Sunday School Blog

Psalm 23 Study - Healing For Our Personalities

This weekend my husband and I reminisced about what we were like ten years ago.  We decided that, if we had started to date back then, it wouldn't have worked out.  I'm so thankful that God had a better plan!  It was painful to wait until 32 to meet my future husband, but it was worth it.

Here's the reason that Garrett and I wouldn't have worked out back then:

I was not good in relationships and was willing to accept very little.  I once had a guy tell me, "There's nothing special about you.  Why should I tie myself down to you?"

So I proceeded to drop-kick him.

Just kidding!  Hee hee hee, I crack myself up.  The truth is, my reaction was way worse.

I agreed with him.  And continued to date him.

It saddens me to think of my young self accepting so little.  The only explanation is a soul that needed restoration.  I finally recognized my need and determined to become emotionally healthy.  It didn't happen overnight, but I'm happy to say that my husband and I share a healthy relationship and are thrilled to be married and to serve each other.

Let's study today by putting the emphasis on each word in this portion of Scripture.  By diving deep into each word, we'll broaden our understanding of the entire verse.

"He restores my soul." (Psalm 23:3a, emphasis mine)

As we saw in a previous lesson, the "He" in this verse is the Shepherd, Jesus.  I cannot restore myself.  Other people can't do it for me.  Jesus is the only One able to restore me.

"He restores my soul." (Psalm 23:3a, emphasis mine)

I like to look up verbs in a lexicon to get a fuller understanding of their meanings.  Let's look at restore in the Bible study tools provided by crosswalk.com.  About halfway down the list of definitions you'll find "to restore, refresh, repair."  Isn't that interesting?  It sounds a little different if we say, "He repairs my soul."  That tells me that there's something in my soul that needs fixin', as if things aren't what they should be.

This makes me think of those home improvement shows on TV.  I like the ones where people are trying to sell their houses but aren't getting buyers.  A team comes in and fixes all of the flaws that came about from neglect or even just lack of knowledge about what to do about those flaws.  Sometimes the homeowners knew about the flaws and just didn't know what to do.  Other times, they didn't see the flaws at all.  They just lived with them, even though they could be fixed.  I also love it when they take an empty room with no purpose and give it a purpose, such as an office or den.  By the end of the 30 minutes (including commercials), the home is hardly recognizable, transformed into a place that anyone would like to call home.

It's comforting to know that God wants to come in and restore my soul to the way it should be.  I know some of my "issues" and know that I can't fix them - only God can.  And I cringe to think about "issues" that I have and don't know about - but I'm sure others see them!  Thinking about that makes me want to throw myself at His feet to restore me to be the person that He intended me to be from the start, giving me purpose where I thought there was none.

"He restores my soul." (Psalm 23:3a, emphasis mine)

The word "my" reminds me that I need not concern myself with the restoration of another's soul.  We cannot restore someone else.  God may use us in the process, but we are not the responsible party and are not capable of such a feat.  So instead of reading this lesson and thinking about so-and-so, I should be thinking about my own need.

"He restores my soul." (Psalm 23:3a, emphasis mine)

"Soul" is one of those words that I tended to gloss over in Bible reading.  So let's jump over to the lexicon and get some definitions.  To summarize, your soul consists of your mind, will, and emotions - your personality. 

What does it all mean?

I've been thinking about those things that injure our souls and affect our personalities and I've come up with a few examples:

• Grief - the natural outpouring of grief can wound us if we let it turn into bitterness or self-pity.
• Abuse - physical or verbal abuse can convince us in our minds that we are not worth any better.
• Sin - cherishing sin can harden our hearts to God's voice.
• Stress - I for one am extremely sensitive to stress.  That's a nice way of saying that I'm not pleasant to be around when I'm stressed out from work, commitments, or anything else.  I don't even like myself.  This past year I've gone through the stress-inducers of planning a wedding, buying a house, moving, and my husband changing careers.  So I've had many opportunities to consider this topic!

Can you think about other things that can injure our souls?  Leave a comment and tell us about it.

