Psalm 23 – The Lord is MY Shepherd!
Today’s devotion is based on the Message: Trust Revealed (Watch Here)
My car.
My house.
My spouse.
My child.
Versus
A car
A house
A spouse
A child.
One is personal. One is impersonal.
One you have connection with. One you don’t.
What makes Psalm 23 so endearing to so many is how it starts:
Psalm 23:1 The LORD is my shepherd,…
The LORD is not just a generic shepherd to someone…he is MY shepherd.
The LORD is not just a general person, but my SHEPHERD!
But then think of this.
Of all the things or persons in the universe to be a shepherd of you, who would you want?
The LORD? Might be a long shot in a normal reality.
We don’t deserve the Lord to be our shepherd.
We haven’t earned the right for the Lord to be our shepherd.
But he is.
These opening verses are a clear expression of the grace of God that took black, wandering, lost sheep into his fold and claimed them as his own. The LORD wanted US to be his sheep. So HE called us by name and compelled us to follow him.
He is now my shepherd.
But what does that mean?
David writes, “I shall not be in want.” Or in the Evangelical Heritage Version, “I lack nothing.”
The psalm could end here giving the reader great personal comfort.
The Lord as my shepherd is really all I need. Everything else is icing on the cake.
One could say, “I lack a good relationship.” The Lord is the one who loves you most.
One could say, “I lack financial means.” The Lord is the one who owns the universe.
One could say, “I lack strength or ability.” The Lord is the all powerful.
The list could go on.
While not a promise that everything will be, in my opinion, always great, we know with peace in our hearts that we have what is most needed and most important.
The LORD is MY shepherd!
Apply: What does it mean to you that the Lord is YOUR shepherd.
Prayer: Lord, thank you for including me in your flock so that I can in a very personal and real way call you MY shepherd! AMEN.
Psalm 23…Who wrote it?
Today’s devotion is based on the Message: Trust Revealed (Watch Here)
Next to John 3:16, probably the most well-known section of the BIble is Psalm 23. This psalm, written by King David 1500 years before Jesus walked the earth, in an inspired masterpiece that the Spirit of God has chosen to both write and preserve for us to enjoy 3500 years or so later. For that time it has been encouraging the hearts of God’s people in times of joy and and in times of challenge and often gives peace when life is fading away.
So what is it about these words that so touches the soul?
What is it about these six verses that make us feel so connected to our God?
Even for people who have drifted from their Christian faith, these words are welcomed.
Your answers may be different and I would love to hear your thoughts each day this week as we reflect on these words and what they reveal to us about why we can trust the LORD with every part and in every situation of life.
A psalm of David.
This seeming parenthetical phrase is not one written by a scribe years after the authorship of the psalm, but part of the inspired text of the psalm. God’s Spirit wants us to know that this psalm (or song) was penned by David.
Many of us know David as the famous “King David” of the Old Testament. He was a mighty warrior and God used him to expand the kingdom of Israel as well as secure the plans and material for the building of a permanent place of worship, the temple. However, in his younger years he was a shepherd. It was a task that even his brothers didn’t think was a pedigree of a king, but the LORD knew something about David:
1 Samuel 16:10 Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel said to him, “The LORD has not chosen these.” 11 So he asked Jesse, “Are these all the sons you have?”
“There is still the youngest,” Jesse answered, “but he is tending the sheep.”
Samuel said, “Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives.”
12 So he sent and had him brought in. He was ruddy, with a fine appearance and handsome features.
Then the LORD said, “Rise and anoint him; he is the one.”
13 So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the LORD came upon David in power. Samuel then went to Ramah.
A short time later, he was described this way:
1 Samuel 16:18 One of the servants answered, “I have seen a son of Jesse of Bethlehem who knows how to play the harp. He is a brave man and a warrior. He speaks well and is a fine-looking man. And the LORD is with him.”
The reputation carried forward for 1500 years as the Apostle Paul reflected:
Acts 13:22 After removing Saul, he made David their king. He testified concerning him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.’
