Today I attended Midland Free. Pastor Jay Childs started a series on Meeting God in the Psalms.
He started today with Psalm 23 covering 4 main promises.
- v2 – God promised to lead His sheep to green pastures.
This is not a promise of an easy life, but that God will refresh us in Christ.
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” – Matt 11:28-30 - v3 – God promised to guide us.
It’s humbling that God compared us to sheep. For the most part sheep can be quite stupid, wander, and get lost. We desperately are in need of guidance.
This is not a promise that we will never get off track, but that God will always guide us back.
Cheesy analogy: God is our divine Garmin when lost in the dark on some county road. - v4 – God promised to remove paralyzing fear.
We all face tragedy, we all face fears, but it is the paralyzing fear that clouds our judgment and our focus. We can call upon God in those times and He has promised to be our help in time of need.
Over and over again we read those two words in the Bible, “Fear not!” - v5-6 – God promised He will protect you.
This is not a promise of physical protection! The blood of the martyrs will attest to that. This is a promise of spiritual protection.
“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.” – John 10:27-29“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” – Rom 8:35-39
How can we walk in these promises?
- Be one of His sheep. Repent and believe and walk in obedience.
- Know the promises. Study them, understand them, trust in God.
- Serve others. Isa 58:6-14