Something to remember is that restoring our souls is not the same as changing our personalities.  For example, I'm an extreme introvert, and in restoring my soul I don't expect or even want God to make me an extrovert.  That's just the way God made me.  There's nothing wrong with it.  On the other hand, something in my personality that might need restoring is low self-esteem or lack of purpose.

Now the big question: How does God repair all that needs repairing in me?  Let's turn to Scripture for answers.  Read the following Scripture passages and ask yourself the associated question.

• Psalm 116:7 - What instruction does this passage have for the soul?
• Psalm 19:7 - What revives the soul?
• Luke 22:31-32 - What type of person can strengthen their brothers?

To experience restoration, we may need to cut out anything that keeps us from resting, at least for a season.  Maybe that means saying no to new commitments, taking a sabbatical, cutting down on work hours.  We then need to devote ourselves to God's Word.  But not unguided.   God places us in community with other believers so that we can strengthen each other when needed.  Other believers can strengthen us if we place ourselves under their teaching, learn from their experiences and victory over struggles, or even by working through a Bible study written by a believer that we can relate to.

What's the big takeaway?  God repairs what's broken in me.

Questions:

• What can injure our souls?  Share your thoughts with us here.
  
• Have you experienced His restoration?  Share your thoughts with us here.
  

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Psalm 23 Study - Dissatisfaction

I don't like water.  Just don't like the taste.  Yeah, yeah, yeah, I've heard it before - "Water doesn't have a taste, Leslie.  How can you not like the taste when it doesn't taste like anything?"  And I always insist that it tastes like SOMETHING.  Chemicals, impurities, whatever.  Me no like whatever lurks in the H2O. 
So when I come in from a summer day in Houston, I'm desperate for an ice cold Diet Cherry Coke.  (And when I'm really hot, I'll even take water!)  Reminds me of those old Coke commercials where the construction worker took a Coke break.  That first taste is just a little bit of heaven. 

Psalm 23 pictures the Shepherd leading His flock to a little bit of heaven on earth.  In A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23, Phillip Keller tells us that an animal like a sheep is made up of about 70 percent water.  Sheep require water for their bodies to function as God intended.  The Shepherd leads His flock to water so that they can live healthy lives.  Sheep, and humans, cannot live without water.

Now let's apply the idea of thirst to our spiritual lives.  Just as I'm desperate for a Diet Cherry Coke when I spend time in the sun, our souls thirst for things to the point that we think that we cannot live without them.  Just as sheep become restless and set out in search of water to slake their thirst, we enter into all manner of activity to satisfy our soul thirsts.

Ok, enough with the generalities.  Let's get specific...and maybe even up in your bidness!

But I'll let you get up in my bidness first by sharing with you some of the things that I've thirsted for:

• Knowledge - I've seen on BooMama's blog this quote from Designing Women that I can't stop thinking about - Charlene saying, "I love knowledge. As a matter of fact, I yearn for it."  I've certainly had my share of days of wanting to be the smartest and brightest.  Unfortunately, I didn't yearn for knowledge for the sake of knowledge, but for the status that it would give me.
• Affection - I was one of those single girls with multiple cats.  Now I'm one of those married women with multiple cats.  Married women don't quite have the stigma that single women do when it comes to feline affection.  But I've gotta say that my precious kitties helped me to feel less lonely in my single days.  (They also gave me asthma, but that's another story for another day.)
• Power - I'm the oldest of four, so I was born to be bossy.  I was used to telling people what to do.  I even subcontracted chores to my brother once - got him to vacuum the family van for a percentage of what my father was paying me to vacuum the van.   True story.  Poor kid didn't realize he could go to my dad for the full amount.  Some might think that shows the entrepreneurial spirit, but everybody else probably thinks that's just pathetic.  But don't worry, the Holy Spirit and marriage are working some of the bossiness right out of me.

None of these things satisfied.  There's only one true thirst quencher.  Read the following verses and see if you can determine what will satisfy soul thirst:

• John 4:10-14
• John 7:37-39
• Revelation 7:17

Trying to satisfy soul thirst with anything other than the Holy Spirit is like taking part in a little girl's tea party and drinking from the empty cups.  We can go through the motions, but once we're done with it we're just as thirsty as we were before we began.  Maybe even thirstier. 

