Jesus - My Shepherd. Part 3

 "Yea, 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."   Psalm 23:4    NKJV

YOU ARE WITH ME  -  Yahweh Shammah - The LORD is there  Ezekiel 48:35

What a comfort to know, without doubt, that Jesus our Shepherd is here with us, wherever we go. There really is no need to be afraid of anything, He is with us.

David changes his writing style at this point, making it personal. He is no longer speaking about the Shepherd but, to Him. God is not before him now, but beside him, things have changed. The Shepherd is still leading the way, but with a caring and calming manner owing to the delicacy of the surroundings - the dark valley.

The valley of the shadow of death represents any difficult situation, including death. Sheep are so easily scared in new or strange surroundings, especially when it is dark. The presence of the Shepherd has a calming affect on them. David is using his shepherding skills as a analogy to explain and reinforce the meaning.

We all go through very dark periods from time to time. Loss is probably the most stressful of all. When death comes along and claims one of our loved ones, words cannot be found to explain the grief we are suffering. There are many stages to navigate during this period and none of them are easy. But, notice that our Shepherd adjusts to our feelings; instead of being in front of us, leading the way, He chooses to walk beside us bringing a calming affect and offering support every step of the way. Yahweh Shammah joins us in the dark valley and brings light to the shadow of darkness.

You may be going through a terrible loss at this time. With the loss come many changes and they are difficult to negotiate. What was there originally, is no longer, just a deep void and, no matter what we do, it cannot be changed. Things can therefore, be scary and there may seem no point in anything. Just remember, Yahweh Shammah is with you, in fact, right beside you and He will take your hand through this storm and things will be calm again in time.

Don't try to get ahead of Him, He is where you need Him to be, at your side.

Copyright 2022 Grahame Howard.                                

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Jesus - My Shepherd. Part 2

"He makes me to lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside the still waters. 3 He restores my soul, He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake"   

                                                                                      Psalm 23:2-3    NKJV

Let us carry on with our study of this Psalm. These two verses can be split into three parts:

STILL WATERS  Yahweh - Shalom - The LORD is peace. Judges 6:24

We all need to be refreshed from time to time; the going can be tough. Remember, you cannot drive sheep, the sheep follow their shepherd. In this context, it makes no sense to attempt to get in front of Jesus. He is leading you, not the other way round. To try it any other way is a recipe for disaster. You need to follow your Shepherd and listen to His voice, He will then lead you to peace beside the still waters.

RESTORES MY SOUL  Yahweh Rapha - The LORD who heals. Exodus 15:26

God loves you and wants you to glorify Him (For His name's sake). He wants to maintain His own good reputation as a faithful Shepherd. Jesus wants to bring healing and peace to your mind and body. He wants your soul - Mind, Will and Emotions, to be aligned with His wishes. When they are, the restoring begins. He never lies, never could, never has, never will.

PATHS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS Yahweh Tsidqenu The LORD our Righteousness - Jer 33:16

It is so good to take peaceful walks because you can begin to wind-down. It is so soothing to take this stroll along a peaceful, still river, listening to the water lapping against the banks. It's also a bonus to observe the wildlife that are drawn to this environment and take in the fragrance of the wild flowers. It is an ideal place to relax with a book or bible and allow yourself to be built up again. You may need the peace that only our Shepherd can bring; you may also require the healing of your mind.

When did you last do this? Have you ever done it? It is much easier if you live in the countryside, but if not, there are parks and other open spaces that may suffice and provide this much needed respite.

Probably, you may have been attempting to get in front of your leader - Jesus the Shepherd. You may be a leader but, you could never lead the way Jesus does. He knows the ultimate way; the true way. Perhaps he is speaking to you about this now; do you recognise His voice?

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Jesus - My Shepherd. Part 1

"The LORD is my Shepherd, I shall not want"             Psalm 23:1    NKJV

This verse can be split into two parts as follows:

SHEPHERD

Here David writes that, 'The LORD (Yahweh) is my Shepherd'. Note the emphasis on the word 'is.' It's a small word with a big meaning. The New King James Bible puts this as italicised to give this emphasis so that it reads in a more personal, and therefore, powerful way - 'The LORD is my Shepherd. There is no doubt when we declare it this way. It reads and sounds more meaningful than the more generalised 'is'. It is telling our listening world and ourselves also, that we have a Shepherd; He is ours and His name is Jesus Christ of Nazareth.

