand, lead me, and empower me while He lavishes His unfailing love upon me.

The Enemy of our hearts wants us to forget this so that we are drawn into the frivolity that surrounds us. Commit today to mentally or even audibly reminding yourself that God is enough. He is all you really need. Nothing else compares.

“The greatest lesson a soul has to learn is that God and God alone is enough for all its needs.” Hannah Whitall Smith

Jackie

Our Great Shepherd: Dwelling Place

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Psalm 23 is one of the most recognizable passages of Scripture. Its words have been sung, prayed, and illustrated in countless ways, but if we’re not careful we can become so well acquainted with these verses that we forget the power these words hold. To recognize God as our Shepherd means we also have to accept that we are indeed like sheep: dirty, defenseless and helpless. Without a shepherd, the sheep are left to their own devices, which ultimately will lead them to starve, wander off, or be attacked. This week, let’s slow it down, remind ourselves that we are sheep in need of a loving Shepherd.

 

Dwelling Place

“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” Psalm 23:6

FridayI’ve lived in a lot of places in the past couple of years, and I’ve found a way to call them all “home.” I like to credit it to the fact that I’m a laid-back, easily adaptable kind of person, but in reality my ability to call so many places “home” and mean it was rooted in the people around me. They were the ones to help make all of those places home.

Dwelling in the house of the Lord forever is not something I take lightly. Forever is a pretty huge concept, one that implies that it has been going on since the beginning and it will continue going on, well, forever. Which means that not only will we be dwelling in the house of the Lord after our time on earth is over – we are to be dwelling in the house of the Lord now. 

That’s one of the great things about sheep: they don’t know any home apart from their shepherd. Where the shepherd calls home is where the sheep call home. “Home” for a flock of sheep is defined by being with their shepherd. Remember Monday when we touched on those three things sheep need before they are able to rest? The first one was that sheep have to be able to see their shepherd. They don’t lie down somewhere where they can’t see the face of their shepherd.

Our concept of home shouldn’t be rooted in a number of bedrooms, a finished basement or a spacious yard. Our concept of home should be rooted in our Shepherd.

Sometimes a shepherd may call his flock to move on from a location to seek another, and other times He may have a restless flock remain where they are. He may take his sheep to a field that doesn’t seem as green as one they can see up ahead. His sheep trust him, and they remain with Him.

We must learn to do the same. His goodness and His mercy follows us and are reflected in the dwelling place He offers to us in Himself. Dwell in the land the Shepherd brings you to, trusting that His goodness and His mercy remain there with you as well!

Chelsey