Finally, Some Good News

“Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” 
(Psalm 23:6)

There is so much discouraging news floating around out there. That’s why over the last month, we’ve been slowly working through Psalm 23 – the Shepherd’s Psalm. It is a cry of trust written from the perspective of a sheep towards his shepherd. And it closes in much the same was as it opens: with a declaration of joyful contentment from one who rests under the capable care of the Good Shepherd.

The first verse declares, “The Lord is my Shepherd, I have everything I need.”

The final verse declares, “Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever!”


I don’t know about you, but whenever I read about dwelling in the Lord’s house forever, my mind automatically goes to the throne-room of Heaven. After all, that’s where God resides, right? So if I want to be in His presence, I need to go where He is.

And this leads me to interpret David’s statement as a “some day” declaration. Some day I will finally be with God in heaven. Some day I will finally leave this broken world, full of pain and heartache and disappointment.

Someday.

But that implies that I can’t dwell in God’s house now. I’m stuck here in my house, with kids that don’t want to do their distance learning, snacks that keep begging me to add to my ‘dad-bod,’ and a virus that quietly stalks our streets. Oh joy!

But what if I’ve been reading this wrong all these years? What if my Western-interpretation of what David means by “the house of the Lord” has actually obscured the immediacy of his joy?

I turn one last time to the words of Philip Keller, whose insights gleaned from years as a shepherd have proven invaluable to our journey through the Shepherd’s Psalm. He explains that the Shepherd’s house isn’t referring to a physical home, like a church building or even to heaven itself. Rather, “what is referred to by ‘house’ is the family or household or flock of the Good Shepherd.”

In other words, coming into the house of the Lord means coming under His ownership and finding rest in His care. And as we’ve seen all throughout Psalm 23, David already considers himself to be under the care of the Good Shepherd. He resides in the presence of the Lord, regardless of whether he lays in the green pastures or walks through the dark valleys of life. He says that no matter what my circumstances, my heart is at peace because “You are with me.”

And that means we don’t need to wait until we die to find rest in the house - or the care - of the Lord. We can rest under His loving and capable hands here and now, even in the midst of this sin-scarred world.

Now, I should mention that there are other shepherds out there, and they're not nearly as good. Peter warned us that “we are slaves to whatever has mastered us.” (2 Peter 2:19) That means some of us are slaves to our ambition, others to our appetites, and still others to our anxiety. These are just a few of the many cruel owners in whose flock we might find ourselves. They are demanding masters who are never satisfied and couldn’t care less about our well-being. Many of us have labored under their judgmental gaze far too long, and our efforts left us spiritually emaciated.

But we don’t need to live under the heavy hand of these cruel and heartless taskmasters for the rest of our lives. We don’t have to futilely search for our identity or scratch our meager sustenance from their desolate fields any longer. Jesus made a way for us to enter the care – or house – of the Good Shepherd whenever we choose. 

No, we don’t have to jump the fence. We couldn’t do that if we wanted to. Nor do we need to earn the right to become one of his sheep by doing impressive things to help us stand out from the rest of the haggard sheep. There really are no barbed-wire hoops to jump through at all. Because Jesus made a way into our Heavenly Father’s fields.

Let me rephrase that – Jesus IS the way into our Heavenly Father’s fields.

Don’t take my word for it. Jesus said so himself: “I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture.” (John 10:9).

That means the cross isn’t just good news for when we die; it’s good news for us here and now in this sin-scarred world. Because Jesus laid down his life to make a way for us to come back to our Father’s flock. We don’t need to earn it – that’s what makes it’s a gift.

But this invitation isn’t just for us. It’s also for every other man, woman and child on the planet. So once we enter through the grace-filled gate, once we taste and see that our Father truly is a loving and capable shepherd, then we get to spend our lives roaming the fences, looking for other sheep who desperately need to hear that they don’t need to labor under the heavy hand of their earthly masters any longer. Because His love made a way.

And the best part? No matter how bad the weather gets, no matter how dark the valleys we walk through, the brokenness of this world will never get the last word. We will reside under the loving care of our Creator for all eternity.

And that truly is good news.

In the Presence of My Enemies

“Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, 

I will fear no evil for you are with me…
You prepare a table for me in the presence of my enemies.”

(Psalm 23:4-5)

We are journeying through a valley of desolation. All our regular rhythms are thrown off, our favorite distractions are postponed until further notice, and every time we open the news-feed we are reminded of a very real enemy that stalks us in the shadows. It is no wonder that many of us are exhausted and starving for moments of joy. Why else would we keep sharing coronavirus related memes?