When we drink from the streams of living water, the Holy Spirit becomes such a part of us that our personality is affected.  We treat others with more love and kindness.  And we discover power to do things that we thought we were incapable of doing.   We begin to function in the way that God intended.

But first we need to make the decision to drink.

Now it's your turn:

• What have you found to be sub-par thirst quenchers?
• How do the streams of living water flow through us and affect others?  For example, learning to like people even though we may initially not see them as likable.

Person John 4:10-14

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Psalm 23 Study - The Cure to Conflict

Last night I watched our dog chase one of the cats down the stairs.

Usually they get along pretty well.  They often share a couch.  But all that changed in a moment.  One minute we're all enjoying a quiet evening at home, the next minute animals are pounding down the stairs and interrupting the cone of silence (minus the drone of the TV).

I watched the dog's tail disappear from my line of sight and asked myself, "Should I intervene?" 

To which I quickly answered myself, "Nah.  They'll be alright."

I'm motherly that way.

I spent the better part of the next thirty fifteen five seconds wondering why there was conflict all of a sudden.  Was mocking involved?  Did the cat pull the dog's tail?  Or did our sweet Dulce think that chasing a lazy fat cat was a fun way to pass the evening?

It reminded me of a picture that made its way into my inbox recently.

No matter.  Conflict is a fact of life.  It comes and goes.  When it comes to the animals, I'm happy as long as there's no bloodshed.

But it's not so straight-forward when the conflict involves real live human beings, is it?

The day-to-day conflict we deal with may not involve bloodshed, but it can harm in so many other ways.

Hurt feelings.

Ended relationships.

Damaged reputations.

Missed opportunities.

And that's just within the church.

Conflict Within the Church

In the last few weeks we've seen that we cannot rest unless we are free from fear, desire, and spiritual illness.  Another factor interrupting our rest is conflict.

In A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23, Phillip Keller describes the conflict and jealousy rife within a flock as sheep establish their places of dominance.  The sheep are unhappy and irritable as the tension mounts, even to the point of losing weight. 

Who knew that sheep society was so complicated? 

Or that it would look so much like the culture within churches?

If we were all perfectly honest, we would have to admit that we have participated in or been affected by conflict within our church circles.  Maybe it's the matter of locking in a leadership position, belonging to a particular social group, or participating in gossip.  Before we know it we're involved in Drama.  Our cell phones are glued to our ears as we discuss who said what and when they said it.

DRAMA.

The Antidote to Drama

Phillip Keller, an experienced shepherd, describes the affect of his presence on conflicting sheep:

"...whenever I came into view and my presence attracted their attention, the sheep quickly forgot their foolish rivalries and stopped their fighting.  The shepherd's presence made all the difference in their behavior."

So the million dollar question is: How should our relationships within the church be affected after we experience the presence of Jesus?

We experience the presence of Jesus when we enter into true worship.  We can sing the songs and raise our hands, but if we walk away from a worship service still nursing grudges, we have not truly entered into worship.  We've only gone through the motions.

So how do we enter into true worship?

"God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth." (John 4:24)

True worship is an outgrowth of a deep relationship with our Savior.  We can nurture this relationship in small ways:

• Begin each day reading a chapter out of the Bible.
• Pay attention during the sermon.
• When singing hymns or worship songs, focus on the words and mean them.
• Pray by pouring out your heart to God.

It can be summed up by Philippians 4:8 - "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."

By nurturing our relationship with our Shepherd, we promote health and healing in our relationships with other believers.

Now it's your turn - tell us what you have found to be effective in nurturing your relationship with Jesus.

Psalm 23 Study - Spiritual Illness

Every morning my husband is faithful to a multi-vitamin and vitamin C regimen.  And he is hardly ever sick.

(Sorry ladies, he's taken!)

In an attempt to follow his good example, I joined him as he "medicated" himself every morning.  The multi-vitamin I can do, but the vitamin C...how can something so good for you be so difficult to get down?  I finally bowed to the discomfort and gave up. 

