Psalm 23 “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows. Surely goodness and loving-kindness will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”
In His love for us, God has made it possible for us to know beyond a shadow of a doubt what His plans are for us in any given situation. We can be certain that the father will move heaven and earth to show us His will. But we need to remember that what He intends to tell us might be so critical that He wants to be certain that we are totally focused on Him. So, any waiting we experience is simply intended to fix our attention on Him and prepare us for His answer. We know this because he says in Jer. 29:11 “I know the plans that I have for you; plans for welfare and for calamity to give you a future and a hope.” This is His assurance. Just think about it: How can God expect us to walk in His will and accomplish His purposes if He does not tell us what they are? It would be out of His character to hide what He wants us to be and do. When you look at the promises in the Bible it becomes very clear that the Lord is not opposed to showing us what to do, He actively seeks to reveal to us His path of life: Exodus 15:13; Psalm 16:11; Psalm 23:3; Psalm 25:12; Psalm 78:52-53; Psalm 143:10; Proverbs 3:5-6; Proverbs 4:11; Isaiah 30:20-21; Isaiah 42:16; Isaiah 48:17; Romans 8:14; Colossians 1:9. These are all great verses that you should read and know because when you are desperate to hear God’s voice and His answers to your petitions, remember His promises and count on them. Continue watching for His activity and listening for His voice. He is getting your attention and He will show you His will.
God communicates with you in many ways: He speaks with you personally. He is your Shepherd and He cares about every detail of your life and it is in His sovereign care. Stop worrying and trust Him. The very same God that governs the affairs of the world cares for you and he will not fail you! David says ‘I shall not want”. You might lack some things and you have a hard time believing this promise. He wants you to have what is best, so He will always give you what you really need according to Phil. 4:19. He does not just supply what you need physically, but he also takes care of your emotional and spiritual needs. He satisfies your soul with love, acceptance, companionship, and worth as no one else can. David said “He restores my soul: He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.” When you stray, He calls you back to the throne of grace to show you mercy, to restore your soul, and to remind you of your overwhelming worth in His sight; He will never make you feel worse.
Psalm 18:2 says “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock in whom I take refuge; my shield and the horn of my salvation.” The Lord allows some pain and suffering because there are times when we listen to Him better if we go through adversity. David says “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” No matter how things look He will faithfully lead us through every difficulty. David says “You have anointed my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and loving kindness will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” What a wonderful promise! He wants us to take hold of this; regardless of your circumstances, His goodness and loving kindness will be with you forever, even into eternity (John 14:2-3).
The Lord wants to communicate with you. He will speak to you about the critical issues in your life that have you worried and confused. He knows exactly how to handle them, He knows how to enable you to make the best decisions for you and your family. Will you listen to Him? Will you say Yes to Him no matter what your fears are or what consequences might arise? I pray that you will, because your good Shepherd will lead you to life at its very best!!
Dale
0 Comments