Tag:

Shepherd

#23

by TerryLema

When I dock my Kindle at night, it will occasionally ask me if I want a bedtime story to help me fall asleep. I tell it I do not need one as I have my own “bedtime story” that I tell myself every night. I repeat Psalm 23, paraphrasing it, and visualizing it in my mind.

“The LORD is my Shepherd.” My Shepherd. MY Shepherd. I am His and He is mine. (You are His and He is Yours.)

“I shall not want.” Every … EVERYthing I need is found in Him.

“He makes me [some versions say He lets me) lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul.” Sometimes I come to Him for rest, other times, He reminds me I need to “come away with  Him to a quiet place to rest”. And the place He takes me is green and peaceful with living water that revives my soul.

“He leads me in paths of righteousness for His Name’s sake.” He is in front of me, marking my way. He does that so that I honor Him in my walk. I think of His Names … Almighty God, Savior, Sustainer. First and Last, Alpha and Omega, Beginning and the End. My Provider, My Righteousness, My Peace. Resurrection, Life, Light. On and on His Names flood my soul.

“Yes, though I walk through [THROUGH!] the valley of the shadow of death, I will not fear, for You are with me. Your rod and Your staff they comfort me.” I see my Shepherd walking beside me, holding the hand of me as a little girl (a child of God). He has his staff in His Hand and His Rod in His belt. And He is the light when darkness  is all around me.

“You set a table before in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with [healing] oil. My cup overflows.” The table before me contains everything I could ever need to nourish my soul. My Shepherd anoints my head with oil that saves and heals. My cup is flowing with the water of life.

“Surely, goodness and mercy follow me all the days of my life.” Goodness and Mercy follow me. They are attributes of My Shepherd. They are my rearguard. Nothing of my past can rise up to pull me down. Everything is under the goodness and mercy of my God.

“I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” Amen

Thank you, LORD. Today, I will focus on all my Great Shepherd provides. Thank you, LORD, for my eternal “bedtime story.” Amen

 

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Three Songs (Psalm 23)

by TerryLema

As I wrote yesterday, I often recite Psalm 23 in my mind when things get difficult. Psalm 23 is part of a trilogy of songs (Psalms 22, 23, 24).

Psalm 22 is the song of the Good Shepherd who lays down his life for his sheep. It can also be described as the song about Christ Jesus our Savior. It is Holy Ground.

Psalm 23 is the song of the Great Shepherd who lives to care for and provide for His sheep. It is the song about Christ Jesus our Shepherd.

Psalm 23 is often read at memorial services when a person dies, but it is much more a song for the living. It reminds us that the care of our Great Shepherd takes us to green pastures and still waters. It speaks of restoration for souls that are weary and dry.

Christ Jesus our Shepherd leads us in right paths so that we bring glory to His name. He comforts us. He feeds us. He anoints us with healing oil. We have an abundant life in His care, blessed with goodness and mercy all the days of our life here.

Not only those things, but He gives us life … we walk “through” the valley of the “shadow” of death, and He brings us into the house of the LORD where we will dwell forever.

Psalm 23 – our Great Shepherd – and His care for us forever.

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Three Songs (Psalm 22)

by TerryLema

Whenever I am in a difficult position or circumstance, I will recite Psalm 23 in my mind. I find it calms my spirit and emotions and gives me the strength to do what I need to do at that moment.

Psalm 23 is part of a trilogy of songs. Psalms 22, 23 and 24 go together. They have been described as songs of the Good Shepherd who lays down his life for his sheep (Psalm 22), the Great Shepherd who lives to care for and provide for His sheep (Psalm 23), and the Chief Shepherd who is coming again to gather His sheep (Psalm 24).

When I read them, I see them as Christ Jesus my Savior (Psalm 22), Christ Jesus my Shepherd (Psalm 23) and Christ Jesus my King (Psalm 24).

When we approach Psalm 22, we must do it with gracious humility and honor. It truly is “holy ground.” It begins with that great cry Jesus uttered from the cross, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me.”

Psalm 22 is a song of David, but it seems to go far beyond anything David might have experienced. It is not the cry of a man who is sick or even a soldier in battle. It is the cry of a man being crucified. He is stripped naked, nails driven through hands and feet. As the hours wear on, he is thirsty and becomes dehydrated. People are growling at him as he dies on the cross.

But the song does not end with death, the second part (verses 22-31) speaks of resurrection and expresses glorious praise to God.

It is hard to read this song without picturing what our LORD Christ Jesus accomplished for us on the cross. As I read it, I keep hearing two words over and over … “for you.”

He did it all “for me” and “for you.” It truly is “holy ground.”

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THE LORD

by TerryLema

How often have we studied or heard messages on Psalm 23. Most of us have it memorized. We hear it often. When I awoke this morning, the first verse was running through my mind.

“The LORD [YAHWEH, JEHOVAH] is my shepherd; there is nothing I lack.” [HCSB]

David lacks nothing because he has the LORD.

YAHWEH, JEHOVAH

Jehovah Nissi – The LORD My Banner

Jehovah-Raah – The LORD My Shepherd

Jehovah Rapha – The LORD That Heals

Jehovah Shammah – The LORD is There

Jehovah Tsidkenu – The LORD Our Righteousness

Jehovah Mekoddishkem – The LORD Who Sanctifies You

Jehovah Jireh – The LORD Will Provide

Jehovah Shalom – The LORD Is Peace

Jehovah Sabaoth – The LORD of Hosts

In the OT a name is so much more than a name – it is an identity. God reveals Himself to us through His names. When David said the LORD is his Shepherd, he would be saying that all God is, all He has identified Himself to be, provides all David needs … so that he lacks nothing.

The LORD is our Shepherd. We lack nothing.

Psalm 148:13: “Let them praise the name of the LORD: for His name alone is excellent; His glory is above the earth and heaven.”

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His Sheep!

by TerryLema

I am delighting in Psalm 95 as we approach Thanksgiving. The psalmist reminded us as he began his song that we are to shout joyfully and triumphantly to our LORD and God. Then he gave us the first reason to do so, because our God is Creator and Sustainer of this beautiful earth He has given us.

Then the psalmist gets even more personal. Not only are we to be shouting thankfully because God created this earth and now sustains it … we are to be in awe before Him because He created us and sustains us.

“Come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, the sheep under His care.” [vs 6-7 HCSB]

The LORD is our Creator, our Maker. He is also the one who sustains us … we are the sheep under His care. The Good Shepherd loves His sheep.

Does that not make you pause? The One who sustains mountains and oceans and galaxies cares deeply for the people of His pasture. He knows what is going on in our lives, in our bodies, in our everyday challenges and desires. And He cares.

When things become difficult or troubles arise, we often fall into the devil’s trap of thinking that God does not care, nor does He notice what is going on. We think He has abandoned us or is punishing us, but beloved, that is a lie from the pit of hell. When troubles arise and all around me seems dark, that is when God’s care is so abundant.

So, this Thanksgiving week, let us remember to worship, bow down, and kneel before our Creator and Sustainer. He is with us. He will never leave us. He will not abandon us. We are His. Amen.

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