September 6, 2007

• ~ Thankful Thursday & Part II of Psalm 23 ~

  
  

  

  
  
  
  
  
  Be Thankful for Victory
  J. M. Averils
  
  But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
  Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you.
  1 Corinthians 15:57-58a
  
  Being thankful means having a grateful heart for your blessings.  Often when we talk about blessings, our list includes things like our family, jobs, homes and other tangible items.  However, what about the intangible things?  It is important to focus on them as well.
  
  Let’s start with being thankful for victory.  No matter what we don’t have, what is going wrong or what has disappointed us, as children of God, we can walk victoriously every day.  Jesus is walking with you right now; He may even be carrying you.  It is through Him that you can have a victorious life.
  
  When you accept that truth, you will have the power to stand firmly no matter what you are going through.  The storms may come, but you will not drown.  The problems of life may bend you, but will not break you.  You may feel as though you are in the furnace, but you will not burn up.
  
  It is not an easy thing to be thankful for the challenges of life.  Sure, we know that it is through times of challenges that we often get our biggest blessings.  Still, while in the middle of a problem, it may be difficult to see the good that will come on the other side of that problem.
  
  This is where your faith and trust in God comes into play.  The Word of God says that you will have victory through Jesus Christ.  Stand on His Word and let nothing move you.  This is a great step in cultivating a grateful heart.
  
  A Challenge:
  Set aside time to think about all the things you’re thankful for, including the problems, challenges and concerns that God is helping you to have victory over.  Then say a prayer, thanking Him for the blessing of victory.
  
  “I asked for Strength – 
  … God gave me difficulties to make me strong. 
  I asked for wisdom – 
  … God gave me problems to solve. 
  I asked for prosperity – 
  … God gave me brain and brawn to work. 
  I asked for courage – 
  … God gave me dangers to overcome. 
  I asked for love – 
  … God gave me opportunities. 
  I received nothing I wanted –
  I received everything I needed. 
  My prayer has been answered — Thank you, God” 
  
  “Thank you, dear God
  For all You have given me,
  For all You have taken away from me,
  For all You have left me.”
  –author unknown
  
  Those blessings are sweetest that are won with prayers and won with thanks.  —Thomas Goodwin
  
  

  

  
  **Hope you all had a great ‘hump day’!  It was hot here again, and I’m looking forward to those cool fall days, the sound of crisp leaves crunching under your feet, the smell of wood smoke in the air!  It won’t be long now!  Below is Part II of the study on Psalm 23.  I was blessed with the comments from yesterday, and, I hope you find something here today that will encourage you again!  I’ll see more of you later today as I continue to visit and catch up!   
  
  Have a ‘Thoroughly Thankful Thursday’ in Him!  
  
  Hugs,
  ~ Deborah <>< 
  
  

  

  
  As promised: 
  PART II ~ PSALM 23 ~
  THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD
  by Lura Langenback 
  
  ~ PSALM 23:2 ~
  GREEN PASTURES AND SMALL CREEKS
   
  “He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:
  he leadeth me beside the still waters.”.
  {Psalm 23:2}
  
  There are many, many verses in the bible that give a feeling of comfort and peace but this one seems to bless us beyond that by showing a picture of heaven, yet this is on earth.  We know that because later in the Psalm, it talks about enemies near us.  That cannot be in heaven.  There are no enemies there.
  
  An immediate picture of the country comes to mind.  You are walking in a field of grass with trees on a cool, breezy summer day.  The light wind is just enough, not too much.  The grass is so green and soft, you could lie down and take a nap, or run your feet through it.  It is so quiet that you hear the birds singing and the crickets chirping.  There are no sounds of the city, no traffic at all.  Slowly, you sit under a tree, lean back and just enjoy the day.  The breeze blows quietly through the leaves of the tree, making the smallest rustle.  With reverence, you whisper because you do not want to disturb the solitude.  This is truly a place of God, His workmanship.  And just how do you know that?  Because there is Peace.  Do you feel that peace when you think of this place?
  
  He leads me beside the still waters.  Think about that creek or small river running through the meadow, quietly moving along.  You sit next to it, putting your hand into the water.  Its so cool and refreshing that you just have to dip some out to taste it.  With your hand still wet, water dripping everywhere, you bathe your forehead.  The coolness of it is felt immediately and you are refreshed again.  Does this whole scene sound glorious, peaceful, beautiful?
  
  In the new covenant, we are told we have a well of water springing up inside of us {John 4:14} and that there is also a river of living water coming out of our bellies {John 4:37-38}.  The Lord uses water to show us the Holy Ghost as you will see when you read the next verse:  “He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. {But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified}  The still waters are a type of the Holy Ghost in this verse.  In John 14:27, Jesus tells us that He is giving us His Peace, not the worlds peace.  That peace is temporal, corruptible, not stable.  But the Peace of God passes ALL understanding, keeping our hearts AND minds through Christ Jesus {Phil 4:6}  One more thing here.  Let us translate those Greek words.  The word “Christ” is a Greek word that means “The Anointed One and His Anointing”, so we read it that way.  “The Anointed One” Jesus makes a lot more sense when you read it in English.
  
  So what are we saying then?  God will put us in a place of Peace, HIS Peace, even in a time of trouble.  The first verse declares that the Lord is my Shepherd.  That means that He is the leader, the Master.  We are to follow His lead because He knows where we are going and we do not.  He promises, through this verse, to lead us into a quiet, restful place, even in the midst of trouble.
  
  Psalm 32:7 declares “Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah.”  So, if your hiding place is not a meadow or a grassy place, then wherever you go for the peace, please think on that now.  Also, please remember that God has not written this Psalm for death. There is NO death in these verses.  The world has grabbed hold of the words “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.“ to mark death in the verse.  That could not be farther from the truth.  We will discuss this later in the study on that verse, but one thing you need to notice and meditate on as you read this whole Psalm … it says that you are walking THROUGH the valley of the SHADOW of death.  It isn’t death, its a shadow.  Not stop and visit, walk THROUGH it.  You are passing it by.  This Psalm is for the peace of God to be planted deep into your spirit, showing you that the stress of this world is NOT your heritage in the Lord, nor your inheritance!  Today, walk in your inheritance of His Peace!  
  
  
  
  PSALM 23: 1,2
  The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want.
  He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; He leadeth me beside the still waters.
  
  
  Tomorrow  Part III
  ~ Psalm 23:3 ~
  RESTORATION, RIGHTEOUSNESS, AND PEACE
  

  

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