I SHALL NOT WANT

This phrase means - Yahweh - Yireh, 'The LORD will provide' Genesis 22:14. It can also be described as 'The LORD will see to it.' I tend to like this. In Genesis 22, we see Abraham willing to sacrifice his son, Issac. As he climbs Mount Moriah to perform this sacrifice for the Lord, God tells him to stop; he has proven his faith and commitment to the Lord and God provides a ram which has been caught in a thicket, for the sacrifice. God tested Abraham's faith and dedication and it was rock-solid. Therefore, He provided an alternative.

Jesus is our Shepherd and He will provide all we need and more (John 10:10b & Ephesians 3:20). A Shepherd guides, loves, directs and provides for his sheep. We are the sheep of Jesus' pasture; He will be there for us 24/7. He knows all of our needs and all of our cares too. He is adequate for every need we will ever have.

We may stray away from this pasture and He will come looking for us. He won't interfere however, as we have our own will. But if we call to Him for help, He is guaranteed to help and rescue us from all danger and trouble.

Do you need rescuing at the moment? Is there something on your mind that you cannot settle or provide an answer for? He is interested in helping you, He will listen with patience and love because, He is the true Shepherd; and He cares more than you could ever realise.

Speak to Him, now.

Copyright 2022 Grahame Howard.                                

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God has put a fighter in you

"I have the fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."   

                                                                                           2 Timothy 4:7   CSB 

The Christian life is not a timid lifestyle, it is an ongoing battle and we need to be constantly on guard if, we are going to be successful in finishing the race. Paul called it a race, which it actually is - two kingdoms at war against each other, the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of darkness. As Christians, we are up against the power of the devil and his demons. They will do all they can to prevent us completing this race and claiming the prize - Heaven.

The race can be better described as a battle and we have to fight. The word 'fight' in this context is not one of violence, God is not like that. The fight we are involved in is spiritual and the The Open Dictionary.com says, 'To strive vigorously and resolutely, as in trying to overcome something - to contend with. The 'something' here, is our enemy Satan who will oppose us every inch of the way. 

But God has put a fighter in you! When all of this is over and you attain your reward, you will have fought, finished and kept the faith. Until then, you are fighting the good fight; preparing to finish and living by faith. You may say that you can't do this, but you are wrong, 2 Timothy 1:7 says, 'For God has not given us a spirit of fear but one of power, love and sound judgement.' In other words, you are equipped and therefore, 'Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, 2 keeping our eyes on Jesus, the source and perfecter of our faith' Hebrews 12:1-2.

When we do this, we can guarantee that we will finish the race successfully. Yes, there will be many difficulties ahead, you can expect that, but nothing worth anything is ever easy. As you complete this course you will receive your medal - the reward of hearing Jesus as He welcomes you into His home - Heaven.

Until then, remember God has put a fighter in you; true fighters never quit, despite the odds. They go forward, pressing on. So get into the Word of God, spend time with Jesus and, live for Him. There really is no other way to live, and as you do, you will be able to say along with Paul, 'I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith

Copyright 2022 Grahame Howard.                                

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The God of 'No More'

"He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, death will be no more, grief, crying and pain will be no more, because the previous things have passed way."  

                                                                                          Revelation 21:4   CSB 

Many of us have suffered from the things mentioned above, and more. What about disappointments, rejection and failure? These have been prominent in most of our lives too. However, when we get to heaven, these will all have passed away. Until then, we have the help and support of the Holy Spirit to allow us to overcome these areas.

We all know that this is not easy; one almost wants Jesus to end the pain and suffering now, not later. We are 'Now' people and find it difficult to cope with what the world throws at us. It can make us ask, 'Why do we have to go through all the pain and suffering when we belong to a loving God? I suppose this can be summed up in the suffering Jesus had to go through. The Father allowed His one and only precious Son to be ransomed for us, so that we could be redeemed - purchased back from our sinful lives, so that our names could be written in the Lamb's Book of Life, as we repented.

Incidentally, Have you considered this fact; one day everyone will have to stand before Jesus to give an account of our lives? Those with their names written in this Book of Life, will have immediate access into heaven because Jesus paid the price of their sin. Those who are not recorded in this Book, will be thrown into the lake of fire Revelation 20:15. This is serious stuff and why we need Jesus so much.

I like what Tony Evans writes concerning this:

'When God writes your name in the Book of Life, He does so in ink - not pencil'

This means, once your name is there, no one can rub it out, it is permanent, God does not change His mind.

