Psalm 23 ~ The Lord is my Shepherd

Psalm 23

1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

2 He makes me lie down in green pastures.

He leads me beside still waters.

3 He restores my soul.

He leads me in paths of righteousness

for his name’s sake.

4 Even 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.

5 You prepare a table before me

in the presence of my enemies;

you anoint my head with oil;

my cup overflows.

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me

all the days of my life,

and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord

forever.

David has more written about his up and down, anointed life, than Jacob. Jacob, who is named Israel. Not as much Moses, only because Psalms is a Book of Worship. That's quite a lot of Biblical Word given. Almost jaw dropping. However, the Pentateuch has so many more Chapters.

The Song, "Once in a Lifetime," by the Talking Heads

And you may find yourself living in a shotgun shack

And you may find yourself in another part of the world

And you may find yourself behind the wheel of a large automobile

And you may find yourself in a beautiful house, with a beautiful wife

And you may ask yourself, "Well, how did I get here?"

Same as it ever was, same as it ever was

Same as it ever was, same as it ever was

Same as it ever was, same as it ever was

Same as it ever was, same as it ever was

David writes of being filled by God. And yet, David writes about being hurt, envied, chased, feeling abandoned, treated with national indifference as he began his mercenary career. Marrying very well. Being abandoned by his Princess wife. Separated from his family. How is David able to write about being filled. His life looked like a slide down the mountain for almost 3 decades.

What attracted God to love David so well? 

David exemplified the 10 Talent Parable. If David lived in a ditch and his family was kidnapped, and then his ruffian and malcontent cohorts planned to kill David due to the kidnappings. And ditch living.  David decided with the same optimism of centenarians: This will work out for the good of one anointed of God.

The summary would be, when in a ditch, look up to God in hope. 

If your background was a ditch, God says you can be a wonderful leader of God's people with your choices. God says if life takes a wrong turn and all turns to dust, God says you can be a wonderful leader of God's people with your choices. If you live in a ditch and have no leadership skills, God will love you as much as David.

 If the ones you love fall into a ditch, your prayers, mercy, and God's Love will protect them and keep them in God's Love. 

Should you find your ditch is substance abuse, look for the help God gave David, keep the faith.

If your ditch is worry and sadness over the culture, being called, 'social decay', prayer kept David alive in some very difficult times, times that didn't seem to have an exit strategy. 

And like all the real people of the real Scriptures, God's Word: real anger, depression, fear, isolation, sin, loneliness, repentance, mind changing, renewal and hope was part of daily decisions.

Blessed are the Merciful, they will obtain Mercy.

During his mercenary days, David did not kill off Israel. David knew his duty was to protect and serve the Children of God. David was known to hope he could live or have his own convenient decisions, "Off God's radar," but David had only to be reminded his life was a purpose of God's purpose, David repented and returned to the Grace, Good Will and God's Purpose and Plan.

David's life in no way or shape looked like the pain free, blessed life of Jabez, who expanded his tent. There and Back Again. 

David fell from the photo above. He fell out of God's grace. He seemed to fall out of God's Plan. David believed God would always restore his soul. David made himself dependable to the Lord. 

One of the primary aspects of David, his ability to Shepherd. The fallen kingdom of Saul and Saul himself. His friendships. The malcontents and criminal class who followed the hero David into mercenary work. 

Endearing. 

God understands David had times with limited choices.  God did not insist David stay home to not eat ham on Christmas, or the stockades. The Holy Spirit understands when life is a prison, not a literal prison. God was pleased when David lived in caves and didn't kill Saul.

One of David's most endearing aspects, his life story, is that of the Samaritan woman. Life didn't offer a banquet, God has a Heart of Love and Empathy. David was doing his best to pick up the fragments, the pieces, under God's Communion Table. David believed God would love even those who hope for the scraps from under the Table of God. Our David, anointed of God, had some humility in his poor circumstances, God would find Mercy for David.