You can guess the consequences.  Last week I was brought down by some vile illness and had to work from home so that I could recline on the couch with my head on a pillow.  In this position the nausea and headache abated enough for me to get some work done on the laptop propped in my lap.  And I got a lot done...until the day drew to a close and my fever spiked.  I went to bed wrapped in a thermal blanket...in HOUSTON...during the month of JUNE...to ward off the chill.  Illness is no respecter of season or geographic location.

Then there was the time (as in, yesterday) that I enjoyed a lovely lunch with a good friend at Panera.  Panera's soup in a sourdough bread bowl has been good to me in the past, but, feeling adventurous, I went with a chicken sandwich instead.  After the lovely lunch I returned to work, only to spend the afternoon longing for the privacy of my bathroom at home.  There are some things that you just shouldn't do in a public toilet (that's right, I said it).  More nausea and chills.  The internal drama eventually passed (no pun intended) and I was able to return to my exciting life as a software developer.

The last couple of weeks we've learned about a sheep's need to be free from fear and hunger in order to rest and applied this physical lesson to our spiritual needs.  Today we will talk about the need to be free from disease.

Spiritual Illness

God often uses physical examples to reveal spiritual truth.  Last week we were able to better understand spiritual desire with the example of physical hunger.  So what is the spiritual correlation to physical disease?  See if you can figure it out by reading the following verses:

Romans 5:12 - "Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned"

Romans 6:23 - "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Galatians 6:7-8 - "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life."

James 1:15 - "Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death."

Do you see it?  We learn from these verses that sin results in spiritual death.

Sin: Topic Overview and Symptoms

All of the vitamin C in the world will not cure the human race from the illnesses and diseases that are part of the human condition.  We are familiar with the symptoms of physical ailment - fever, headache, nausea, loss of energy, to name a few.  But what are the symptoms of spiritual illness - sin?  Refer to Psalm 32:

3 When I kept silent,
       my bones wasted away
       through my groaning all day long.

4 For day and night
       your hand was heavy upon me;
       my strength was sapped
       as in the heat of summer.
       Selah

5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you
       and did not cover up my iniquity.
       I said, "I will confess
       my transgressions to the LORD "—
       and you forgave
       the guilt of my sin.
       Selah

Psalm 38 also shows the symptoms of sin. If I were to submit an entry to WebMD for Sin, I would include the following as symptoms:

• Groans
• Loss of energy
• Wounds
• Searing pain
• Pounding heart
• Depression
• Desperation

Home Treatment

In order to complete our fictional WebMD entry, we need to know how to treat the illness of sin.  Is there a home treatment?   

For the answer, refer back to Romans 6:23.  Jesus, our Shepherd, provides us spiritual health.  John 3:36 spells it out more clearly - "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him."  To embark on the road to spiritual health, we must admit, "Jesus, I'm a sinner and You are my Savior.  Please come into my heart."

But what do we do when we have accepted Jesus but have allowed sin to creep in?  This is a universal problem.  None of us can live a sinless life.  Refer back to Psalm 32:5.  The cure to this sin problem is to acknowledge the sin.  Stop covering it up.  Confess it to God.  He will forgive.

And rest in the arms of the Forgiver.

Now it's your turn.  Tell us...

• What would you add as a symptom to our WebMD entry for sin?
• What does it feel like to confess and receive forgiveness?

 

Person James 1:15

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Psalm 23 Study - Delight In God

I often dream of sushi...

Although I sure like me some burgers and fries...

But sometimes it's all about PIZZA!

(Now I've done it.  My stomach is grumbling and craving a slice with mushrooms and onions.  Maybe if I drink enough water I'll forget about it.)

<whimper>

In A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23, Phillip Keller explains that sheep will lie down only when they are free from

• Fear
• Hunger
• Disease
• Conflict

Last week we talked about our Shepherd freeing us from fear.  This week we will tackle the idea of our Shepherd freeing us from hunger.

One definition for "hunger" is "the painful sensation or state of weakness caused by the need of food."  I can testify to the painful part.  CiCi's is calling out my name.  Right this minute I feel like if I don't get some macaroni and cheese pizza, I'll start frothing at the mouth with my eyes rolling to the back of my head.

But is food the only thing that can cause this feeling?  Another definition for hunger is "a strong or compelling desire or craving." 