No more will you have to suffer, no more will you be ripped off or subject to scams and no more will anyone cheat on you. God has written a cheque in your name and it says, 'Paid in Full'. Until that day, we need to remember that we are Soldiers of the Living God and Jesus is our Commanding Officer. The difference here is, instead of Him remaining in the safety of the bunker, He goes with us, giving us the victory. Whether we live or die, we have the victory - our names are written in the Book. The God of 'No More' says so!

Copyright 2022 Grahame Howard.                                

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Forget the past - you have a new future!

"Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old. 19 Behold, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it?  v18-19    Isaiah 43   NKJV 

God is doing a new thing in your life; did you get that? A new thing is about to happen in your life. New opportunities, new starts, new surroundings, new adventures - everything new!

God was doing this for the Israelites. They had been in captivity in Babylon for 70 years or so. Their prospects had looked pretty bleak with nothing to look forward to. However, God had not deserted them and finally brought them through the wilderness to their homeland and freedom.

Warren Wiersbe writes: 

When God forgives and restores His people, He wants them to forget the failures of the past, witness for Him in the present and claim His promises for the future'  v18-21.

Ask yourself, 'Why should I remember that which God has chosen to forget? v25. It doesn't make sense; if God has forgiven you and chosen to forget about the past, surely it makes sense to do the same and move on; it's a new day. If you insist on re-visiting your past, the devil will begin to convince you that all is not well. He will sow seeds of doubt in your mind and then you will become so confused and you will end up worse than when you started - move on!

I like what Tony Evans writes in his study bible:

'As long as you are attached to your past, you negate what God wants to do in your future. Learn from yesterday; don't live in it'.      Rev Tony Evans Study Bible Holman Publishing

Check out that last bit, 'Learn from yesterday, don't live in it.' Ask yourself if you are living in yesterday. Do an assessment on yourself. Are you still attached to your past? Does it keep cropping up every now and then? If so, do what God is telling you and forget the former things, don't even consider them. They are yesterday's news, live in today. There's life out there and God wants you to flow in it; but if you are still attached to the past, you can't move forward - let go. You are not 'Yesterday's Man or Woman', shed off that label, you are 'Today's Person'. Own it and live it!

There is a new beginning about to explode; grab hold of it. The anointing of the Holy Spirit is about to erupt into an amazing revival; jump on board for this exciting ride.

New things - New beginnings - New lives!

Copyright 2022 Grahame Howard.                                

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Three Mistakes to Avoid

"Now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehem, Judah went to dwell in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons." v1                                     Ruth 1    NKJV

This man was called Elimelech with his wife Naomi and two sons, Mahlon and Chilion. Elimelech was concerned that he wouldn't be able to feed all of his family so, instead of trusting and seeking God, he ran away to the country of Moab, a place with a hatred for Israel and dedicated to heathen practice. This was mistake one - unbelief.

We see in scripture, that many people have tried to avoid God's direction and Elimelech was no different. He was a man who walked by sight, not by faith. He was trusting in man, not God and he would learn that this was an unwise thing to do.

Originally, he had meant this to be a temporary measure but the sojourn lasted ten years - a decade of disobedience. After a short time, Elimelech died and his two sons, after marrying two Moabite women, Orpah and Ruth, later died too. There is a lesson here, if we honour the enemy instead of God, we have to reap the consequences of our behaviour. 

Mistake two - the cover up followed, Naomi decided to leave the area and return to Bethlehem, there was no point in staying there any longer. She had heard that the famine was over in her country and she determined to go there - alone. She talked this over with her two daughter's in law, explaining that it would be better for them to return to their family here and the logic of it all. Orpah decided she would do this but Ruth was adamant, she would stay with Naomi until she died. Naomi's plan had been to send the two women to their families and go alone as she didn't wish for people in her homeland to discover that her family had broken the Law of Moses by allowing their two sons to marry outside the covenant nation. If her daughter's in law were not with her, no one would know this. She was trying to cover up this sin.

Mistake three - bitterness, came with Naomi blaming God for all the bad things that had happened to her because of her disobedience.

Three mistakes, Unbelief, Deception and Bitterness. We are all susceptible to these areas; we may get away with them for a time, but we can never hoodwink God. He sees all, knows all and will reveal all, unless we repent. Sometimes possibly in haste, we make bad decisions and we have to live by them. This is why we should always consult with God in the first instance Proverbs 3:5-6. 

Copyright 2022 Grahame Howard.                                

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