“A psalm of David” in not just a random phrase to pass over, but it sets the tone for what the Spirit of God inspired him to write. Here are the words of a shepherd who tended his flock, a man who went through the dangers and turmoil of being a warrior, knew the challenges of leadership as a king, but most importantly shared a close, genuine, trusting, heartfelt relationship with the LORD.
From the heart of a man after the Lord’s heart come the words of Psalm 23 that touch our heart.
Apply: Read Psalm 23 in your favorite Bible. Read it slowly three times. What becomes more evident and meaningful as you consider what you know of David and realize you are reading not only a “psalm of David” but inspired words from God’s Spirit?
Prayer: Lord God, thank you for using the life and experiences of the shepherd/king David to communicate clearly and intimately to our hearts the love and relationship you have with us. AMEN.
Sent to forgive…or not?
Today’s devotion is based on the Message: Purpose Revealed (Watch Here)
Sent to forgive!
What am I supposed to do?
This is an honest question when someone sends us someplace.
Go to the grocery store and pick up eggs and milk.
Go to the locker room and change your clothes for practice.
Go to the home improvement store and get a pipe to fix the sprinklers.
When we are sent, there is a purpose.
Go and forgive or not forgive sins.
Who?
Me?
Yes, you.
Jesus sent his disciples, his followers with the following words:
John 20:21 Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” 22 And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”
What is implied in these words is the assumption they knew both what forgiveness was and when to forgive AND when not to forgive sins.
For us, perhaps the easier is knowing when to forgive sins. In fact we are probably taught that whenever someone does sin against us, we are to forgive them their sins.
But what about times when we say to some, “Your sins are not forgiven.”
The times I’ve had to say this are rare, but the impact of the words are deep.
Who are we to announce to someone that their sin is not forgiven? Isn’t that being judgmental?
Is it judgmental to yell at a child running into the street after a ball, “Stop! Don’t go into the street?” Is it judgmental to tell someone that their drug addiction is going to eventually kill them and lose everything important to them?
No it’s not. In love we warn these individuals because we know the path they are on are physically and emotionally destructive. We LOVE them enough to warn them. They may or may not listen, but the motivation is one of love.
When we withhold the pronouncement of forgiveness, we are doing so because someone is breaking the law of God, not our own preferences, or church traditions, but God’s holy law. We know with certainty what Paul said in Galatians 5:19-21:
The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
“I warn you…” Paul says.
Warnings are given because love desires to prevent someone from harm.
When we, on the basis of God’s law, tell someone “Your sins are not forgiven,” we are warning them that if they are to persist in their sin, they will miss out on the kingdom of God, heaven.
That’s a big deal…a very big deal!
Jesus wants all to be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth. He does not desire the death of the wicked, but that all would call on him and be saved. The heart of Jesus is to guide people away from sin to the peace that only he can give.
To do that, we must be willing, in love, to not only say, “You are forgiven,” but also be willing to warn with the words, “You are not forgiven.”
Jesus sends us to do both because he loves us and every soul whom we meet.
Apply: How do these words of Jesus reframe your thoughts about withholding forgiveness from someone?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for loving us enough to warn us of the serious consequences of sin and loving us enough to forgive our sins to give our hearts peace. Help us with discernment and confidence to announce forgiveness or the lack there of. AMEN
Sent.
Today’s devotion is based on the Message: Purpose Revealed (Watch Here)
Sent.
Many of us have been sent to do something.
Your spouse is cooking and missing an ingredient…you are sent to the grocery store.
A family member is arriving at the airport…you are sent to pick them up.
A child is sick at school…you are sent to bring them home.
When someone sends us, they send us with a purpose…even if that purpose is to leave and never come back!
What is ironic about Jesus’ appearance to his disciples the night of the resurrection, is that the focus of his appearing was two-fold. First to show concrete evidence that he was alive and second to send them.
