July 1

Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.

Psalm 23:6

Of all the hopeful verses in the Bible, this may be the most hopeful. Now, depending on what you think of the word hope, this verse may feel like it, like wishful thinking, but perhaps you think of the word hope as the certainty we have through faith, and then this verse will mean something entirely different.

June 30

My cup overflows with blessings.

Psalm 23:5

Notice the s on the end of blessings. Blessings with an s means that these blessings are numerous and specific. If it was just one blessing, it would be general. Like, of that musical was such a blessing. No, this is the kind of blessing where you were in dire straits and God zapped you with a miracle.

Yes, God overflows us with blessings. Count them today.

June 29

You honor me by anointing my head with oil.

Psalm 23:4

Again, it is good to remember David here. Samuel in I Samuel 16:13 anoints David with oil. It says:

"And the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David from that day on."

The Lord is anointing you...may the Spirit come rest upon your head with power.

June 28

You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies.

Psalm 23:5

We now get to, in my opinion, the most mysterious verse in David's psalm. This sounds like gloating. Are believers supposed to rub our blessings in the faces of our enemies?

What is this feast, anyway? Who are my enemies?

Remember, David is writing this. He had enemies. And God, for whatever reason, brought David into his enemy's inner circle. He ate with him. Feasted even. Sometimes God leads us in close proximity to danger. We should be prepared for this. God doesn't always lead us beside the still waters.

June 27

Check out this verse about Jesus being our leader.

God, for whom, and through whom all things were made, chose to bring many children into glory. And it was only right that he should make Jesus, through his suffering, a perfect leader, fit to bring them into salvation.

Hebrews 2:10

June 24

I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for his sheep.

John 10:11

Tonight I told a third mountain story - a failed attempt at summiting Mount Princeton. It brought to mind the three mountains noted in scripture that Jesus climbed. The Mount of Transfiguration where God told the three disciples "This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!" Then, Golgotha, on Mount Moriah where Jesus laid down his life for you and me. Then, the Mount of Ascension where Jesus told his followers, "I will be with you always."

Then, I explained how to invite Jesus to come live in your heart. This young man, tugged my shirt and said, "If I do this, is it forever?" I told him. "Yes, if you do this, it's forever."

June 23

Even if I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will not be afraid because Jesus is with me.

Psalm 23:4

I told the story tonight about the time I led Lia up a mountain and left her alone near the top in a snowstorm because I wanted to get to the top and I wasn't thinking about her I was thinking about how I wanted to get to the top and so I went ahead and told her to start walking back and I realized in about five minutes how bad an idea this was so I turned around and went looking for her but she was gone. I couldn't find her. I ran down about a mile. No sign. I ended up climbing back up and finally finding her in a small rock crater just sitting there waiting to die. So I got her and hightailed it down the mountain with her in the middle of the blizzard.

Jesus would never do what I did. He is a far better leader than me. He will never leave you. So we do not need to be afraid.

June 22

Jesus guides me along right paths.

Psalm 23:3

I told the story tonight about the time I tried to climb Mount Sherman, a fourteener in Colorado. It was my second fourteener and I had a vague idea where I was going. But as I came out into this talus strewn field, I thankfully saw some people climbing up ahead of me. I followed them and eventually overtook them as I finished climbing the mountain...only to find that there was a mountain right next to me that was higher!

I had followed these folks up the wrong mountain!

Sometimes we might see folks, and those folks might look like they know what they're doing and where they're going, but before you go following them makes sure they're going the way you want to go. Jesus will always lead you the right way.

Follow him.

And if you can't figure out where he is leading, find someone who knows him and have them help you.

June 21

Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.

Psalm 23:4

The rod and the staff remember are for you. Jesus might give you a knock on the head sometime. Sometimes we deserve it! We need it! But remember that the rod and staff are also for your protection. There are enemies lurking in the shadows. Jesus is your defense. He will knock your attackers on the head as well. He will lay your enemies low. Take courage, my friend. You have a mighty warrior friend in Jesus!

June 20

I mentioned death on Friday. Let's go back to Psalm 23.

He guides me along right paths, bringing honoe to his name. Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me.

Psalm 23:3-4

We must understand that the right path sometimes leads through "the darkest valley." The Message calls it "Death Valley." It is good to remember this because at some point, at many points, in your life, you will walk into darkness. Your circumstances will be stark. Dangers will lurk in the shadow. Life will get very hard. And the only thing we will have is the knowledge that we are not walking through this darkness alone. Never forget this. It might be so dark that you feel alone. But you are not. The Lord, your shepherd, will never leave you or forsake you. He will be close beside you in your darkest hour. He is close beside you as you read this.

June 17

When he said these things, the people were again divided in their opinions about him. Some said, "He is demon possessed and out of his mind. Why listen to a man like that?" John 10:19

Why listen?

Because Jesus is telling the Truth.
Because Jesus is showing the Way.
Because Jesus is the Life.
All other paths lead to Death.

But the choice to believe it is yours. He will let you make up your own mind. And he will allow you to experience the consequences of the conclusions that you draw. So choose wisely. Please, for your soul's sake. Choose him.

June 16

"The Father loves me because I sacrifice my life so I may take it back again. No one can take my life from me. I sacrifice it voluntarily. For I have the authority to lay it down when I want to and also to take it up again. For this is what my Father has commanded." John 17-19

What strikes me is Jesus' authority, and Jesus' obedience. You think that they could not coexist. But to Jesus power and submission are one and the same. This is part of Christ's character. He is in charge, but he uses his power to serve, because there is power in going low. It is the way to go high. Jesus says I sacrifice my life so I may take it back again. In other words, you must go low to get high.

