No Matter What Happens
I hope that this new day finds you well and at peace. I want to begin with the words of David in the fourth Psalm:
1Answer me when I call to you,
my righteous God.
Give me relief from my distress;
have mercy on me and hear my prayer.
2 How long will you people turn my glory into shame?
How long will you love delusions and seek false gods?
3 Know that the Lord has set apart his faithful servant for himself;
the Lord hears when I call to him.
4 Tremble anddo not sin;
when you are on your beds,
search your hearts and be silent.
5 Offer the sacrifices of the righteous
and trust in the Lord.
6 Many, Lord, are asking, “Who will bring us prosperity?”
Let the light of your face shine on us.
7 Fill my heart with joy
when their grain and new wine abound.
8 In peace I will lie down and sleep,
for you alone, Lord,
make me dwell in safety.
It is the last verse of this Psalm that stands out to me. Let’s read it again, Psalm 4:8 “In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.”
Pastors Steve and Kurt have been leading us on Sundays through a series on the Twenty-third Psalm. I hope, like me, that you have been inspired and refreshed by this series. I have been enjoying it so much and look forward to their new sermons together on Sundays!
In the 23rd Psalm, David talks about God as the Good Shepherd who makes us lie down in green pastures. A sheep lies down because he is not wanting for anything. He is not frantically searching for food or other means of survival. He’s not running around in fear of a real or perceived danger. He is content and trusts that his shepherd is good and is watching over him.
When my children were younger, there were days (a lot of days!) that I would count the hours until it was time for them to go to bed. Confession: Sometimes I would start counting at 8 AM! When bedtime finally came, it was such a great feeling to have them tucked in their beds, leave their room, and think “Whew, done for the day!” … only to a minute later hear my name being called, or the sound of little feet coming down the hallway, or the sound of my bedroom door opening. This sometimes still happens, although thankfully less frequently now that they are getting older. Even now, it’s still the same very familiar: “I’m scared! I’m not tired! I just can’t fall asleep!” My husband and I explain that they are safe, there is nothing to fear, we are right across the hall, and that if they would just lie down and remain still for a few minutes with their eyes closed, sleep will likely come.
Some nights the fear would just take over and no amount of reassurance that we were a mere feet away in the next room would help. As weary parents, we would make a bed out of blankets for our son or daughter on the floor at the foot of our bed. They would be asleep nearly as fast as they crawled in! Being in our physical presence, they could finally relax enough for sleep to come. No matter what the night might bring, they knew they could face it because we were right there.
A friend of mine recently recommended a book to me, Life Without Lack: Living in the Fullness of Psalm 23. I trust my friend and I know from experience that if she says a book is good and is worth reading, then it is… and I’m usually on Amazon ordering it.
The book is a compilation of eight weeks of oral teachings that the great theologian, Dallas Willard, did with a small group on the 23rd Psalm. In the book it says that from Dallas’ own experiences with Jesus, “he was convinced that the 23rd Psalm was not merely a pretty poem with charming sentiments but an accurate description of the kind of life that is available to anyone who will allow God to be their Shepherd.”
I’m only in Chapter 1 of this book but already have gained a lot from it! Dallas says that a life without lack is talking about a life from which fear is eliminated. Can you imagine that? – your life completely free of fear? I can’t. I worry, and worry, and then worry some more – about things that have happened, are happening, and might possibly someday happen. A life without fear is inconceivable to me, but that is just what is being offered and what is actually intended for all of us!
Life without lack is possible solely because of the presence of our Good Shepherd. Like my children, I often keep pacing internally getting all riled up and fearful and my Good Shepherd is reminding me to lie down, be still, He is here, and I can trust His goodness.
God’s goodness is as true today as it ever has been. We must cling to that regardless of the circumstances we are facing today. We must trust the presence of our Good Shepherd and then we can surrender to His rest.In peace we can lie down and sleep, for He alone makes us dwell in safety. (Psalm 4:8)
Instead of questions today, let me leave you with a challenge:
In Life Without Lack, Dallas Willard makes this interesting statement –
“Memorizing Scripture is even more important than a daily quiet time, for as we fill our minds with great passages and have them readily available for our meditation, ‘quiet time’ takes over the entirety of our lives. Memorization enables us to keep God and his truth constantly before our minds, allowing his Word and wisdom to help us.”
So let me challenge you to memorize a passage of scripture this week. If you have never memorized Psalm 23, that’s a perfect one to start with, or Psalm 1, or just the verse that I mentioned – Psalm 4:8. Then, instead of the anxious thoughts taking over, recite the new scripture passage in your mind. Recite it over and over until it beings to take root deeply in your life and see how God uses His Word to remind you of His presence and truth.
I’ll close with the words of a prayer from Life Without Lack:
“Lord, slip up on us today. Get past our defenses, our worries, our concerns. Gently open our souls, and speak your Word into them.” Amen.
A life without lack is a life in which one is completely satisfied and sustained, no matter what happens. No matter what happens!
1Answer me when I call to you,
my righteous God.
Give me relief from my distress;
have mercy on me and hear my prayer.
2 How long will you people turn my glory into shame?
How long will you love delusions and seek false gods?
3 Know that the Lord has set apart his faithful servant for himself;
the Lord hears when I call to him.
4 Tremble anddo not sin;
when you are on your beds,
search your hearts and be silent.
5 Offer the sacrifices of the righteous
and trust in the Lord.
6 Many, Lord, are asking, “Who will bring us prosperity?”
Let the light of your face shine on us.
7 Fill my heart with joy
when their grain and new wine abound.
8 In peace I will lie down and sleep,
for you alone, Lord,
make me dwell in safety.
It is the last verse of this Psalm that stands out to me. Let’s read it again, Psalm 4:8 “In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.”
Pastors Steve and Kurt have been leading us on Sundays through a series on the Twenty-third Psalm. I hope, like me, that you have been inspired and refreshed by this series. I have been enjoying it so much and look forward to their new sermons together on Sundays!
In the 23rd Psalm, David talks about God as the Good Shepherd who makes us lie down in green pastures. A sheep lies down because he is not wanting for anything. He is not frantically searching for food or other means of survival. He’s not running around in fear of a real or perceived danger. He is content and trusts that his shepherd is good and is watching over him.
When my children were younger, there were days (a lot of days!) that I would count the hours until it was time for them to go to bed. Confession: Sometimes I would start counting at 8 AM! When bedtime finally came, it was such a great feeling to have them tucked in their beds, leave their room, and think “Whew, done for the day!” … only to a minute later hear my name being called, or the sound of little feet coming down the hallway, or the sound of my bedroom door opening. This sometimes still happens, although thankfully less frequently now that they are getting older. Even now, it’s still the same very familiar: “I’m scared! I’m not tired! I just can’t fall asleep!” My husband and I explain that they are safe, there is nothing to fear, we are right across the hall, and that if they would just lie down and remain still for a few minutes with their eyes closed, sleep will likely come.
Some nights the fear would just take over and no amount of reassurance that we were a mere feet away in the next room would help. As weary parents, we would make a bed out of blankets for our son or daughter on the floor at the foot of our bed. They would be asleep nearly as fast as they crawled in! Being in our physical presence, they could finally relax enough for sleep to come. No matter what the night might bring, they knew they could face it because we were right there.
A friend of mine recently recommended a book to me, Life Without Lack: Living in the Fullness of Psalm 23. I trust my friend and I know from experience that if she says a book is good and is worth reading, then it is… and I’m usually on Amazon ordering it.
The book is a compilation of eight weeks of oral teachings that the great theologian, Dallas Willard, did with a small group on the 23rd Psalm. In the book it says that from Dallas’ own experiences with Jesus, “he was convinced that the 23rd Psalm was not merely a pretty poem with charming sentiments but an accurate description of the kind of life that is available to anyone who will allow God to be their Shepherd.”
I’m only in Chapter 1 of this book but already have gained a lot from it! Dallas says that a life without lack is talking about a life from which fear is eliminated. Can you imagine that? – your life completely free of fear? I can’t. I worry, and worry, and then worry some more – about things that have happened, are happening, and might possibly someday happen. A life without fear is inconceivable to me, but that is just what is being offered and what is actually intended for all of us!
Life without lack is possible solely because of the presence of our Good Shepherd. Like my children, I often keep pacing internally getting all riled up and fearful and my Good Shepherd is reminding me to lie down, be still, He is here, and I can trust His goodness.
God’s goodness is as true today as it ever has been. We must cling to that regardless of the circumstances we are facing today. We must trust the presence of our Good Shepherd and then we can surrender to His rest.In peace we can lie down and sleep, for He alone makes us dwell in safety. (Psalm 4:8)
Instead of questions today, let me leave you with a challenge:
In Life Without Lack, Dallas Willard makes this interesting statement –
“Memorizing Scripture is even more important than a daily quiet time, for as we fill our minds with great passages and have them readily available for our meditation, ‘quiet time’ takes over the entirety of our lives. Memorization enables us to keep God and his truth constantly before our minds, allowing his Word and wisdom to help us.”
So let me challenge you to memorize a passage of scripture this week. If you have never memorized Psalm 23, that’s a perfect one to start with, or Psalm 1, or just the verse that I mentioned – Psalm 4:8. Then, instead of the anxious thoughts taking over, recite the new scripture passage in your mind. Recite it over and over until it beings to take root deeply in your life and see how God uses His Word to remind you of His presence and truth.
I’ll close with the words of a prayer from Life Without Lack:
“Lord, slip up on us today. Get past our defenses, our worries, our concerns. Gently open our souls, and speak your Word into them.” Amen.
A life without lack is a life in which one is completely satisfied and sustained, no matter what happens. No matter what happens!
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