Still Waters

 Psalms 23:2

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

Green pastures give the idea of abundance and complete provision. I find it interesting that it is a place where God "makes" us lie down. Why wouldn't it be something we wanted to do?

Still waters give a feeling of peace and tranquility. I learned something interesting about sheep and water that really helps bring understanding to this part of the verse.

Sheep can not drink from rough waters. Their nostrils are so close to their mouth that the water would choke them if it was bubbling up when they tried to drink. Still waters is a necessity.

In the same way, peace is a necessity for us. God is gracious enough to pour His peace on us. When we follow Him, we can experience true peace.

Words of Wisdom Wednesday

 

 Proverbs 23:13 KJV

Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die.

It is our job as parents to discipline our children. It is up to us to correct bad behavior. Sometimes that may mean spanking, but it does not mean to cause harm. When we do it, it is our goal to turn them from the  bad road they are on. We want them to experience God's best for them.

Psalm 23

In his commentary of Psalm 23, Matthew Henry wrote of verse one:

I shall be supplied with whatever I need, and if I have not every thing I desire, I may conclude it is either not fit for me or not good for me, or I shall have it in due time.

Oh, that I would have this perspective! Many times I have acted as a spoiled brat when I didn't get what I wanted, when I wanted it. Oh, Father, forgive me for all those times!

I should rest in knowing that God is a good shepherd and will take care of all I need, when I need it. I can rest in His perfect timing and perfect provisions. I can have peace that when I don't get something I desire, that there is good reason for it.

The Lord is my Shepherd

 Psalms 23:1 KJV

<<A Psalm of David.>> The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

At first read, one would see this as not wanting a shepherd-a guide, a protector, a provider. This understanding fits  how people usually are. We want to be in control. We want to be independent. We want to say we did something on our own.

Another rendering is that with the Lord as our Shepherd, we shall never be in want of anything because He provides and takes care of all. This understanding also fits as it follows God's character.

No matter which way you choose to understand this scripture, both are true.

For far too long, I have lived believing the first and fighting against God wanting to protect me, provide for me, and take care of me. 

God led me to Psalm 23 at the beginning of this month and although I have read it every day and am working on memorizing it, I have decided to dig in and look closely at each verse. I know there is much here that I miss with just reading it and not studying it.

Unity and Peace

 Ephesians 4:1-6 KJV

1 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, 2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; 3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; 5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

As I read this passage, I was struck by how much Christians are not living this way. My biggest stressors during all this covid mess is the disunity among the nation and how Christians are treating one another. 

We are to walk worthy of being called Christ followers. This means we are to walk as Chirst would have walked. 

We are to humble ourselves, be gentle and have patience as we endure (and help others endure) these hard times.

We are called to be in unity and peace. Yet, it doesn't seem like God's people are even striving for unity. Have we forgotten what we are called to do?

Why I Haven't Been Posting

Isla Grace Josephine joined our family nine days after her due date on July 18th at 7:58 pm! She was 9 lbs 7 oz and 22" long.

We were able to experience another wonderful home water birth. I truly believe Plexus supplements helped me have another great experience.

As some of you know, I started Plexus during my pregnancy with Gordon and it was the best pregnancy since my first few. Well, this pregnancy went well, too. What was an even better benefit this time is that the labor went better than the last few. With the last two I had more bleeding than before, but this time it was back to normal. Also, active labor was only 3 hours long and I only had to push a few times. Recovery is going better, too!😁 Gordon was smaller than the two previous him and Isla was even smaller!

I am sure this is because of my Plexus supplements. I feel so much better overall and love that I had such a great labor and delivery at my age.🥰

Plexus is still offering wholesale pricing for an entire year for only $9.95! Also, because I am so happy with how well my delivery went, I will be giving a free gift to the first three that decide to start their own journey to better health with me!😊

Forgetting What is Behind

Philippians 3:13-14 KJV

13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, 14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

How do we forget what is behind and move on? It seems like Satan is good at bringing up the past. It is hard to move on when there are constant reminders of past sins.

Don't Faint

"[M]en ought always to pray, and not to faint." ~ Luke 18:1b

Luke 18:1-8 tells us the parable of the widow and judge. The judge did not fear God, therefore, he would not serve justice for the widow. However, the widow did not give up! The widow continued to go to him and seek justice. The judge finally served justice because the widow did not relent and it was the only way to get her to stop.

I think we can glean much from this for our current life circumstances. There is no question that some of us in America live under unjust governors and political leaders. Let us not give up! May be be relentless in seeking truth and justice. God has given us rights and we must stand for those rights!

Sin Comes in the Waiting

Genesis 12:4 KJV

So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran.

Genesis 15:1-6 KJV

1 After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward. 2 And Abram said, Lord GOD, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus? 3 And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir. 4 And, behold, the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir. 5 And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. 6 And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.

Genesis 17:1 KJV 

And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.

Genesis 17:21 KJV

But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year.

I had been thinking about the story of Abraham so I opened my Bible and started reading to refresh my memory.

Abraham was 75 years old when God first told Him that He would make him a great nation. God then reminded Abraham years later of that promise. Then, ten years after God first told him taht He would bless him with children, Abraham and Sarah had felt they had waited long enough and he took Hagar so that he may have a child. Another ten years passed before Sarah conceived and had Isaac.

Now Abraham had believed God every time He said that He would make him a great nation, so why didn't he wait on His timing?

You see, sin often comes in the waiting.

We get impatient with God's timing. We think we need it now-or at least sooner than He is providing it. We try to take things into our own hands and it almost always causes grief and turmoil. Not only did Sarah end up sending Hagar and Ishmael away due to strife of having them around, but Ishmael's seed and Issac's seed have been fighting ever since.

When we are praying for something, we should also be praying that god strengthens us to wait on His timing. We know that His plans, His timing, is best, yet we still get impatient.

I think that after 40 years of trying to push my timing on His plans that I finally have my eyes opened enough to pray more for strength in waiting than for the desire itself. I am tired of the negative consequences. I am tired of the sin of not waiting leading to more sin. That first sin usually starts with a "small" disobedience, but it leads to larger and larger sins (if we don't catch ourselves and confess and repent right away).

Do you find that sin comes in the waiting? Do you pray for strength to wait on His timing?

Isaiah 60:22b 

I the LORD will hasten it in his time.

Change Begins with Us

Joel 2:12-13 KJV

12 Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: 13 And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.

There is much evil in our world today. There is much unrest and division in the USA. There are many people calling for change.

Change IS needed; however, people are looking elsewhere for change. Change needs to begin in our own hearts!

Each individual person needs to start with themselves. When people are right with God and strong in faith, then we will have strong marriages and families. When we have strong marriages and families, we will have strong communities. When we have strong communities, we will have strong counties. With strong counties, we will have strong states. And then, with strong states, we can have a strong nation.

It all begins with us! Turn to God. Seek Him. Check you heart!