Thanks to Pastor David Storer for a brilliant sermon yesterday!!
Psalm 23 is such a wonderful psalm! If you wouldn't mind going through it with me, let's flip over and see what it says!
1 The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters,
3 He restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
4 Even 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.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Notice this, brothers and sisters, the key to this whole psalm lies in the first verse. The Lord is your shepherd. How many times do we try to take matters into our own hands. Do it our way, do it in our time. When the Lord is your shepherd, he guides you through every aspect of your life. Doing it His way in His time. It is important to remember that it is possible to do the RIGHT thing at the WRONG time. It is also possible to be the RIGHT person at the WRONG place. When the Lord is your shepherd, the quiet waters and green pastures might not always be in sight. Sometimes you even have to walk through the valley of the shadow of death to get to them. However, focus on the one in front of you who is leading you. That one, is the shepherd who loves his lambs and is entirely ready to sacrifice himself for them. When Pastor Storer arrived in India for the very first time, his guide wasn't there to meet him. He started to panic and everyone seemed like an enemy. He felt lost, unsure, and maybe a little bit frightened. When the guide who overslept arrived 4 hours later....other than the intense feeling of wanting to strangle him(!), another emotion came. Security. All fears and doubts vanished. When your path in life has a Guide, all fears and doubts vanish. Oh Lord, guide me in whatever I do and wherever I go.
Seasons are such an interesting phenomenon and really shows God's nature in a way. When the Lord promises something, He WILL fulfill it. In HIS time. Remember Abraham who took matters into his own hands by having a child with Hagai because he could not believe Sarah would be pregnant at her age. From Ishmael, came a people who were a thorn to the side of the people of God, arguably to this very day.
Nature sometimes closely reflects life, and seasons are a particular one that we can learn much from.
1 - God is at work every season so learn from whatever season you are in, be it the spring of renewal or the harsh winter of character building. We NEED winters. It is easy to praise and worship when life is smooth. How strong are you when the going gets rough? Winter shows the reality of where your heart is. Overcoming winter with the strength from the Lord can help you learn to rely more on Him and to strengthen your faith in Him.
2 - God has ordained a continuous change of seasons to ensure a continual renewal of life. His order of honouring the Sabbath is again, another example of a pattern of life-cycling: six days of toil, one day of rest and rejuvenation in the Lord. Seasons change regardless of whether you are doing good or bad. The bible tells us that we reap what we sow, but many people think that what this means is if they are doing seemingly good deeds they will only receive good deeds in return while the only time they will suffer is if they're doing something bad. Such thinking is wrong. Even the best of Christians will go through trials and tribulation - the bible makes this clear, and even states that Christian are expected to suffer on this earth for Christ. And such hard times are also a blessing, for we all need to undergo harsh times in order to undergo the renewal and strengthening of our faith.
3 - No season lasts forever. Whatever season you are in now, prepare for the next. The Book of Ecclesiastes further expounds a time for everything, and that seasons change, but the key is to live for and rest in the Lord regardless of the season.
The times will change. Wealth, health, prosperity, life and death. But remember, one thing is constant, and that is the eternal Love of God and his constant presence, protection and guidance. No matter what situation we are in, be it prosperity or suffering, let us rejoice and praise God with all our heart. Because the One who solves our problem is always bigger than the problem itself. Have faith.
Our eyes can only see what is in front of us…but it is the Lord who sees what is beyond us, the greater picture. Let’s try to grasp an example that some of us may be going through. “Lord, I pray that you reveal to me the wife that you have prepared for me”. Be rest assured, if you have prayed with the right heart and mind and with faith, the Lord has heard your cry. After a few months waiting and persistent praying with no apparent answer, some of us may start to become impatient and discouraged and question, “Lord! Where are you? Can you hear me?!”.
If we allow our Lord to be our Shepard and guide, we will quickly come to realize that just because He hasn’t answered our cry to him at this point of time, it doesn’t mean that He isn’t listening. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer. (1 Peter 3:12). There is no need to take the matters in our own time just because we have been waiting a few months or maybe even years. The Lord WILL provide, and will provide it in His time. We might get annoyed and say “Lord, why not now?!”…but the Lord sees the greater picture. He may see that if He provided you with your future spouse now, you may end up destroying the relationship as you just (or your partner) weren’t ready for it (which in turn would have led to greater problems). The Lord loves you so much to save you from such demise! Did you think He who sent His son Jesus to die on the cross for our sins would not grant you this request? If the timing is right, I’m sure He’d answer your prayer immediately! The Lord definitely wants what’s best for you and that’s only if you let him!
Just one thing to remind you; you may not understand what is happening/what you’re going through in your current phase of life. It may be revealed to you in a years time with regards to why something occurred in your life. Sometimes it may never be revealed! However, be rest assured that the Lord is at work regardless. What have we to be afraid of if our Lord is right in front of us guiding us through each step of our lives? Do not be discouraged, dear brothers and sisters, allow the Lord to guide you. He wants to help you so much…but its only if you’ll let Him. Trust, obey and have faith in Him and the promises of Psalms 23 (along with ALL the other promises in the Living Word) shall be given to you! Amen!
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