Well, well, well, that makes things a little more interesting!

So the obvious question - what do we desire?

I thought about listing some possibilities here, but somehow I don't think I need to.  If someone were to ask any one of us, "What do you want the most?", I dare say we'd all have an answer.

So instead let's focus on what Scripture says.  What does our Shepherd tell us about desire?

Verse 4 in Psalm 37, another psalm of David, speaks to this topic - Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Too often we zone in on the promise - "he will give you the desires of your heart."  But we reach that destination by traveling the road "Delight yourself in the LORD." 

And delighting in God is really one of the easiest things you'll ever do.

Let's start here:

Delight in the Lord - Father, Your sky is so beautiful.  It's different every moment.  You have created so many amazing colors.  Your creativity is beautiful and endless!

Delight in the Lord - Father, what were you thinking when you created the giraffe?  I smile every time I see one.  I so enjoy your creativity!

Delight in the Lord - Father, You are bigger and more majestic than I can imagine.  I'm amazed that the One that set the stars cares about me and my life.  Thank you for loving me.

Delight yourself in the LORD.

The Shepherd satisfies our hunger when we delight in Him.  Our fulfilled desires are just the cherry on top.

Questions:

• What do you see in nature that inspires you to delight in God?
• What has God already done in your life that inspires you to delight in Him?

Psalm 23 Study - Freedom From Fear

“He makes me lie down in green pastures” (Psalm 23:2a)

My cubicle needs a couch. It’s furnished with a desk and chair, but a nap after lunch is out of the question unless I have something comfy to sleep on. And if I had a TV to drone in the background…golden.

(I wish I looked like this.)

(Although I so wouldn't wear that shirt to work.)

(Or probably anywhere.)

If I weren’t afraid that I would snore in a very public and obnoxious manner, it would be all about the z's.

Something else that would put a crimp in my cubicle napping plans would be if I were afraid that someone was crouching behind the cubicle wall, waiting for me to close my eyes before attacking me with a stapler (or other office-related paraphernalia…a staple remover would probably do some damage too…but I could totally take anyone wielding a hole puncher). I couldn’t sleep if I were afraid that somebody was waiting to staple me to death.

(Ridiculous, I know.  But try to stick with me.)

So it won’t surprise you to learn that sheep can’t rest when they’re afraid, either.  In A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23, Phillip Keller explains that sheep will lie down only when they are free from

• Fear
• Hunger
• Disease
• Conflict

That’s a lot to think about in one day, so today we’ll focus on freedom from fear.

Sheep have fear of physical attack. You know, lions, tigers and bears (oh my!).  But my lions, tigers, and bears come in the form of spiritual attacks. For example:

• I watch a tragedy on Law & Order and wonder if that could happen to my family.
• I have an ache or pain, diagnose myself on WebMD (always a mistake), and incorrectly find that I have a fatal illness.
• My husband drives away and I wonder if he’ll get into a car accident.

The result is a tired and restless heart.

How can I be a good wife while hanging onto my husband tightly in fear of losing him? How can I enjoy life while experiencing emotional turmoil over every ache and pain? How can I serve God to the best of my ability while not trusting His care for me?

I can’t.

And I don’t have to.

Scripture tells us that God sent Jesus “to rescue us from the hand of our enemies, and to enable us to serve him without fear”. My shepherd is willing and able to rescue me from fear if I turn to Him.

He rescued me by speaking to my restless heart: “Relax and rest, God has showered you with blessings.” Relax and rest. And why? Because God has showered me with blessings.

When a lion roars at me, or a tiger pounces on me, or a bear swipes his claws at me, I remember the blessings. And there are many, personal and tailor-made for this fearful woman. Maybe I’ll share a few with you if we ever sit down over a cup of coffee. (A tall skinny vanilla latte for me, please.) But I couldn’t possibly recount them all. I say with David, “Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders you have done. The things you planned for us no one can recount to you; were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare.”

But what about when fears become realities? A diagnosis. An accident. A job loss. I refuse to belittle any of these situations with a pat answer. If God allows the unthinkable into my life, I pray that I will not allow the descending fog to hide the face of my Shepherd. And that I will eventually be able to look for the blessings. Because I know that there will be many. Personal and tailor-made for this trusting sheep. And I will rest in them.

