He is there for us as we know our loved one is preparing to leave this earth. He gives comfort for those who are in relationship with Him through the knowledge we will see them again. He also gives comfort in the knowledge they are no longer suffering in their physical bodies. This Psalm is about what it means to live in relationship with Him. He will watch over us, provides for us, and satisfy us (vs 1); He gives us rest and peace (vs 2); He gives us strength and guidance (vs 3); He enables us to stand-up against fear and protects and comforts us (vs 4); He prepares for our eternal life and anoints us (vs 5); and He loves us and gives us the knowledge of eternal life with Him (vs 6).
David wrote this Psalm after he had experienced many years of life. He did not write it as the unexperienced shepherd boy nor as a king with great power. He wrote it with a history of many ups and downs in his life. As you read through the 23rd Psalm you see it is penned by one who trusted and loved the Lord greatly. He wrote it with confidence. That is the desire of my heart. I want to trust Him with a faith that continues to go deeper. I never want to stop growing in my relationship with Him. I know it takes daily work on my part to grow my faith. I know it means being in His Word, communicating with Him 24/7, etc. It is a way of life I have come to love. It also is a way of life I have come to depend upon. He is my strength not only in the midst of storms but in my everyday life. Nothing is done without asking Him first. There is such freedom in Kingdom living. I am so grateful for the way His peace is greater than the struggles of life. There are so many people in my little world who need His peace to be their way of life. I continue to pray for those with physical issues such as Paula, Nancy, John, Carletta, and Doc. I also am praying for those with emotional issues such as a couple families who the enemy has torn apart. There are some who are on my list for financial issues. Some need to find Him as their Savior before their financial issues can be addressed. The financial decisions they are making have nothing to do with Him so there is no way they will be resolved. The ones who do not have His peace are the ones I am praying for the most. Some need to accept Him as their Savior while others need to go deeper in their relationship and give Him all of themselves. I love the song "Grace Got You" where it goes...
So when you're standing in the rain again
You might as well be dancing
Why?
'Cause there ain't no storm that can change how this ends
Nothing that happens on this earth has to change my eternity. I do not have to give into the enemy and walk away from God. Instead I can trust Him through the storms of life. I am so thankful for the day I realize I do not have to know the end of the story but need to just relax and be a part of whatever the plot holds. I do know the end will be whatever God thinks is best for me and I accept that. There is no manipulation needed. I just need to trust. These last couple of months have been hard financially but He has provided just what was needed when it was needed. In my humanness, I hope Doc returns to work after his appointment Friday but yet I know I need to continue to trust the Lord in this storm. He provided a discount on the first hospital bill; grocery and gas money from some friends; and income from another source. When we thought Doc would have been back to work already, we knew how the end-of-the-month bills would be covered. We knew. Two small words with great meaning. God did not want it figured out on paper. He desired to stretch our faith and not have him back to work. Here we are looking at July bills and I do not even want to do the paperwork to see them. Instead I am choosing to trust Him with providing. If I fret, the enemy will have a foothold. He does not need that. He is destroying people all around me. I refuse to allow him to destroy me. I am standing on the comfort of Psalm 23.
Dear Jesus,
Thank You for the opportunities You gave me to love on people yesterday. Thank You for the way You blessed me through those opportunities and gave me the physical strength to be Your servant. Father, I pray for Doc's situation today. I pray You will be greater than the enemy. I also pray for a cleansing in my spirit so You can fill me to overflowing so I can minister to him. I pray for my dear friends who have made arrangements for their Daddy's funeral. May You be their peace. I also pray for many who need to ask You into their heart to realize You are the answer in this fallen world. My prayers go out for those who need to get to the end of themselves to allow You to be their Lord of Lords. Father, may Your grace come down upon those who will come into Your presence today. Thank You Jesus for being My Peace. Amen.
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