John 20:19 On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.
21 Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” 22 And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”
The sending was predicated on the evidence.
They would not go if they were afraid.
They would not go if they were not convinced.
But with those things taken care of, Jesus sent them.
Yes, the disciples who fled in the garden…he sent.
The disciple who denied him…he sent.
The disciple that had cheated people…he sent.
The disciple who was an insurrectionist…he sent.
Why were they qualified?
Because they all had experienced the forgiving grace of God. Jesus didn’t come to reprimand them (although he could have). He came to send them.
To do what?
Forgive sins or withhold forgiveness.
Grounded in understanding and personal experience, they were being sent to warn the sinner of the seriousness of their sin and announce the joy of forgiveness to the one who was grieving because of their sin.
The cry of “It is finished!” from the cross was the assurance that the payment for sin was complete. The resurrection of Jesus was the proof that the payment was accepted.
Romans 4:25 He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.
Ones who had experienced the grace of God, Jesus now sent to proclaim the grace of God.
The same is true for us.
Jesus steps into our world to communicate peace, joy and grace. He appears to us to give us peace of mind and then send us to bring peace through forgiveness to others.
Did you know this was your purpose?
After belief in the Lord Jesus as the Son of God, our Savior, the next purpose Jesus gives us is to proclaim his forgiveness to the world.
To whom will you go?
Apply: Think of one person in your sphere of influence who needs Jesus. How might you begin a conversation of forgiveness and grace with them?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for your forgiving grace. Help me to confidently share that with others. AMEN.
Blind faith?
Today’s devotion is based on the Message: Purpose Revealed (Watch Here)
The first and foremost purpose that God desires to happen in our lives is that we “believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God and that by believing we may have life in his name.”
Yet, this is challenging for some to do.
Why?
Let me address one of the reasons that people object to the Christian faith: I follow science, not faith.
A short devotion cannot fully explore this, but let me put forward one thing: Both are based on evidence.
When I was in elementary school, we learned that science is the practice of gaining knowledge through observation. The scientific method consisted of the combination of observation, experimentation and conclusions.
I like science. If I wasn’t a pastor, I’d probably have pursued something in math or science.
But here’s what I’ve come to realize. The things that the Bible invites us to believe are based on facts, based on evidence.
Just like in science, there are experiments and things that others have done in the past that are relied on for current activity and experimentation, so the evidences of the Christian faith have been well documented and recorded for us to put our confidence in today.
Jesus wanted to make sure that his followers had a belief that was firmly rooted in observable and personally experienced facts.
One of many examples is the disciple Thomas.
The evening of the resurrection, he wasn’t with the other disciples. They reported that Jesus was alive. He didn’t believe it. He wanted to use his own senses to validate it…see it…touch it.
He certainly could have believed his fellow disciples, but for whatever reason he didn’t.
So Jesus came to Thomas to dispel his doubts.
John 20:26 A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”
28 Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”
This is just one example of the Lord Jesus ensuring that our faith is not a “blind faith” that is based on no evidence. Who Jesus is and what he has done are well documented events of history. The scientific evidence affirms he was dead and was alive. These things were observed and although they defied the “laws” of life and death, this too is a strong evidence that Jesus was the Son of God.
But here’s Jesus’ words to us. He wanted to Thomas to believe so he showed himself to him. But in showing himself to Thomas, he was also giving evidence of his resurrection to all of us so that we can believe without personally seeing him or touching his wounds.
John 20:29 Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
So if you are a science, evidence, proof person…give the person and work of Jesus an honest look, and you will find I am sure, as I did, we have many strong proofs behind what we are invited to believe.
So believe and live in confidence. Jesus is your living Savior!
Apply: What questions of faith do you have? Feel free to email me at pastorgeiger@gmail.com and I’d be happy to help find an answer!
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for connecting with all of the doubters with the evidence of your person and work so that we would believe with confident faith that you are the Christ, the Son of the Living God! AMEN