Questions:

• What fears loom in your mind? How has God spoken to them?
• What blessings has God showered you with?

Psalm 23 Study - God Is At Work

“He makes me lie down in green pastures” (Psalm 23:2a)

I want to roll around in a muddy field. I think that it would be fun to play like a kid, get covered in mud, and not care. Maybe I’ll get my chance when I’m a mother. With a kid I could play it off like, “Hey, just trying to relate to the child.” Without a kid, I might be committed.

Doesn’t that look like fun?

I guess “green pastures” are a’ight too. Soft and pretty. And undoubtedly filled with bugs. Consequently, I have no interest in playing in a green field. No ma’am. Wouldn’t want a Horton Finds a Who thing going on.

Sheep, on the other hand, are quite fond of a green pasture.

This picture reminds me, in an opposite kind of way, of our yard. When we moved into our house, the yard was brown and filled with weeds. Bushes were overgrown or stunted. The flowerbeds were filled with rocks. So my darling husband got to work. He went to Lowe’s and bought all manner of lawn equipment. Weed killer, fertilizer, mowing, edging, and a good soaking provided a major improvement.

But there was more. One Saturday morning, while I was sleeping the sleep of angels, Garrett headed over to Home Depot (twice before I ever woke up!) and bought bricks, mulch, and more fertilizer. Then came the physical labor - pulling out bushes, digging up rocks, laying down fertilizer and mulch, and placing bricks.

Our front yard started out like this.

And ended up like this.

And it’s still not finished.

But there’s only so much a body can do in a day. Garrett's back reminded him for days that he’d poured himself into the yard project. But it was totally worth it for the pride he felt in a job well done. Years from now when our future children enjoy the yard, they will have no idea of the work that went into making it beautiful.

My favorite Psalm 23 book of all time reminds me of an important fact: green pastures don’t happen by accident in Palestine (where this psalm was written). Shepherds cleared fields and planted tasty sheep treats in order to provide nourishment for their flocks. Shepherds were active, not passive, in the care of their sheep.

In the same way, God is at work around us all the time. He is not like Dr. House –enjoying a soap opera while ignoring the tragedy filling the building. Our lives are much more than a soap opera to our Creator. Last weekend I wrote about how He prepared me to enjoy the man He had for me as my husband. But I wonder how else he’s worked in my life. How many times has He protected me from a car accident? Or from a negative friendship? Or provided an encouraging friend at the moment that I needed it? Things that some might ascribe to coincidence or chance but that we can ascribe to a God that is active in our lives.

Questions:

• How do you work for the welfare of those that you are responsible for (families, employees, pets) in ways that they don’t see or understand?


• They say hindsight is 20-20. Looking back at your life, can you recognize how God was at work around you, even when you didn’t see it? What’s an example?

(BLOGGY GIVEAWAY) Psalm 23 Study - God Meets Our Needs

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“The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.” (Psalm 23:1, NIV)

“THE LORD is my Shepherd [to feed, guide, and shield me], I shall not lack.” (Psalm 23:1, The Amplified Bible)

Sometimes I daydream about what I would do if I won a million dollars (I’m shallow that way). A few things come to mind.



As you can see, I’ve given this topic some serious thought.

But Jason Castro (channeling Neil Diamond) gives us a little reminder about money.

(Isn’t he a cutie? I want to squeeze his cheeks every time I see this.)

(And take scissors to his hair. Please, Lord, get the boy a fauxhawk.)

(And the thing about blue jeans? They can be quite expensive these days.)

Anyhoo, when David said, “The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want,” he wasn’t declaring God to be a disburser of winning lottery tickets. As a matter of fact, when a rich young man came to Jesus asking how to gain eternal life, Jesus told Him to give up physical riches to gain spiritual ones.