Lamentations 3

I am the man who has seen affliction

    under the rod of his wrath;

2 he has driven and brought me

    into darkness without any light;

3 surely against me he turns his hand

    again and again the whole day long.

4 He has made my flesh and my skin waste away;

    he has broken my bones;

5 he has besieged and enveloped me

    with bitterness and tribulation;

6 he has made me dwell in darkness

    like the dead of long ago.

7 He has walled me about so that I cannot escape;

    he has made my chains heavy;

8 though I call and cry for help,

    he shuts out my prayer;

9 he has blocked my ways with blocks of stones;

    he has made my paths crooked.

10 He is a bear lying in wait for me,

    a lion in hiding;

11 he turned aside my steps and tore me to pieces;

    he has made me desolate;

12 he bent his bow and set me

    as a target for his arrow.

13 He drove into my kidneys

    the arrows of his quiver;

14 I have become the laughingstock of all peoples,

    the object of their taunts all day long.

15 He has filled me with bitterness;

    he has sated me with wormwood.

16 He has made my teeth grind on gravel,

    and made me cower in ashes;

17 my soul is bereft of peace;

    I have forgotten what happiness is;

18 so I say, “My endurance has perished;

    so has my hope from the Lord.”

19 Remember my affliction and my wanderings,

    the wormwood and the gall!

20 My soul continually remembers it

    and is bowed down within me.

21 But this I call to mind,

    and therefore I have hope:

The steadfast love of the Lord 

never ceases;

    His mercies never come to an end;

23 they are new every morning

    Great is your faithfulness.

24 “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,

    “therefore I will hope in Him.”

25 The Lord is good to those who wait for Him,

    to the soul who seeks Him.

26 It is good that one should wait quietly

    for the salvation of the Lord.

27 It is good for a man that he bear

    the yoke in his youth.

28 Let him sit alone in silence

    when it is laid on him;

29 let him put his mouth in the dust—

    there may yet be hope;

30 let him give his cheek to the one who strikes,

    and let him be filled with insults.

31 For the Lord will not

    cast off forever,

32 but, though he cause grief, he will have compassion

    according to the abundance of his steadfast love;

33 for he does not afflict from his heart

    or grieve the children of men.

34 To crush underfoot

    all the prisoners of the earth,

35 to deny a man justice

    in the presence of the Most High,

36 to subvert a man in his lawsuit,

    the Lord does not approve.

37 Who has spoken and it came to pass,

    unless the Lord has commanded it?

38 Is it not from the mouth of the Most High

    that good and bad come?

39 Why should a living man complain,

    a man, about the punishment of his sins?

40 Let us test and examine our ways,

    and return to the Lord!

41 Let us lift up our hearts and hands

    to God in Heaven

David's Grandfather

Boaz, who showed Mercy to the Foreign woman, Ruth

the Pillars are the entrance to the Temple.

David collected the materials for this Temple,

his son Solomon built the Temple.

Thanks to foreigners 

and foreign supplies and suppliers.

Generations later,

Hezekiah would establish an unprecedented

reign, fraught with terrible Empires

surrounding all, David had built.

And again, David's dream,

would be realized. 

Foreigners aided Israel.

Foreign supplies and suppliers.

 Great is your faithfulness.

Abba, Father,

We understand You to clearly say, come directly to Me, My Child.

Father God, may the meditations of my heart 

and the words of my mouth be pleasing 

and acceptable to You, my Father God.

I Give You my heart and this prayer. 

And cover these prayers and please bless them and keep them. 

May Your face shine upon these prayers and be gracious to them. 

Lift up Your Face to Smile upon my prayer. 

And keep these prayers covered 

in Your Name - Jesus Christ - with Peace.

We pray for Turkey Syria, afraid to go home and dwell

in a building that might give way.

We ask Your Mercy.

