"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. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake." (Psalm 23:1-3, NIV)
I love to look up Bible verses in different translations (or paraphrases) because each one offers a little something extra to think about.
Take this passage, for example:
(The Message) God, my shepherd! I don't need a thing.You have bedded me down in lush meadows,
you find me quiet pools to drink from.
True to your word, you let me catch my breath
and send me in the right direction.
(Amplified Bible) The Lord is my Shepherd [to feed, guide, and shield me], I shall not lack. He makes me lie down in [fresh, tender] green pastures; He leads me beside the still and restful waters. He refreshes and restores my life (my self); He leads me in the paths of righteousness [uprightness and right standing with Him--not for my earning it, but] for His name's sake.
(New Living Translation) The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name.
Each one adds a little something different to this familiar scripture. We all know that David was a Shepard boy who was later promoted to king. It was during his years caring for his flock that he developed his intimate relationship with God. David found his Good Shepard to be his All Sufficient One. Years later, One came who said, "I am the good shepherd and know my sheep, and am known of mine." (John 10:14)
Our Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ, has a personal interest in each one of us. We can have implicit trust in Him, for He does not overlook even one need. How comforting to know that we have a shepherd who knows us by name and gave his very life to redeem us. Today I will rest in his loving care.
There I was, enjoying a glorious afternoon at the beach. Stretched out on my blanket, I watched the waves tumble and dance in the glistening sun. Off in the distance, my daughter and her two friends romped in the surf.
It felt so good to relax, especially after having maneuvered the maze-like streets of San Francisco, followed by nine miles of curvy highway—all the while battling three teenage girls in the backseat who insisted their rock music wasn’t quite loud enough.
Upon arrival, we celebrated with a splendid picnic lunch before the girls hurried out to play. They looked so young and free chasing the waves. I rolled over onto my stomach, closed my eyes and tunneled my toes deep into the sand. The ocean’s hypnotic rumble nearly lulled me to sleep.
All of a sudden, I heard the rustling of wrappers.
“Val “ I scolded. “The cookies are for later.”
I looked up, but to my surprise, it wasn’t my daughter. Instead, it was a hoard of hungry sea gulls. A gray one held half of my leftover turkey sandwich in his beak. Two more simultaneously carried off a whole can of Pringles. “Shew!” I yelled.
Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a rather scruffy-looking one trying to carry our bag of cookies. Apparently, it was too heavy. He dropped it a couple of feet away, continuing to peck at the foil packaging.
That was it. I snatched the bag away from him. "Take the rest if you must, but you can’t have my Snicker doodles!” I thrust the cookies under my blanket to hide them, but it was like a scene from a Hitchcock movie. The gulls had me surrounded. Peering at me with their black, beady eyes, they hopped through the sand pecking and groping for more.
“Get away!” I yelled. My arms flapped as I made threats. People around me were staring. That’s when it hit me. Just five minutes before, I was enjoying a small piece of heaven. Now all I could think about was murder, mayhem—getting my hands on a BB gun!
How did my countenance fall so quickly? This was not the first time I allowed thieves to come in and steal my joy. Fear, jealousy, resentment, guilt, these are all "sea gulls" in my life. When I’m not careful, they creep in and fill my mind with negativity. All of these emotions peck away at the peace and tranquility that God intended me to have.
Today, I will chase them away. I will bask in the warmth of the peace that only God can give.
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28)
One of the wise slogans of AA and Al-Anon is "One day at a time." Sometimes life's problems can be overwhelming, but God only asks us to live 24-hours at a time. When we worry about tomorrow, it accomplishes absolutely nothing. Worry can't add to the length of life; it can't change it's course; it can't solve one single problem. Jesus asked, "Will all your worries add a single moment to your life?" (Matthew 6:27)
Anxiety and fretting just show our lack of trust in the Lord. In effect, it's saying, "I don't believe God is big enough to handle my problem."
In Exodus 16, God told the children of Israel, "I will rain down bread from heaven for you." The people were instructed to go out each day and gather enough Manna for just that day's needs..." (except for the sixth day, when they gathered double for the Sabbath). The manna signified how God took care of them with each new sunrise.
I wish I could wake up each morning and pick up only the burdens I am asked to carry for the next 24 hours! If only I could leave tomorrow's burdens and yesterday's regrets in God's hands.
I will try to remember that worry does not empty tomorrow of its trials, it simply empties today of its joy.
Heavenly Father, help me to trust in you for all my needs today. Show me how to live in the present, each and every moment. If I am afraid, help me to turn my fears over to your loving care.
