Today is Friday the 13th.
Most of us grow up with the notion that Friday the 13th is just waiting for something bad, crazy or unfortunate to happen. We laugh at the thought, but the truth is many days feel like they are Friday the 13th!
Do you ever find yourself in a place of discouragement and a feeling of being alone in your struggles? What if you could live in freedom? Look at the picture of this silly dog, face to the wind…running towards its goal. What if we could run free like that?
We might trust God with our salvation, our eternal destination, the overall benefits of knowing him… But d0 we trust him when the tire is flat, the kids are sick, the marriage is struggling and the scale just recorded a few extra pounds?
Do we trust him when the diagnosis is bad, a relationship has soured or when we are being misunderstood and misrepresented?
Some days life is hard. It doesn’t have to be big things, but the daily grind of garden variety things, can begin to wear us down, stealing our joy…leaving us feeling worn out and alone. When we assume we are alone we begin to get discouraged with the weight of the load.
Discouragement robs our courage and is the opposite of the strength we find when we are living in HOPE.
Truth is, we are not alone. NEVER ALONE.
When life is hard, and it often is, we must gird our minds with the TRUTH that we do not walk this journey by ourself. There is a mighty God walking along side of us, every step we take.
Recently I sat in Psalm 23 for a few months…meaning, I read, memorized, reflected, prayed and meditated over those familiar six verses. A very clear theme began to emerge…
I am not alone, God is always involved with my life.
Psalm 23 starts out with, “The Lord is My Shepherd” . The Lord is…Who is He? This is what we need to focus on. He is a mighty God, a warrior for his people, healer, deliverer, comforter, counselor, creator, redeemer, restorer, all powerful…and in Psalm 23 we are reminded that the Lord, God Almighty, is our personal shepherd.
Here are a few key points that helped me see that He is involved continually with my life, circumstances and days:
- He makes me…lie down in green pastures ( feeding, caring)
- He leads me…beside still waters( quiet for my soul)
- He guides me… into paths that are right for me
- He restores me…my soul, the inner me
- He is with me…in very high and every low
- He anoints me…even in enemy territory
- He provides for me…preparing a table before me
- His goodness and love chase after me…ALL the days of my life
In the New Living Translation, this Psalm starts off like this:
The LORD is my shepherd, I have everything I need.
What do you need today? Is it possible that what you think you need is not in your life, because God himself, your Good Shepherd, KNOWS you and KNOWS you need something different than you think you do? Could it be that he is leading, guiding, restoring you…through the current situation?
Stop, back up your thoughts, think of what you feel you are lacking and begin to fill your mind with the Truth that God is with you. Say it out loud… God is working in my life! I have all that I need because I have HIM. He will never fail. Trust that God, the Good Shepherd, has a plan and it is being worked out this very hour.
Blessings to you my friends,
Debbie
Thanks Debbie…just what I needed to be reminded of today. Sometimes it is easier to trust Him with the “big” things like salvation, but more difficult with the daily struggles. I know that God is faithful and is always with me, providing for my every need. Just needed to be reminded today!
Great reminder Debbie. Psalm 23 is a remarkable Psalm to memorize and reflect on. When I think about God’s shepherding care and guidance, it releases me from worry about what’s next. There may actually be no… next. I may be right where God wants me to be. I should say I am right where God wants me to be because he cares more about my character development than what I’m doing or where I’m going. He has me where he wants me and it’s the best place to be no matter how difficult it is. That’s a hard lesson to learn but it’s the truth. Thanks for writing and encouraging us to live in this truth. You’re a blessing Debbie.