You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over.
Remember David is a shepherd and this psalm is a reflection of things that he did as a shepherd to take care of his sheep. Shepherds would use oil to protect his sheep from flies that circled the sheep and sought to lay eggs in their nostrils. If they were successful and the eggs hatched, the larvae would irritate the sheep to the point that they would butt against rocks, trees or whatever they could find to try to rid themselves of the irritating larvae. They would become restless; they would refuse to eat; if the problem persisted, it could cause the sheep to go blind.
The shepherd would cover the sheep's nose and head with a mixture of oil and a few other ingredients, which would calm the sheep down. The oil would keep the flies off the animal. Another problem the shepherd encountered had to do with scabs that would come up under the wool. As the sheep would butt and rub against one another, infection under the scab would be transmitted from one animal to the other. This was a very contagious infection. Again, a mixture of oil and various herbs could be used to cure the animal of the infectious disease. When the oil was applied, the sheep became content again.
Disease in the Old Testament is often used to represent sin. Sin has a lot of sources. However, there is only one cure! God has washed us with the blood of his precious Son, which cleanses us from the stain of sin in our lives. The blood sets us free from the burden of sin in our lives as well as the penalty of sin. God knows our needs! He has plans for our lives and He wants to see those plans put to action in our lives. He wants to fix whatever is wrong in our lives. He wants to give us life and give it to us more abundantly. He anoints us over and over again by allowing the Spirit who lives inside of us, speak to our heart and lead and guide us from where we are to where He wants us to be so that we can be blessed by Him!
My cup runs over. There is nothing more satisfying nor is there anything more fulfilling than to live in complete contentment in life. Even when the storm clouds may be brewing and the enemy may be buzzing around our heads, we need to remember, "greater is He that is in us than he who is in the world." When we make God a priority, He is able to anoint our heads with the oil provided by His presence in our lives in the Holy Spirit and that makes us more determined to walk with Him so that we can be the person that God so much wants us to be. He can and will fill our cup to overflowing if we will just allow him to do so!
A Pastor's thoughts about the Scripture and it's influence in our lives.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
A Table Prepared Psalms 23:5
Thou preparest a table for me in the presence of mine enemies.
The table here represents a table at the top of a mountain where the shepherd will take his sheep in the spring of the year to spend the summer. There is a certain amount of preparation that the shepherd has to make in order to make the table safe and suitable for the sheep for the stay for the summer.
The shepherd has to make sure that there are no poisonous plants on the plateau. He has to check to see where the best places are to make camp and to prepare a plan to move from one place to another so the sheep get the maximum benefit from the grazing areas. The table has to be checked for predators and trapped if necessary.
Sheep will try anything. They will eat anything. As individuals, we are the same way. We test and sample things many times knowing what we are doing is wrong or not beneficial to the quality of our lives. However, we do it anyway. God watches over our lives like a shepherd would his flock. He tries to guide us from the danger that is in front of us. He knows where the danger is and He knows where the best places on the table are located for our maximum benefit. Jesus said I have come that you might have life and that you might have it more abundantly. God has indeed prepared a table before us in the presence of all of the evil influences that surround us.
There is one other thing that we need to remember. The closer that we remain to our Shepherd, the safer we are. The sheep that fall victim to the predators are the sheep that have wandered away from the flock and are walking in territory away from the watchful eye of the shepherd. We are always under the watchful eye of our Lord, but when we are not walking in His presence and making decision that He has given us instruction, we are away from His permissive ability to guard our lives as he has planned for us. There are benefits to walking in the footsteps that He has given us to walk. However, there are dangers when we step out of those footsteps and go in the direction that we want to go in.
We need to walk with the Lord one decision at a time and give Him the opportunity to do for us as He so much wants to do! The table is prepared; it is our responsibility to walk there and not stray everywhere else!
The table here represents a table at the top of a mountain where the shepherd will take his sheep in the spring of the year to spend the summer. There is a certain amount of preparation that the shepherd has to make in order to make the table safe and suitable for the sheep for the stay for the summer.
The shepherd has to make sure that there are no poisonous plants on the plateau. He has to check to see where the best places are to make camp and to prepare a plan to move from one place to another so the sheep get the maximum benefit from the grazing areas. The table has to be checked for predators and trapped if necessary.