So as our Shepherd, what does He provide for us? We’ll be learning more about this in the weeks to come, but here’s a few examples just to get us thinking:

• freedom from fear
• equipping to do what He’s called us to do
• peace
• comfort
• protection

I’m a computer engineer (i.e. NERD), so of course this idea of “lacking nothing” reminds me of computer games. (What, you too?) I like the type of game where you travel through a mythical land, pick things up along the way, and solve puzzles. When I reached a puzzle that I needed to solve to continue in the game, I would look at everything I’d picked up and see how I could use them to solve the puzzle and move forward. (“Surely I must be able to use this used bubble gum and bungee cord to find the invisible map!”)

In the same way, if I stay connected to Him, God gives me everything I need along the way to fulfill His purpose for me. Be it wisdom, a particular skill, the right friend at the right time, or even some much needed cash, it all comes from Him. And if I don’t think that I have what I need? Well, I know where to go to find it. It’s amazing how Scripture can speak to my specific situation during my quiet times and give me an idea or change in perspective.

Don’t get me wrong, I won’t turn down a million dollars. (Cash please.) But it will not meet all of my needs. Instead of looking at the cash, I look to the Shepherd. And He’s worth much more to me than a lottery ticket.

Questions:

• What do you want or need?
• How has Jesus met your needs?
• What skills, abilities, experiences, and relationships has God given you to equip you for your future?
• Do you feel comfortable approaching Him to meet your needs?

Psalm 23 Study - God Prepares Us

"€œThe LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want." (Psalm 23:1)

The long day eases into a cool night. I crouch near the warmth of a fire and allow the murmur of conversations and the warmth of the blaze draw me into a thoughtful state. As my mind drifts from thought to thought, the sounds of muted chatter and crackling campfires give way to the strum of a harp. Music! The perfect companion to a melancholy mood. I come to my feet and search for the source of the melody. A large crowd surrounds one campfire, with all eyes directed toward the center. Could it be David? I’ve heard David touches hearts with his voice. Now is my chance to hear for myself.

As I approach the crowd, I hear the first words of the melody - "The Lord is my shepherd." My heart catches. David sings with conviction and something else...gratitude...relief? Or are those my own feelings? As I reach the crowd, I see David's face illuminated by the glow of the fire. He sings with eyes closed and head thrown back to revel in the care of an unseen Shepherd. I then look at the faces around me. Some shine with tears, others soften with tenderness. All reflect the power of revelation. After all, this group knows the life of a shepherd...

Sheep go baaa. That's about all I know about those critters, other than they'€™re tasty and provide wonderful wool skirts. And shepherds? Well, in my mind, the word "shepherd" inspires a vague image of someone herding sheep with a big stick. Wikipedia offers me more information than I ever cared to know about sheep and shepherds, but the over-share prompts only a “Look at the pretty sheep faces!” from me.


The psalmist David did not require Wikipedia or pretty pictures. The word "shepherd" brought to his mind, not a vague image, but memories. Before he became King David, the young man with ruddy appearance and handsome features lived as a humble shepherd. It'€™s likely David expected to tend sheep for his entire life, but God had another purpose for him.

God used David'€™s time as a shepherd of sheep to enable him to become a shepherd of men. As a shepherd, David learned to provide for the physical needs of his sheep, to protect them from enemies, and to care for the weak...all worthy lessons for a king-in-training. David would also need the heart of worship that he developed in solitude to lead a nation in worship of God. There quite possibly would not have been a King David if there had not first been a shepherd David. And from the offspring of David, the Shepherd King.

God prepares each of us the same way that He prepared David. God determines when and where each one of us will live so that we will know Him better. He uses our past experiences, skills, abilities, and gifts in order to serve others and to make Himself famous through us.

An awesome book gave me an interesting tidbit: shepherds cut distinguishable notches into the ears of their sheep to mark ownership. The mark of ownership is obvious from a distance. Though I do not bear a physical mark to distinguish me as a Christian, I bear a permanent spiritual mark. The Holy Spirit marked me and sealed me as belonging to Jesus. Life provides many opportunities to hide that mark, but Psalm 23 instructs me in how to keep it obvious by reminding me of the character of the One that cares for me.

I don't know much about human shepherds, but my heavenly Shepherd teaches me about Himself in Psalm 23. Good-bye Wikipedia, hello Scripture. Holy Spirit, please teach us.

