Category: Psalm

He guides me in paths of righteousness… (Psalm 23:3).

This verse is in the 1984 NIV.

In the more current NIV it says, “He guides me along the right paths…”

King James says, “He leadeth me in paths of righteousness…”

In the Michael Version, it reads, “He drags me, kicking and screaming, onto the path of righteousness, and smacks me with his staff when I wander away.”

Yes, I made that up, but you know what I mean.

Beloved, it takes more than guiding to keep us on the path of righteousness. It takes occasional and liberal use of the rod and the staff.

And our Shepherd loves us enough to use them.

Hallelujah for that.

Happy Monday, Beloved

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside still waters, he restores my soul  (Psalm 23:3).

And there it is.

He restores our souls, Beloved.

This world will drain your soul. This world will break your soul, grind it to dust, mix it with your tears and drink it down in an iced tea glass.

But the One who loves you restores your soul. He takes it in his hands and gently puts the pieces back together. He breathes life into it and heals it.

He makes you whole.

Every day

Breathe deep, Beloved. Your Shepherd calls.

Happy Friday.

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside still waters…(Psalm 23:2).

Sometimes life is all storm

and rising flood

and raging river

and endless, driving rain that threatens to wash your very self away.

And God is there in the midst of it.

Sometimes the waters calm, and life is gentle brooks

and quiet mountain lakes

and little ponds tucked away in the woods

and soft, soothing waves sizzling against the sand of the shore.

And God is there, too.

I don’t know what today holds for you, Beloved. But whether the storms rage or the brooks whisper, I know that the One who loves you will be there, leading you by the hand.

And I think you know it, too.

Happy Thursday, Beloved.

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures…(Psalm 23:2).

Lie down

Rest

Now

The verb here is makes. God makes David rest. God knows that, left to his own devices, David will work himself to the bone, trying to do more and be more and make more and become more and–

and God says to rest.

When did you last rest, Beloved? When was the last time you set aside the backpack full of gottado’s and stretched out in the green pasture for a snooze?

You can take that metaphorically or literally–your choice.

Look, I know you have a lot on your plate, and sometimes it seems like you’ll never get through it, but your body and your mind and your spirit all need rest.

And God commands it, so there.

Pull up a patch of grass and have a seat.

Happy Wednesday, Beloved

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want  (Psalm 23:1).

I originally heard this Psalm in the King James, which reads I shall not want.  

The difficulty with that translation is that I want.

A lot

Time and teachers and translation have taught me that it’s not want as in desire, but want as in lack. It’s basically saying, The Lord is my Shepherd, he will give me everything I need.

I gotta say, I like this better. Though my flesh will always want stuff, I will never need more than what my Lord provides.

The Lord is my shepherd; I am complete.

The Lord is my shepherd; what more could I ask for?

The Lord is my shepherd; everything else is gravy.

Of course, I really do like gravy.

Oy, ve

Happy Tuesday, Beloved

Psalm Break!

The Lord is my shepherd… (Psalm 23:1).

Psalm 23

One of the most memed passages in the Bible. I’ve seen it quoted on bumper stickers, wall plaques, desk calendars, Christian bookstore Jesus pictures–

even a tattoo. What could I possibly say about these famous verses that you haven’t already heard?

Probably nothing…but let’s give it a go anyway!

David calls God his shepherd. God looks after him, leads him, provides for him, protects him, disciplines him, chases him down and rescues him.

God is an excellent shepherd, as the rest of the Psalm will attest.

But what of David?

I mean, if God is the shepherd, that makes David

a sheep.

David, who has been a shepherd and a warrior and a bard and a king, takes the role of the sheep here. 

Humbly

Gratefully  

Joyfully 

Yes, it is the obvious attitude to take

but 

is it the attitude we take?

Too often I see myself as the Assistant Shepherd, or the sheep dog, or even the trusty staff in the hand of the Shepherd.

But a sheep? Just one of a billion dumb, wayward, weak, bumbling, wool-headed sheep? Who wants to be a sheep?

The one who wants the Lord to be his Shepherd.

Happy Monday, Beloved.

You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand (Psalm 16:11).

You know where you’re going.

You know who awaits you.

What more do you need?

Isn’t it good to be beloved, Beloved?

Happy Friday

…nor will you let your Holy One see decay (Psalm 16:10b).

So, is David talking about himself here, or is he talking about Jesus?

Yes

Does that help?

As the anointed king, David was certainly the Holy One, set apart for God. 

And, you know, good for him.

But ultimately this verse is speaking of the Christ, the One who would bust Death in the chops and stride out of the tomb under his own power.

I wonder how much David knew. I wonder how much God shared with him about the One who would come to fulfill the reign David had begun. 

Maybe we’ll get to ask him one day.

Probably not today though.

For today, walk in the knowledge that he who destroyed Death has chosen you to be his Beloved. Death cannot have you, 

ever, 

because you are already His. Whatever today may bring, it’s nothing that can separate you from the love of God.

Happy Thursday, Beloved

…for you will not abandon me to the grave… (Psalm 16:10a).

Assuming Jesus does not return first, one day you will die. Your heart, lungs, synapses and phalanges will all cease to function, and you will slowly begin to decompose, unless you die in a warm and moist climate, in which case you will rapidly decompose, unless your family has you embalmed, in which case you will slowly shrivel over time, locked in the darkness of the earth as your spirit wanders for all eternity.

Happy Wednesday, Beloved

Wait

That’s not true.

Oh, the part where you die might be true. And the part about your phalanges. But it won’t be for eternity.

And you won’t wander in darkness.

God has promised you an eternity with him.

That eternity includes light and life and being in the presence of God forever.

Beloved, I don’t know exactly what happens when you die. None of us does. But I know that in Christ death has no victory, no sting.

You will not be abandoned; you will be welcomed home.

Now, Happy Wednesday, Beloved

…my body will also rest secure (Psalm 16:9b).

This is one of those lines that I can read in two ways.

When I read this in the context of the preceding verses, I think of the here and now. Because God is with me, I can relax. I can know peace. I can–or at least I should be able to–release the stress of this world that makes my stomach ache and keeps me awake at night. I can rest, secure in the knowledge that the Lord of the Universe is in control.

I like this.

I can also tie this line to the following verse, you will not abandon me to the grave. Now the line seems to be talking of death. When my time here is over, I will rest in peace, because the Lord of Everything will not forget me.

I like this, too.

Which reading is correct? Oh, Beloved, you know that I am not a theological scholar, and my trusty study Bible only gets me so far. My gut tells me that it means both of these, and more.

So very much more

God loves you, Beloved.

Rest secure.

Happy Tuesday