Sheep will try anything. They will eat anything. As individuals, we are the same way. We test and sample things many times knowing what we are doing is wrong or not beneficial to the quality of our lives. However, we do it anyway. God watches over our lives like a shepherd would his flock. He tries to guide us from the danger that is in front of us. He knows where the danger is and He knows where the best places on the table are located for our maximum benefit. Jesus said I have come that you might have life and that you might have it more abundantly. God has indeed prepared a table before us in the presence of all of the evil influences that surround us.
There is one other thing that we need to remember. The closer that we remain to our Shepherd, the safer we are. The sheep that fall victim to the predators are the sheep that have wandered away from the flock and are walking in territory away from the watchful eye of the shepherd. We are always under the watchful eye of our Lord, but when we are not walking in His presence and making decision that He has given us instruction, we are away from His permissive ability to guard our lives as he has planned for us. There are benefits to walking in the footsteps that He has given us to walk. However, there are dangers when we step out of those footsteps and go in the direction that we want to go in.
We need to walk with the Lord one decision at a time and give Him the opportunity to do for us as He so much wants to do! The table is prepared; it is our responsibility to walk there and not stray everywhere else!
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Thy Rod Protects Me Psalms 23:4
Thy Rod and Thy Staff they protect me.
Shepherds carried a staff that they used to protect themselves as well as their sheep. This staff was carefully chosen and selected so that the shepherd would get the most out the staff. The shepherd would use the staff to "hook" his sheep around the neck if they started to get away from the fold. He could also hook to sheep to pull them out of harms way. There were times when the shepherd would use the staff as a spear, launching it against oncoming danger. The staff provided the shepherd with a source of stability, as he would use it to lean on and rest. It also provided the shepherd with a means to balance himself as he would have to cross dangerous crevices.
Not only did the shepherd use the staff for protection, he used the staff to discipline his sheep as well. If an obstinate sheep started to get out of line, the shepherd would pop the sheep on the head to get its attention. In addition to getting the attention of the sheep, the shepherd would use the staff to fluff the wool to see below the wool and examine the sheep's skin. Sometimes, the wool would hide sores below on the skin, which could go undetected until the sore became a danger to the animal's health. The staff represented protection for the sheep. They felt secure when the shepherd and his staff were present.
Moses' staff is perhaps the most famous of all staff's. It was this staff that God used to get Pharaoh's attention as well as Moses'. It was the staff raised over the Red Sea that caused the waters to part. It was this same rod that God told Joshua to touch the Jordan River that caused the waters to once again part so that the children of Israel could pass from the wilderness into the Promised Land. The Staff represents the presence and the power of God. It represents God's hand of protection for the child of God. There is nowhere that we can go that His rod and His staff are not present. There is no danger that we will ever face that His powerful hand of protection will not sustain us and provide protection for us.
It does not matter what we face in this life, there is no panic in heaven, only a plan! That plan can be seen in His staff of protection for any situation or circumstance that we may find ourselves in. Remember something else. When we stray away from the fold, it is His staff that will pull us back to safety! The crook at the end of the staff was so designed to reach down and hook the sheep to pull it to safety. We are safe and secure because of His rod and staff that protect us from everything that this world can throw at us!
Monday, September 20, 2010
The Valley of Death Psalms 23:4
Yea though I walk through the Valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for Thou art with me.
Every year at the end of the spring, David would take his sheep from their home to the top of the mountain to the cooler plateaus where they would graze during the hot dry summer. Then when fall came, they would make their way back down the mountain to their home where they would weather the winter. This trip up the mountain would take place in the valleys. It was in the valleys that food and water would be plenteous.
The only way to get to higher ground was to climb up through the valleys. Sometimes the valleys would present danger. Storms would build up on the other side of the mountain and then boil over the top of the mountain and into the valley with no warning. Rock slides and mudslides were constant dangers that the shepherd had to try to guard against. Predators such as coyotes and wolves and wild dogs would hide in the rocks and attack the sheep. There was no other way to get to higher ground. This was the only way.
David knew this and as he looked at his life he knew that to get to higher ground with the Lord he had to pass through the valleys himself. He knew that he had to go that way if he was going to get to the place that God wanted him to get to. However, he also knew that it was in the valley that God would water him and feed him and sustain him!