Questions:

1. Has there been a circumstance in your life that God has allowed in order to bring you to a greater understanding of an aspect of His character?
2. Can you recall a time when you accepted Jesus as your Savior and Shepherd? If not, what has held you back?
3. If Jesus is your Shepherd, would you say that it’s obvious to the world that you belong to Him? How?

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Psalm 23 Study - Introduction

Email forwards are a fact of life. All manner of truth or fiction make their way into my inbox. If it’s not Obama and the US flag, then it’s a scare about telemarketers calling our cell phones. Every once in a while an email drops into my inbox with “facts” about the Psalms – Psalm 117 is the shortest chapter in the Bible, Psalm 119 the longest, Psalm 118 the center, and Psalm 118:8 is the center verse. Knowing that I can’t believe everything that I see in email forwards, I googled and came across this, which contains this quote by James Montgomery Boice from his Psalms: An Expositional Commentary (Vol. 3):

“What do you suppose a middle verse should say? Shouldn't the middle verse of the Bible be John 3:16, or its equivalent? Or something from Psalm 23?”

It turns out that Psalm 118 isn’t the center of the Bible, and neither is Psalm 23. I thought that it was a little strange that Boice classed Psalm 23 with John 3:16. After all, John 3:16 is about life and Psalm 23 is generally saved for funerals. However, deeper study reveals that Psalm 23 does not speak of death...it glorifies the Life Giver. Worth taking a look, don’t you think?

Before studying Psalm 23, let’s take a look at the Psalms in general. The transliteration for “psalm” is mizmowr, which can be translated as “melody.” According to the Holman Bible Dictionary, the Psalms are “A collection of songs of praise that are theological statements and poetically represent human dialogue with God.” They were originally set to music and reveal God’s heart for us and a heart for God. Think of them as some of the favorite songs of the Hebrew people.

If you’re like me, you have several favorite songs. As a matter of fact, my current fave depends on my current mood or the occasion. TobyMac provides ideal work-out music (or so I imagine, not having been in a gym in many a moon). A romantic evening with my husband calls for something classical (no words so that we can speak sweet nothings into each other’s ears). And during Bible study, anything written by Shane & Shane helps me to dive into Scripture (those guys are deep!). My iPod holds many playlists for my many moods. After all, I’m a complicated woman. (Ha!)

But men can be complicated, too. Enter David, writer of psalms. As a teenager, David didn’t have the (debatable) luxury of an iPod, so he wrote his own songs. As a matter of fact, 73 of the 150 psalms in the Hebrew Bible, including Psalm 23, are attributed to him.

David enjoyed a reputation as a gifted singer, despite spending his days tending his father’s sheep. His music even provided a king relief from an evil spirit. He reminds me of the young man described in the song “Killing Me Softly”, written by Roberta Flack. The song describes a young man with the ability to make his listeners feel like he’s baring their souls to the world.

David achieved the same thing in his psalm writing. Psalm 13, Psalm 32, Psalm 63, and yes, Psalm 23 are just a few of the psalms that tell my life in such a way that I want to look around and see if anyone is watching. They were written thousands of years ago, but they speak to my life right now.

“Now wait just a minute,” you may be thinking. “I’m a busy mom, or a member of a cubicle farm, or a student dreading an upcoming test. I don’t exactly relate to people in the Bible. Shepherds? What do they even do? Is it, like, dirty?”

Questions like these reveal that a culture gap often robs us of the true meaning of Scripture. Take a look at The Twenty-Third Psalm according to the Khmus Tribe of Laos. Now don’t laugh too hard. Our 21st century culture also paints pictures of the 23rd Psalm that are not accurate, relegating it to the dead and dying. But the truth is that it reveals Jesus as our Shepherd, Savior, Provider, Defender, and more.

In the next few Sundays I’d like to scratch away our cultural assumptions and study Psalm 23 from its culture of origination. Please join me in sitting at the feet of David, the shepherd king, as he sings to us about the Shepherd King.

Questions

1. What is your favorite song? Why?
2. What Psalm speaks to you where you are right now?
3. How would you translate Psalm 23 from the point of view of your own culture?