Psalm 23:1 - "The Greatness"

What an eventful time it has been since returning from Ohio. Wednesday and Thursday were spent at the church preparing for the wedding. Wedding rehearsal Thursday evening. Friday I was to meet a friend for lunch only to trip and fall at the waterfront. Despite his insistence I did not go to the ER because 'I have a wedding tonight.' Saturday I rested but could not get rid of the headache. Sunday as I was preaching the pain intensified and I was so hot I thought I was going to pass out so the sermon was cut short. I ended up going to an urgent care facility to get checked out. No broken bones and the hardware in my arm and neck are intact. Woo hoo, God! They could not do a CT scan on my head since it had been two days since the fall but the doctor checked my eyes out to make sure they were working properly. They sent me home with a muscle relaxer, pain pills, and three days of steroids. Through all of this I kept praising God for being with me. I am reminded of a song Toby Mac sings called "The Goodness"...

You made the rain
So when it falls on me
Should I complain?
Or feel You callin' me?
It's all on me to stay
And really catch what You're showin'
It's my roots that You're growin'
'Cause life is more than this moment

You are the Light
So when the darkness falls
The greatest heights
They never seem so tall
No, not at all
You're right
It's my roots that You're growin'
Don't want to miss what You're showin'

In yesterday's sermon I shared about how we can have peace in the midst of the storms of life when we allow God to be Who He desires to be in our life. I put out a request Friday for prayer to my Facebook friends with a 'no questions asked' disclaimer. God knew what I was dealing with and those in my little world that saw my eye knew what happened. I am thankful for people who will pray without having details. My dear friend Belinda sent me this message. Sheila…as I was praying for you I felt the Lord wanted me to share with you…The Lord is my Shepherd…I shall not want”….I hope this speaks to you, and it may not for this moment...but I felt so strongly to send this to you…just trying to be obedient and listen to his voice…luv you and I know God is surrounding you with his goodness and love… "The Lord is my Shepherd...I shall not want..." He is my Shepherd who loves me dearly. He provides for me in some pretty amazing ways. As I sat in urgent care yesterday I started thinking about the bills that would come from the visit. Immediately, God stopped the process before it became worry and told me, 'Daughter, I have this.' Praise His Holy Name! Psalm 23 is one of praise over the God who provides and protects us. It is a song of thankfulness that comes from the heart of David who trusted God no matter what happened in life. David shows us his faith throughout the trials of life. He is our Great Shepherd who leads us with such love. Once again, we have to allow Him that privilege. To do this we must acknowledge Hi sovereignty and walk in obedience to His will. We must be His 'sheep' who will follow Him in the 'good' and the 'tough' days of life. Charles Spurgeon wrote about Psalm 23:1...

“A sheep is an object of property, not a wild animal; its owner sets great store by it, and frequently it is bought with a great price. It is well to know, as certainly as David did, that we belong to the Lord. There is a noble tone of confidence about this sentence. There is no ‘if’ nor ‘but,’ nor even ‘I hope so;’ but he says, ‘The Lord is my shepherd.’” 

We were bought by the blood of Jesus and can be confident in knowing The Lord is my shepherd. When David wrote I shall not want, it shows the realization that God is all we need. No matter what lies ahead He already knows about it and will provide exactly what we need. I am so thankful for this knowledge and need to get better at sharing it with those who are not in full relationship with Him.

Dear Jesus, Thank You for all the ways You provide for me! Thank You for friends like Belinda who shared Scripture with me; Cait who drove me to urgent care and Andy and Betty who stayed with me; and for all who prayed and continue to pray for me! Thank You for no broken bones and the hardware in my arm and neck intact! Cleanse me so You can fill me with more of You. May I shine brightly for You and may people have a desire to be in relationship with You through me. I pray Your peace over many going through 'tough' days. My Momma; my sisters Linda, Sally, and Mary; my brother Richard; Ben and Colleen; Pete and Delores; Steve; Cait; Beth; Nancy; Mike; Norma Hall; Sharon Sebolt and her parents; Marion; some young ladies with anxiety; Chrissy; a young man out of rehab who needs strength in his daily walk; Rhonda; Mary Lilley; a husband/father separated from his wife; Preacher Bill Watts; Brooklyn; Kristen Batten; Timmy; Amber; families in turmoil; Cyndi; Doug and Gay; and many others. I also pray healing prayers over many who are dealing with 'c' and/or going through treatments...Sharon's daughter Ashley; Chrissy's cousins; Shirley Jones; Cait's friend with leukemia; my pastor friend with daily chemo; my friend with mesothelioma; Little Ivy; Little Judson; Alex's niece; a young girl in our community; and a lady whose breast cancer has returned. I pray for: the Long Family, Vickie's son Jim, and Russ. Thank You for continued strength for Baby Henry! Lord, may You be so near to those with prodigals. Thank You for being My Bubble Wrap! Amen.