Praise God for our Good Shepherd who makes us righteous, then helps us walk in righteousness!
Ok, next verse today…this is a longer one, but stick with me…Psalm 23:4
“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.” Ps 23:4 ESV
Please note, this verse does not say, “Even though I sit in the middle of the shadow of death”! It says walk. Walking means going through, not just sitting motionless. It is the only way to get to the other side of any difficulties. Too many people start walking, but when things get challenging, they retreat, or just plop right where they are, and stop moving. We must keep following our Good Shepherd forward, not going back to who we used to be or just planting ourselves in the same old mess. Think of someone who says they want to gain muscle. They go to the gym and start lifting weights, but when it gets too painful, and they stop…will they ever reach their goals? No, of course not. We too must continue to follow our Good Shepherd through our struggles or the shadow of death is all we will sense.
I remember at time when I was not growing because I was not seeking God. I falsely thought, “Well, I’m not doing any harm just staying where I am, right?” As I meditated on that, trying to justify my lack of commitment, I “just happened” to be walking on a treadmill. I quickly sensed the Holy Spirit ask me, “What will happen if you just stop walking, right now?” I will fly off this machine and hurt myself, is what would happen! God was making the point that, like the treadmill, Time is always moving forward, so if we are not progressing, my Friends, we are regressing.
Sure there is a time to “be still and know He is God,” but even this is a forward motion activity because we are with God, the Giver of Life. I am talking about those times when we push away from Him. When we stop thinking about life in Biblical terms, or when we avoid bringing Jesus into our decision making process…or even when we stop watching these helpful Got A Minute? videos…you know what I mean, right? We are supposed to stay next to our Good Shepherd or else how can we hear His leading? We must filter all our thoughts, emotions and choices through the sieve of the Holy Spirit, or else we just might be going the wrong way, and again the shadow of death will be our reality.
Join me in memorizing 52 verses this year:
January: 1- Jn 3:16; 2- 2Co 5:17; 3- Jas 2:26; 4- Eph 2:10
February: 5- Jn 10:10; 6- Ro 6:23; 7- Rev 21:4; 8- Php 4:13
March: 9- 1Pe 5:7; 10- Jn 8:32; 11- Dt 30:19; 12- Jn 3:30; 13- 2Chron 20:3
April: 14- 2Chron 20:12; 15- 2Chron 20:15b; 16- 2Chron 20:17
May: 17- Ro 8:28; 18- 1Co 13:13; 19- Php 2:12; 20- Mt 5:4
June: 21- Lk 23:42; 22- Jas 4:7; 23- Pr 22:6; 24- Mt 5:3; 25- Jn 14:6
July: 26- Jas 2:19; 27- Dt 31:8; 28- Jn 14:15; 29- Jn 8:11
August: 30- Ro 8:1; 31- Pr 4:23; 32- Pr 18:21; 33- Ps 118:24; 34- 1Jn 4:4
35- Mt 16:24
36- Isa 53:6
37- Ps 23:1-4
<>< Peace, Diane