Dozens of earthquakes felt in Turkey

5.5 this week and 4.3 quakes

Lenten opportunity to give:

We pray for relief to help and reach Syria

and Turkey. 6.4 and 4.9 earthquakes this week.

We pray this will cease. Lord, Your mercy upon this land and 

Your people.

We pray Amazon puts back Amazon Smile,

philanthropy is needed today and this program

was wonderful. Many will feel the clip if Amazon Smile doesn't

continue. Please Lord.

We are Blessed to seek You First. 

Blessed to be finding the High Way of Your Heaven today. 

Blessed to ask to see more Heaven upon earth. 

Blessed to have You as our Daily Bread. 

Blessed to ask to Live Love, Joy and Peace.

Blessed to pray in expectation of Your Love and Willingness. 

Blessed to say Thank You that during Holy Week, 

we have seen the Glimpse of Your Glory 

working to heal the fullness of the earth, Yours.

We have had problems,

 Pray for peace, please. 

My mother's roof is in sudden need of

repairs and we want to find the best solutions for her house.

During the rainy season.

We are spending so much time at her house.

We pray for relief and God's Word.

In Jesus, we Live and ask 

Love and ask Jesus to cover this Nation, those who lead this Nation 

and all other nations in this good fight. 

The Light of mankind to shine with Jesus Christ.

Jesus is the Lord, Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

Yes Bless The Lord Jesus

Yes Jesus Bless Asbury

† †

Yay Jesus

Isaiah 2:1-5 ~ Let us walk in the Light of the Lord

 

Isaiah 2:1-5

The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.

 It shall come to pass in the latter days

    that the mountain of the House of the Lord

shall be established as the highest of the mountains

    And shall be lifted up above the hills;

and all the nations shall flow to it,

  and many peoples shall come, 

and say:

“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,

    to the House of the God of Jacob,

that He may teach us his ways

    and that we may walk in His paths.”

For out of Zion shall go forth the law,

    and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

4 He shall judge between the nations,

    and shall decide disputes for many peoples;

and they shall beat their swords into plowshares,

    and their spears into pruning hooks;

nation shall not lift up sword against nation,

    neither shall they learn war anymore.

5 O House of Jacob,

    come, let us walk

    in the Light of the Lord.

We've been on a journey, we mostly never anticipated, since March 2020's Pandemic.  The Pandemic brought our quiet times to say 2/3rd's of us feel we have more clarity on being the people we want to be.  Learning Strength.

The changes brought from seeing strangers crying in fright at Starbucks. The lack of crowds returning with the same ease. The deep 1/3 concern Americans say they really have in 2022. 

Not the type of Journey unknown for the first Christmas in Bethlehem. Carrying this eventually to Jerusalem, then Rome and the world. 

We know about 1/3 of America traveled home for Thanksgiving. When Isaiah saw this coming journey coming, Isaiah did not have the complete understanding Jesus Christ, before Abraham, understood. Jesus is the Word of God manifest, to Live, Move and Have His Being with our Father.  

We can understand a great voyage, a vacation, a pilgrimage, a bucket list.  The awe of anticipation of a Festival! Way, Truth and Life!  Isaiah would well understand the Ascents all understood in the Anticipation of regular life, down the road on the Journey and suddenly in God's Holy Temple.

When Isaiah saw this coming journey coming, Isaiah did not have the complete understanding Jesus Christ, before Abraham, understood.

 Jesus is the Word of God manifest, to Live, Move 

and Have His Being with our Father.  

This is the beginning of finding the Roman Road connecting Bethlehem to Jerusalem. Worked on by Israeli High School students with great anticipation. Finding artifacts going back to the time of Jesus Christ walking this road. 

The road, 2,000 years ago, a familiar life would add in new adventures and new memories, to be elevated by God moving His people in Worship and Beauty. Not just the local room, usually without a window. This was built as a Temple with a path to eternity with God. To hear not just one or two instruments, to gather with 2 million people to hear Music and Worship. Beauty far beyond the usual. To see the wisdom of the ages produce awe in the Lord. 