How has Jesus gone low for you? How might you go low for him?

June 15

Now we get to an intringuing verse:

"I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice, and there will ne one flock and one shepherd." John 10:16

This verse has been interpreted several ways from what I understand. I think this is one of the pieces of Scripture Mormons use to defend their position.

I don't know who Jesus is exactly talking about, other than I am certain he is talking about you and me. In Christ's sheepfold there is no singular, tribe, race, ethnicity, or culture. the sheepfold of Jesus is mutli-colored and includes all nations and people groups. All may come. May the world hear his voice. Let us pray for the world today that they, that we, would listen to the voice of the Lord.

June 14

"Just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. So I sacrifice my life for the sheep." John 10:15

The Father couldn't stand living without the Son. The Son was willing to die for the Father. That is the sacrificial nature of the Trinity, the relationship you and I have been invited into as heirs. To Jesus, it only makes sense to lay down his life. It's his nature. Bringing dead things to life - He is the Resurrection after all.

June 13

"I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me." John 10:14

I have always been in awe at men and women who study animals. I was watching this thing a year or so ago on National Geographic Channel about elephants. And that woman, I forget her name, she knew every elephant by theirs. It was remarkable.

It took her years to learn their idiosyncrasies. She devoted her entire life to it, in fact.

Jesus is like that with his sheep, you and me. He knows every bit and parcel. He devoted his life to it, in fact.

Friday June 10

Yesterday, we said we'd unpack Jesus' words a bit.

"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep. A hired hand will run when he sees a wolf coming. He will abandon the sheep because they don't belong to him and he isn't their shepherd. And so the wolf attacks them and scatters the flock. The hired hand runs away because he's working only for the money and doesn't really care about the sheep.

"I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me, just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. So I sacrifice my life for the sheep. I have other sheep, too, that are nor in this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd."

John 10:11-16

The bit that strikes me is the second sentence: the good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep. I understand the comparison he is making with the hired hand who might only be in shepherding for the money. It actually is a bit crazy to think about a shepherd who is in it not for the money. They're sheep after all. A person is far more valuable than a sheep. What kind of lunatic would sacrifice himself for a dumb sheep? Why is that good? Of course it is not good. If you are a sheep that's GREAT!

That, my friend, is the kind of leader we have in Jesus. He is willing to go beyond what we may be worth, what we may deserve, what is practical, what is sane...he love is outrageous.

So if you are waiting for God's love to make sense, prepare yourself, you'll be waiting for eternity. If you're ready to receive his crazy love, it is here. He is ready to give it. In fact, it has already been given.

Thursday June 9

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.

Psalm 23:1-3

He guides me along right paths...we're back to that concept of Jesus being our leader. Perhaps it would be wise today to look at that passage in fact. Let's read Jesus' words about shepherding:

"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep. A hired hand will run when he sees a wolf coming. He will abandon the sheep because they don't belong to him and he isn't their shepherd. And so the wolf attacks them and scatters the flock. The hired hand runs away because he's working only for the money and doesn't really care about the sheep.

"I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me, just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. So I sacrifice my life for the sheep. I have other sheep, too, that are nor in this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd."

John 10:11-16

We'll unpack this more tomorrow. For today, consider the fact that this leader of yours considers it his job to sacrifice his life for sheep like you and me.

Wednesday June 8

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.

Psalm 23:1-3

Let's focus on the line renew my strength. Where do you feel weak?

Physically. Come to Jesus, let him renew you with strength as eagles.

Emotionally. Come to Jesus. Rest in him, let him give you strength.

Mentally. Come to Jesus. Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

Spiritually. Come to Jesus. He will renew you with his love. He will exalt of you with songs.

Tuesday June 7

The Lord is my shepherd

I have all that I need.

He lets me rest in green meadows;

he leads me beside peaceful streams.

Psalm 23:1-2

Psalm 23 is the most popular passage read at funerals. The idea that rest and peace must be things we receive after a long, hard life. But this passage seems to actually signify that rest and peace are things we are to experience while we are still alive.

Monday June 6

The Lord is my shepherd

I have all that I need.

He lets me rest in green meadows;

he leads me beside peaceful streams.

Psalm 23:1-2

The meadows were already green when you arrived. The stream was already peaceful. God is going before you. He has prepared the way. In the example of this stream and meadow, he was at work many years ago to prepare this for you. Trust in the Lord, therefore. Watch and see where he has been at work to prepare for you what you need today.

Friday June 3

The Lord is my shepherd;

I have all that I need.

He lets me rest in green meadows;

he leads me beside peaceful streams.

Psalm 23:1-2

The thing that gets me tonight as I contemplate these words is the lets me part. This Sovereign shepherd lets me do stuff. He lets me not do stuff. He puts me in a safe environment and within that environment there is freedom to rest to play to drink and dance.

Where has the shepherd led you today? What are you going to do there?

Thursday June 2

The Lord is my shepherd

I have all that I need.

Psalm 23:1

My pastor shared this with us. He got it from somebody else. I wish I knew because I like to give credit where it is do...maybe someone out there can help me. Here it is:

Christ + Anything = Nothing

Christ + Nothing = Everything