David speaks of this valley as "the valley of the shadow of death". We need to remember that a valley is not a dead end! There is an exit out of the valley! For the Christian, this valley is a journey to higher ground, which is eternity and it is a valley that we will not go through alone! David says, "I will not fear any evil for Thou art with me."
The Bible does not tell us a lot about what we can expect at death. However, one truth runs consistent and that is God will be right there with us. When a Christian leaves this life, he will be with the Lord! Jesus told the thief on the cross "today you shall be with me in paradise." As long as I am with Jesus, I don't care where I am!
As God's children, we do not have to fear the shadow of death for Christ has overcome death and the grave! Death is but a shadow that we have to pass through for death has been defeated for the Christian! Because He lives, we can indeed face tomorrow no matter what it may bring!
Every year at the end of the spring, David would take his sheep from their home to the top of the mountain to the cooler plateaus where they would graze during the hot dry summer. Then when fall came, they would make their way back down the mountain to their home where they would weather the winter. This trip up the mountain would take place in the valleys. It was in the valleys that food and water would be plenteous.
The only way to get to higher ground was to climb up through the valleys. Sometimes the valleys would present danger. Storms would build up on the other side of the mountain and then boil over the top of the mountain and into the valley with no warning. Rock slides and mudslides were constant dangers that the shepherd had to try to guard against. Predators such as coyotes and wolves and wild dogs would hide in the rocks and attack the sheep. There was no other way to get to higher ground. This was the only way.
David knew this and as he looked at his life he knew that to get to higher ground with the Lord he had to pass through the valleys himself. He knew that he had to go that way if he was going to get to the place that God wanted him to get to. However, he also knew that it was in the valley that God would water him and feed him and sustain him!
David speaks of this valley as "the valley of the shadow of death". We need to remember that a valley is not a dead end! There is an exit out of the valley! For the Christian, this valley is a journey to higher ground, which is eternity and it is a valley that we will not go through alone! David says, "I will not fear any evil for Thou art with me."
The Bible does not tell us a lot about what we can expect at death. However, one truth runs consistent and that is God will be right there with us. When a Christian leaves this life, he will be with the Lord! Jesus told the thief on the cross "today you shall be with me in paradise." As long as I am with Jesus, I don't care where I am!
As God's children, we do not have to fear the shadow of death for Christ has overcome death and the grave! Death is but a shadow that we have to pass through for death has been defeated for the Christian! Because He lives, we can indeed face tomorrow no matter what it may bring!
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Restore My Soul Psalms 23:3
He restores my soul.
David writes, " The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters; He restores my soul." David had been through some tough trials in his life. He knew the restoring touch of the Hand of God in his life. Restoration comes when we are led to the green pastures and the still waters that God has planned for us. It is easy to get away from the care that walking with God provides for us as His children. It is so easy to look to our own devices for comfort and pleasure and the lure of the world is always before us. Restoration comes from the Lord.
We confuse activity for productivity. We confuse material prosperity with spiritual maturity. We think success is a sign from God that we are where we are supposed to be. While success can be a blessing from God, we have to remember that our relationship with Him is the foundation of success that God is looking for.
Why does David include this in his Shepherd's prayer? Sheep will lie down and roll over onto their back and when their legs are in the air, they cannot get up on their own. Gasses will start to collect in their stomach and circulation of blood to their legs will be restricted. In the hot summer sun a sheep can die in a matter of hours if it gets in this condition. The sheep needs to be lifted up and placed on its legs. Often times, it is necessary to rub the sheep's legs to get blood circulating in the legs again. The sheep will fall back down until the legs are stable enough for them to stand on their own. The shepherd once again is directly responsible for sheep's well being.
Sometimes, we can take God's blessings and we become self complacent or self sufficient, thinking that we are responsible for our own good fortune. This causes us to walk our own path instead of the path that God has set for us to walk. We wake up one day "cast" as sheep. We cannot stand on our own two feet. We are unable to do for ourselves. We come back to God and He brings to green pastures and He leads us to the still waters and then God restores us!
He shears away the heavy wool, which makes our lives better. He trims away some of the fat that has us weighted down. The process is not an easy process nor is it very much fun. It is however, necessary. God will do what He needs to do to make our lives better, even when it means there may be times of difficulty ahead, which will lead to a season of plenty! God's whole purpose is to restore our soul. Everything else becomes a blessing!
David writes, " The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters; He restores my soul." David had been through some tough trials in his life. He knew the restoring touch of the Hand of God in his life. Restoration comes when we are led to the green pastures and the still waters that God has planned for us. It is easy to get away from the care that walking with God provides for us as His children. It is so easy to look to our own devices for comfort and pleasure and the lure of the world is always before us. Restoration comes from the Lord.
We confuse activity for productivity. We confuse material prosperity with spiritual maturity. We think success is a sign from God that we are where we are supposed to be. While success can be a blessing from God, we have to remember that our relationship with Him is the foundation of success that God is looking for.
Why does David include this in his Shepherd's prayer? Sheep will lie down and roll over onto their back and when their legs are in the air, they cannot get up on their own. Gasses will start to collect in their stomach and circulation of blood to their legs will be restricted. In the hot summer sun a sheep can die in a matter of hours if it gets in this condition. The sheep needs to be lifted up and placed on its legs. Often times, it is necessary to rub the sheep's legs to get blood circulating in the legs again. The sheep will fall back down until the legs are stable enough for them to stand on their own. The shepherd once again is directly responsible for sheep's well being.
Sometimes, we can take God's blessings and we become self complacent or self sufficient, thinking that we are responsible for our own good fortune. This causes us to walk our own path instead of the path that God has set for us to walk. We wake up one day "cast" as sheep. We cannot stand on our own two feet. We are unable to do for ourselves. We come back to God and He brings to green pastures and He leads us to the still waters and then God restores us!
He shears away the heavy wool, which makes our lives better. He trims away some of the fat that has us weighted down. The process is not an easy process nor is it very much fun. It is however, necessary. God will do what He needs to do to make our lives better, even when it means there may be times of difficulty ahead, which will lead to a season of plenty! God's whole purpose is to restore our soul. Everything else becomes a blessing!
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Still Waters Psalms 23:2
He leads me beside the still waters.
Water is the most basic need that we have. An individual or animal can go days without food but they both have to have water much sooner in order to survive. All life, plant and animal is comprised of water. In fact, water makes up as much as 75% of the body chemistry of most living things. Without an adequate supply of water, life suffers dramatically, fast.
Sheep do not have the innate ability, as do most animals, to find water. They rely totally and completely on the shepherd to lead them to water. I have read that sheep can be with a few yards of water and not know it. This describes human life. We thirst for the fellowship that God so much wants to give to us. Without that fellowship, our lives fail to find fulfillment and purpose. We desperately try to look everywhere for something to satisfy that thirst that is deep within us, but until we come to the Word of God and let Him fill that thirst, we will not be satisfied. Of coarse Jesus is the Living Water.
David makes a special statement that has always puzzled me. Notice David's use of the phrase "still waters". Sheep find water in more ways than one. Of coarse, they can drink from a stream or river. They can drink water drawn from a well or they will do very well taking the water from the dew found on the grass in the early morning and late evening. The last is the purist of all the water. Notice David writes "he makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters."
The green pastures provide the "still waters" on a daily basis! As the sheep graze in the early morning, they feed and drink! Perhaps this is what Jesus was referring to as He said in the Sermon on the Mount when He said "Blessed are they who do hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled." (Matthew 5:6) When the sun comes up and the day begins to heat up, the dew dries and its ability to satisfy dries up with it.
When we as sheep rise early in the morning to spend quality time with God in His Word and in prayer with Him, He is able to fill us and satisfy us. If we rise up and let the day get started without taking in the "still waters of the Gospel", then its ability to fill us and satisfy us wanes as the day wears on. When we do not take the time to start the day off with the Lord, we lose the best opportunity to experience the provisions that He has prepared for us that will get our day headed in the right direction. Take time for God and let the "still waters" sooth your soul!
Water is the most basic need that we have. An individual or animal can go days without food but they both have to have water much sooner in order to survive. All life, plant and animal is comprised of water. In fact, water makes up as much as 75% of the body chemistry of most living things. Without an adequate supply of water, life suffers dramatically, fast.