The Holy Spirit told Isaiah this would be uphill.

A planned journey uphill.

Ahhh, the Songs of Ascent!

We know the Psalms!

Because Easter is Real: Jesus led the Disciples, the soldiers, the Emperors of the Empire, the Governor Festus, adopted by Emperor Claudius and raised from his father's slavery, then King Agrippa and his wife Bernice, the soldiers in Judea for Good Friday, and Jesus knew what was said about all Roman roads lead to Italy...

Easter can be a lot of work. Something to REJOICE IN. And usually a day filled with things to do. And as we climb the ladder and smile with the memories, we know we are not only juggling our time, we are juggling needs and finances. Relationship and reward. Worthy and ordinary. Adult decisions while holding magical dreams and worthy love.

When Isaiah saw this coming journey coming, Isaiah did not have the complete understanding Jesus Christ, before Abraham, understood. Jesus is the Word of God manifest, to Live, Move and Have His Being with our Father.  

Samaria! 

Probably not the pilgrimage the Disciples put on their Bucket List. 

Not exactly the ahhhh of Antioch. 

Nor the rival of the Italian Riviera!

Although Caesarea might have been a little racier! 

Yet, alas, only to the Remnant who had held up Jerusalem after Jeremiah predicted the fall of the Temple. The Samaritan ninnies without proper Babylonian lineage credentials, later DNA centuries confirmed. Merely the line of the king, Herod.

Oh have you been told, the greatest Christmas gift of all:  

 The meaning of the heart is the loving hearts held by Jesus. Forever.

The Gift of Easter

The Kingdom of Heaven is at Hand, Today.

Romans 10:9-10

Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 

For with the heart one believes and is justified, 

and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.

Abba, Father

Cover us this day in Your Name. The Highest of All Names and we are Blessed.

We will be still and know You are God the Almighty of All.

Cover us in Jesus Christ and we have a Hope and Future. 

We Believe and trust in You.

Cover those we Love and we Live in Love. 

We see glimpses of Heaven.

Cover us in Jesus and we lift our cares to You.

Cover us in Jesus and we are inspired to Live and Love more.

Cover us in Jesus and we tell the truth with mercy.

Cover us in Jesus and we brush off what would cling to us 

and find Joy in Pleasing You.

Cover us in Jesus 

and we want All to Love Jesus.

Cover us in Jesus 

and we Believe Father God will bring the world to salvation 

in Jesus Christ.

Cover us in Jesus 

and we know Tomorrow and Today are in Your Hands.

Cover us in Jesus

 and we find Joy knowing our prayers join the Saints covering the world 

in Prayers for more

of Your Heaven on earth.

Cover us in Jesus and we Believe the Nation Trusting in You 

will be Blessed.

Always pray daily:

Dwell in us, please, Father.

Dwell in those we Love.

Salvation is in Jesus Christ, we ask.

Help us to Seek You First

And we will finish well in Jesus Christ.

Cover us in Jesus 

and we Believe the days to come for ourselves 

and our children and unborn children will live

in Goodness and Steadfast Love 

in the New Covenant of Jesus.

Cover us in Jesus 

and we Believe You are the God of the Impossible.

We ask the Oceans to give moisture to the skies

and rain to pour over the thirsty and parched 

places of Your Good Creation,

Cover us in Your Word, Jesus Christ, 

God's Word made Manifest.

We thank You to answer our prayers. 

The miracles we know.
We ask to Live in Love, Joy and Peace seeking and 

finding Your Kingdom in Heaven 

and on earth in Jesus Christ.

Pray for me in day 5 of Covid.

Doing ok, no fever, Optimism of Healing Fast!

Grateful for the 3 Vaccinations, lessening the effects!

Taking Aspirin!

Blessed be Father God for bringing us Jesus. 

Amen and Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †