Services every Sunday at 7:00 P.M.
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Services every Sunday at 7:00 P.M.
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"The Lord's My Shepherd" Psalm 23 5/7/06 Tonight's scripture reading is probably the most familiar part of the Bible to most of us, the 23rd Psalm. Many of us memorized this scripture as young children in Sunday school. We have heard it at funeral and memorial services. We have clung to its words in times of deep distress for the re-assurance that came to our souls. The 23rd Psalm was written in a time when the Hebrew people were a shepherding people. They knew the risks the shepherd would take to care for the sheep no matter what the danger. The shepherd would go as far as to lay down his life to protect those in his care. We are far removed from those times and places. We may have seen sheep grazing along a hillside as we travel down the interstate or even touched a sheep in a petting zoo. But there is something about this beautiful psalm that reaches across time and culture to reassure us that we never walk alone. That there is a power greater than ourselves who knows about each one of our lives and cares with the heart of a shepherd what happens to us. So tonight I want to invite you to hear the words of this psalm coming from the heart of God. "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. God makes me lie down in green pasture; God leads me beside still waters; God restores by soul. God leads me in right paths for God's name sake." God is there to care and provide for all our needs. When we are tired, when we feel alone, when life overwhelms us with the challenges of daily living, God leads us to green pastures and still waters to restore our souls. Those green pastures and still waters may indeed be escape into nature -a camping trip, a hike in the woods, a seat on a park bench, or a chair in our back yard. Those green pasture and still waters may be Sunday evening worship when we can give the cares of our week, the cares of our lives to God for an hour and know the peace that comes in a worshipping community .The green pastures and still waters may be the center you find in the presence of another or deep in your spirit in the midst of a chaotic job or frenzied shopping mall. The Lord is my shepherd who knows our needs and cares about us 24/7 nothing is to big, nothing is too small that God can lead us in the rights paths to restore our souls. "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff they comfort me. Your prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows." God's companionship is with us when the storms of life would seem to overwhelm -the shadow of death, the dark night of the soul, the loss of a job, enemies that would seek us evil, addictions that would encompass our lives, a lover who walked out on us, ill health that would seek to harm us. The storms of life will come, but the promise is that we are not alone. God is the confidence in those times of challenge. God is our strength when we would seem to be going under. The warm anointing oil of God's presence flows over us from head to toe and indeed our cup will overflow in God's grace. The healing oil of life will come back again and we will know hope, we will experience the peace of being wrapped in God's loving arms of care. "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever." As God's children we are safe in God's home. Who among us does not long for that place were we feel wanted, for that place where we can be ourselves and be accepted, where love is unconditional, where we can rest assured in the safe, caring arms of another. God is our home. God is our anchor in the storm; God is our strong fortress. God is the place where goodness and mercy abound. We are no longer sojourners in this world. We have found our home, our rest, our all. Forever. Nothing can ever separate us from the loving home of God now and in eternity. As we go on our life's journey may we know the constant companionship of God our shepherd. In times of anxiety and fear may we rest in green pastures, beside still waters as God restores our soul. When we are grieving or walking through the shadows may we experience the reassuring arms of love. And may goodness and mercy pursue us all the days of lives as we live at home in God. eternity. |
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