Sheep do not have the innate ability, as do most animals, to find water. They rely totally and completely on the shepherd to lead them to water. I have read that sheep can be with a few yards of water and not know it. This describes human life. We thirst for the fellowship that God so much wants to give to us. Without that fellowship, our lives fail to find fulfillment and purpose. We desperately try to look everywhere for something to satisfy that thirst that is deep within us, but until we come to the Word of God and let Him fill that thirst, we will not be satisfied. Of coarse Jesus is the Living Water.
David makes a special statement that has always puzzled me. Notice David's use of the phrase "still waters". Sheep find water in more ways than one. Of coarse, they can drink from a stream or river. They can drink water drawn from a well or they will do very well taking the water from the dew found on the grass in the early morning and late evening. The last is the purist of all the water. Notice David writes "he makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters."
The green pastures provide the "still waters" on a daily basis! As the sheep graze in the early morning, they feed and drink! Perhaps this is what Jesus was referring to as He said in the Sermon on the Mount when He said "Blessed are they who do hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled." (Matthew 5:6) When the sun comes up and the day begins to heat up, the dew dries and its ability to satisfy dries up with it.
When we as sheep rise early in the morning to spend quality time with God in His Word and in prayer with Him, He is able to fill us and satisfy us. If we rise up and let the day get started without taking in the "still waters of the Gospel", then its ability to fill us and satisfy us wanes as the day wears on. When we do not take the time to start the day off with the Lord, we lose the best opportunity to experience the provisions that He has prepared for us that will get our day headed in the right direction. Take time for God and let the "still waters" sooth your soul!
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Green Pastures Psalms 23:2
2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures.
The Lord is my shepherd; there is relationship. I shall not want; there is supply. He makes me lie down in green pastures; there is rest. Here is a picture of utter contentment. Here we find the sheep resting. The shepherd is there. They have eaten well. The sheep are perfectly content. Rest is primarily a state of mind. Here we see the connotation that it is the shepherd that gives the sheep the peace they need to settle down. God wants to give us that peace and contentment as well.
Notice, David writes, "He makes me lie down 'in green pastures'." The shepherd does not make the sheep le down just anywhere but rather He leads them to the choicest of places. For the good shepherd, not just any field will do; the good shepherd looks for the best pasture so the sheep will be well fed and they will be healthy. Green grass represents a life of plenty. It does not represent a life of luxury. Green pastures are plentiful but they are plain. There was nothing special about the green pastures but they were plentiful.
God's blessings may seem a bit mundane compared to the zest and zeal that the world offers. Realty is the world over promises and under delivers every single time. God is faithful and the ability to lie down peacefully in a house of plenty is indeed a blessing from God. When we allow Him to be our shepherd and we as His sheep hear His voice and follow Him, we will rest at night and rise in the morning refreshed and filled with all the fullness of God's presence and His provisions!
I am so glad He allows me to lie down in "green pastures" where I can be totally content and safe and secure because of His presence and His power! That is rest!
The Lord is my shepherd; there is relationship. I shall not want; there is supply. He makes me lie down in green pastures; there is rest. Here is a picture of utter contentment. Here we find the sheep resting. The shepherd is there. They have eaten well. The sheep are perfectly content. Rest is primarily a state of mind. Here we see the connotation that it is the shepherd that gives the sheep the peace they need to settle down. God wants to give us that peace and contentment as well.
Notice, David writes, "He makes me lie down 'in green pastures'." The shepherd does not make the sheep le down just anywhere but rather He leads them to the choicest of places. For the good shepherd, not just any field will do; the good shepherd looks for the best pasture so the sheep will be well fed and they will be healthy. Green grass represents a life of plenty. It does not represent a life of luxury. Green pastures are plentiful but they are plain. There was nothing special about the green pastures but they were plentiful.
God's blessings may seem a bit mundane compared to the zest and zeal that the world offers. Realty is the world over promises and under delivers every single time. God is faithful and the ability to lie down peacefully in a house of plenty is indeed a blessing from God. When we allow Him to be our shepherd and we as His sheep hear His voice and follow Him, we will rest at night and rise in the morning refreshed and filled with all the fullness of God's presence and His provisions!
I am so glad He allows me to lie down in "green pastures" where I can be totally content and safe and secure because of His presence and His power! That is rest!
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