But Eric, what do you expect?
How can I rest when I’m out of work?
How can I rest when there’s a virus out there killing thousands of people every day?
How can I rest when I don’t see the end in sight and we may be on lock-down indefinitely?

These are fair questions. And yet, Psalm 23 reminds us that we don’t need to carry the weight of the world on our shoulders. It’s not our responsibility to think through every contingency, to protect ourselves from every enemy, or to scrounge up enough provisions to carry us through this prolonged quarantine. That’s our Shepherd’s job, and He is fully up to the task.

We may be deep in the valley, but He’s right here with us. And His presence provides a place for us to rest and find our nourishment in the presence of our enemies.

Our minds might be screaming, “Run! Fix it! Get out of this as fast as you can!”
But our Shepherd is inviting us to “be still and know that I am God.”

Now, I will confess that resting when we are surrounded by enemies can feel impossible, bordering on irresponsible. But then I think of all the times God allowed His people to find themselves in a place where all they could do was fix their eyes on Him in the face of danger.

For instance, after that first Passover when God powerfully delivered the people of Israel from slavery in Egypt, He led them to the edge of the Red Sea. As they camped there, hemmed in by an impassible body of water, they turned and saw the Egyptian army bearing down on them. As the horizon was darkened by the dust of the most powerful military force of their day, the Israelites were understandably concerned. They began to cry, “Why would God lead us out here into the wilderness to die?”

But then Moses reminded them not to fear the enemy, for their God was with them:

“Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”  (Exodus 14:13-14) 

You know how the story goes. God ultimately parted the sea and led His people through on dry ground, with the Egyptian army hot on their heels. And then, once the Israelites passed through the valley of water, God decimated the enemy army without His people needing to raise a hand. Their cries of lament turned to cries of victory – and their fear gave way to faith.

We find ourselves in a similar place. We are huddled inside our homes, a deadly enemy advancing upon us, and we feel the urge to do something, anything to protect ourselves. So we try to stay busy, educate ourselves about the virus, or just distract ourselves with memes. And yet, our Shepherd is inviting us to be still and rest in His presence: to recuperate from the harried schedules we’ve been keeping; to be present with our loved ones; and to find nourishment for our souls in the midst of this dark valley. Because He has prepared a table for us in the presence of our enemies, and He’s provided us with plenty of time to partake of it.

I will close our time together with these words from Psalm 46:

God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging.

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”
The Lord Almighty is with us;
the God of Israel is our fortress.
(Psalm 46:1-3, 10-11)

The One Who Defends and Disciplines Us 

“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) 

As I reflect on the broken path we find ourselves in this season, we truly are walking through a dark valley. The shadows cast by the unfamiliar terrain and the uncertainty each day brings could easily hide predators who have the ability to cause us great harm: COVID-19, financial hardship, bored children.

However, as we saw in the last devotional, we can find comfort in the fact that our Shepherd is right here with us. Not only has He led us into this uncomfortable place, but He calmly walks at our side as we pass through it. But, according to David’s psalm, our Shepherd doesn’t walk empty-handed.

When shepherds in David’s day were out in the field with the sheep, they would carry two items: a rod and a staff. This morning, we are going to focus on the rod.

The rod was similar to a security-guard’s night stick. It was a small club that is was easy to swing or throw. When a predator would threaten the flock, a shepherd would use it to defend the sheep. But a shepherd wouldn’t use it solely to chase off predators. The rod was also used to correct unruly or foolish sheep.

As Phillip Keller, shepherd and author of A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23, explains, “If the shepherd saw a sheep wandering away on its own, or approaching poisonous weeds, or getting too close to danger of one sort or another, the club would go whistling through the air to send the wayward animal scurrying back to the bunch.”

So the rod was used both for defense as well as discipline. And its presence in the shepherd’s hands brings the sheep comfort.

You might wonder how discipline can be comforting. Consider these words from Hebrews 12:

“My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when He rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and He chastens everyone He accepts as his child. Endure hardship as discipline. God is treating you as His children.” (Hebrews 12:5-7)

So the discipline we go through is a sign of God’s acceptance and love for us as His children. But His discipline isn’t primarily punitive in nature, but rather formative. The author of Hebrews continues:

“God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in His holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” (Hebrews 12:10-11)

This season is painful. None of us would choose what we’re going through, and yet it has the potential to produce real spiritual growth in us if we are willing to lean in and trust our Shepherd. 

Admittedly, we could get mad at Him for allowing us to walk through this dark valley, and we’ll get nothing but out of this time but bitterness and disillusionment. 

Or we could fix our eyes on our shepherd and choose to trust Him as we walk with Him through it. If we do, then this season can produce a bountiful harvest of spiritual fruit in our lives: love for God and for those around us, joy and peace in the midst of uncertain circumstances, patience when things don't go as planned, and a greater sense of intimacy with our Heavenly Father to name a few. 

I don’t know about you, but it seems like an easy choice to me.


Father God, you are my Shepherd, and I trust you. I don’t like this painful place I find myself in right now, but I find comfort in the fact that you are with me in it. I’m grateful for the reminder that you defend me and you discipline me for my own well-being. Help me to keep my eyes fixed on you, and use this time to help me grow. Jesus, in your name I pray, Amen.

He Makes Me Lie Down

“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads be beside quiet waters…

There was a time, about 6 years ago, when David’s declaration of trust from Psalm 23 was like a drink of water in the midst of a desert. At the time, I was a new father, an adjunct college professor, and an associate pastor at a growing church down the street. Life was exciting and I was running hard and fast. It felt like there were never enough hours in the day to do everything I needed to get done, and my relationships with my family and with God bore the brunt of my harried schedule.

Whenever my wife would ask me to choose her and our infant son over work, I would feel frustrated. Couldn’t she see that everything I was doing was for them?! Wasn’t it enough that I was providing for them and serving God?  Speaking of God, during this season I was acting a lot like Martha. I was far too busy working for God to actually spend any time with Him.  So I drove myself into exhaustion, never realizing that I was in danger of burning out. Looking back, I can clearly see the warning signs. I was red-lining and running on fumes, but the excitement of feeling needed kept me going. Little did I know that a break down was imminent.

 

It’s funny how people around us can see the warning signs better than we can. I was physically present, but emotionally distant. My marriage was suffering and my desire to minister to others was waning. It was even hard to scrape together the desire to worship at church. Something was amiss; I was in a funk and everyone around me could tell.

So one day, my director at church pulled me into his office and voiced his concern. “Eric, I don’t know what’s going on with you, but the joy-filled guy that I know is gone,” he told me. “I’m concerned about you and I want you to take the rest of the week off to spend some time with God and your wife and figure out what’s going on.” I know that he only wanted the best for me, but in the moment it felt like I’d been called into the principal’s office and suspended.

I went home and collapsed onto the couch with Cathy, feeling utterly defeated. Thankfully, it was my son Ethan’s nap time, so my wife and I spent the next hour praying together for God’s wisdom and direction.

During that time, He gave me a mental image of me lying in a bed, under a heavy blanket. But as the sheet was pulled away, I saw that my body was withered and emaciated. I knew in my heart that God was showing me the state of my soul, which had grown dry from constantly pouring out but never stopping to be refilled.

It feels ironic to admit that, as a pastor, I had grown spiritually dry, but it was true. In my drive to care for other’s needs, I’d neglected my own relationship with God, so I’d been pouring into other people out of the dregs, not the overflow of my heart. As a result, ministry had become an obligation, not a joy, and though I didn’t realize it in that moment, my Father in Heaven was putting me on the sideline for my own good and the good of those who depended upon me the most.

During a time of quiet reflection one morning during my forced sabbatical, He led me to Psalm 23 over and over again. David’s words felt as if they were written specifically for me:

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not be in want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul.

As I sat in the stillness of my home, alone with God as everyone else in the house was still asleep, I felt as if my Shepherd was using David’s words to tell me that He needed to pull me out of ministry so that He could minister to me. My Shepherd was going to make me lie down in a green pasture to rest.

It’s seems odd that the shepherd has to make the sheep lie down, doesn't it?! But shepherds need to do it all the time, because sheep are prone to wander off in search of one more tuft of grass to crop or one more mud-choked puddle to drink from. And like sheep, we are prone wander in search of things to prop up our identity and prove our value to ourselves and others around us. But our identity and value has never been found in what we do for a job or how in-shape we are. They are found in our relationship to our Shepherd, and sometimes our Shepherd needs to make us be still so that we can remember that.

For many of us, this season of self-isolation feels like being forced to lie down in a green pasture. We can’t run to the things we normally run to for consolation and purpose, so we sit at home and wonder if anybody even misses us. But what if this is a time in your life when your Shepherd is inviting you to be still and know that you are enough, just as you are, because He is with you and He is watching over you.

I remember how painful it was during that forced-sabbatical to sit and be still. It felt punishment. Like I was in time-out. But David’s words from Psalm 23 were like a balm to my aching heart, because they assured me that my Shepherd’s intention was not punitive, but rather restorative.  

He was going to restore my soul.

We will explore what it means to have our souls restored, and how God does that tomorrow. 

For today, I would simply invite you to spend some time in silence, resting in these truths:

• You are not alone. Your Shepherd is right there with you.
• He loves you - not for anything you do, or anything you will do - but just for being you.
• You are enough, and so is He.

The Lord is My Shepherd

Psalm 23 is one of the most well-known passages in the Bible, rivaled only by John 3:16. But there’s a danger to familiarity – when we know something so well, we can stop really listening to what it has to say, like a song we’ve sung so many times that we never consider what the lyrics mean. So our goal over the next two weeks will be to strip away the familiar veneer and chew on this beloved psalm one verse at a time, so that we can truly consider the gravity of what it declares.

This morning, I want to start with that first verse that we know so well:
“The Lord is my shepherd, I have everything I need.” Or as most of us memorized it, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.”

It’s important to remember that, as famous and well known as these words are, they were penned by a real person, a guy named David who happened to be the most famous King in Israel’s history. But he didn’t start out as a king. When we first meet him in the Bible, he is out tending his father’s flocks. That’s right. As a kid, David was a shepherd. So it’s no coincidence that when he was searching for an analogy to describe his relationship with God, he would choose to call God his shepherd.

And that means David identified as one of the sheep.  Which is an interesting choice, because sheep can’t take care of themselves. They have no claws or horns to defend themselves. They aren’t fast enough to run from predators, they aren’t smart enough to feed and care for themselves. Sheep are, by nature, dependent creatures, and it is the shepherd’s job to lead and guide, protect and provide for them.  That means that the flock’s well-being is directly tied to the quality of the shepherd caring for it.

Psalm 23 is an emphatic declaration of David’s complete and utter trust in his shepherd. Just consider the opening line: “The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not be in want.”

As the king of Israel, David could have said, “The Lord is OUR shepherd.”
But he didn’t. Instead, he declared, “the Lord is MY shepherd.”  It’s a much more personal statement, and the Psalm as a whole has the feel of a sheep resting contentedly under his shepherd’s care. And because God is caring for him, David declares, “I shall not be in want.”

Now, I’ll admit that this could sound like a bit of an overstatement, as if David is suggesting that he has no desires beyond what God gives him. But that’s not what he’s saying. There’s a huge difference between wanting something and being in want. Remember, it’s the shepherd’s job to provide for the needs of his flock; however, that doesn’t mean the shepherd will or should always give the sheep everything they want. Imagine if I gave my boys everything they wanted? We’d be eating ice cream at every meal. To give into our children’s every whim is the best way to ensure that they will be fat, unhealthy and spoiled. And in the same way, a good shepherd recognizes the difference between what his sheep want and what they truly need. Every one of us want things that could hurt us, and a good shepherd will protect us from them. A good shepherd will tell us “No” from time to time.

Perhaps we should paraphrase the opening this way: “The Lord is my Shepherd; He gives me what I need so I shall not be in want.” David experienced this first hand. He saw God’s hand of guidance, provision and protection throughout his life, in both the good times and the hard ones (and let’s not forget that David had plenty of hard ones). He spent years on the run from Saul. He had moments of doubt when it seemed like God had abandoned him and destruction was just around the corner (just read the Psalms, which are full of his cries of frustration and disappointment). He had some painful moments when he fell flat on his face into sin. Yet even then, his Shepherd didn’t abandon him. Rather, God met him in the midst of his mistakes and led him out of bondage to sin and guilt. David could say with confidence that “the Lord God is MY Shepherd, I shall not be in want.”

Can you say that?

As you survey the pathway of your life, the twists and turns, the triumphs and the disappointments, can you see God’s hand of guidance?

Can you see the ways that he has protected you from things you wanted, but ultimately needed to avoid?

And can you see the ways He’s provided for you?

I sure can. Though life hasn’t always gone the way I would have expected, I can see God’s sure hand of guidance and protection all along the way. At times He’s led me with a clear, loving ‘No,’ and my life is better for it. Sometimes He’s led me with the rod of discipline, to get my attention and set me on the path of righteousness again. And sometimes He’s just flat out blessed me beyond what I could have ever imagined.

So the Lord is a worthy, capable shepherd. But he’s more than that. He’s also our rightful owner. After all, He created us and sustains our every breath. And He paid the price to buy us out of slavery to sin. He is our rightful owner, yet he doesn’t force His ownership upon us. He allows us to choose whether or not we want him as our Shepherd. He allows us to choose whether we will follow His lead.

So I ask you again, is the Lord Your Shepherd?
Have you chosen to submit your life to His care?

A lot of times we treat this like a one-time decision – whether to pray the prayer or not – but the truth is that following our Shepherd is a daily decision. Every day and every circumstance is an opportunity to declare our faith, through both our thoughts and our actions. Will we take up our cross and follow Him, or will we choose to chart our own course, running after the things that we think we need to be happy and fulfilled?

I think Joshua said it best: “Choose this day whom you will serve.” Choose this day whom you will place your trust in and follow. God is the rightful ruler of your life, the only one who has both a claim and a capability to guide your steps through this sin-scarred world. But He still gives you a choice. So choose whom you will serve. As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord. Why?

Because the Lord is my shepherd, 
and I have everything I need.

The Lord's Prayer - Part 3

Give Us Our Daily Bread

We have been journeying through the prayer that Jesus modeled when his disciples asked him how they should pray. As we’ve seen, he begins by reminded us who we are praying to: God is our Heavenly Father who loves us, but He also transcends our momentary circumstances, standing above them. And because He is God and we are not, it is His Kingdom purposes that we are looking to advance, His will that we pray will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

However, our own needs matter to our Heavenly Father, and as we come to the central verse of the Lord’s Prayer, and it could not be more personal:

“Give us today our daily bread” - Matthew 6:11

Intellectually, I’ve always known that this is a declaration of dependence upon our Heavenly Father.  But as someone who has grown up in an affluent family in America, praying for bread has never felt all that pertinent. I’ve often viewed "bread" as a metaphor for money rather than food. After all, whatever I’ve needed has been available, either in my fridge, my pantry or just down the street at any of a dozen stores. All I’ve needed was the money to buy what I wanted. It wasn’t until I saw lines wrapped around my local grocery store that the thought crossed my mind: will I be able to feed my family?

For many of us, this current crisis is the first time we’re experiencing a true sense of scarcity.  It may be the first time in our life when we truly feel dependent on God for what we’re going to eat. But for the Jewish community, dependence upon God was a central part of their national identity. After all, for forty years, God had placed them in a state of daily dependence on Him for their sustenance.

After God led the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt and brought them through the Red Sea, they found themselves in the wilderness, with Egypt behind them and the Promised Land somewhere ahead. But all they could see in that place was their hunger, and they began to grumble against God, and romanticize what life in slavery had been like.

But God had a plan.

“The LORD said to Moses, ‘I have heard the grumbling of the Israelites. Tell them at twilight you will eat meat, and in the morning you will be filled with bread. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God.” (Exodus 16:11-12)

And that’s just what happened. That evening, a flock of quail settled in the camp and provided meat, and in the morning a strange bread-like substance appeared on the ground. The people had no idea what it was, so they called it mana, which means “What is it?”

But God unexpectedly commanded the Israelites not to collect more than they needed for that particular day. No more quail than they and their family could eat for dinner, and no more mana than they needed to last them that day. In other words, no hoarding.  Why? Because God wasn’t just providing for their physical needs. He was teaching them to trust Him.

Each day, He wanted them to go to bed with full bellies but nothing left in their tent, so that in the morning, they would wake up with the knowledge that their survival was dependent upon His provision.

Of course, many of the Israelites struggled with this directive. They hoarded meat and mana, stashing it away in the back of their tent in case their heavenly Father didn’t come through the next day. But God wasn’t thwarted by their disobedience; any excess that they kept overnight was spoiled in the morning, because He alone was to be their provider.

The current toilet paper shortages are a reminder that we still haven’t learned to trust God. We may pay lip service to Him, but deep down we all feel a lot better when we have a nice big cushion of food and TP in our pantry just in case He doesn’t come through. But at what cost? Perhaps our heavenly Father is inviting us to literally trust Him for our daily bread. What if this season is about more than merely surviving – what if He wants to use this time of scarcity to show us that He truly is our provider.

Admittedly, both my wife and I have been concerned about the shortages we’ve experienced. Both of us have stood in those lines outside of our super market. But through this whole crisis, do you know who hasn’t worried about what they will eat? My kids. Because they know their parents will take care of them.

In the same way, Jesus’ prayer reminds us that our Father in Heaven is our provider, so we don’t need to worry. He’s got us, and He knows what we need even when we don’t. And that’s why just a few verses later in the very same sermon where Jesus teaches us how to pray, he reiterates our need to trust God:

“So I tell you again, don’t worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the unbelieving world runs after these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. Instead of worrying, seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will take care of itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matthew 631-34)

Father, you know what we need before we ask. Yes, we need food, we need money, we need TP. But even more than those things, we need you. We pray that you will use this time to teach us to remain dependent upon you. And as you did for the Israelites in the wilderness, we pray that you will use this time of scarcity to grow our faith – to increase our trust in you. So Father, we ask that you would give us the bread we need for today and no more. Because you are our Provider and you are enough. Amen.