"The Lord is My Shepherd"

Currently, thanks to my neighbors, I'm reading a neat book that goes into amazing detail about the 23rd Psalm (from an actual shepherd's view). The author writes with deep knowledge about sheep and how the 23rd Psalm talks about the simple life and circumstances of a shepherd with his flock. He then shows the similarities of actual sheep/shepherds to the relationship we hold with our Father in Heaven (our Good Shepherd). 

I'm keeping a journal of passages in his book that really strike me in a whole new light and thought it would be fun to share them with you and allow you to have a whole new outlook on the frequently-read 23rd Psalm.

Breaking it down, day-by-day, the first line in the Psalm: "The Lord is our Shepherd" is so often overlooked and pushed past as one hurries through the rest of the passage. The line though, the author went into detail about and some of the things that stood out to me:


point 1: "There's a profound yet practical working relationship between a human being and his make--his owner--his manager." When we think of God being our "owner" many people gasp and shake their heads, hating the fact that God would claim "ownership" over our lives when in fact He made us with a "free will."  The author states boldly: "He has the RIGHT to be our owner...He made us...died for us...and continually lays down His life for us." (Just as a shepherd to his flock)


point 2: "We (humans) are like sheep--we have a mass mind (mob instinct), fears and timidities, and stubborn, stupid, perverse habits." Our biggest fears come from the unknown, the future, the circumstances that we cannot control. 


point 3: "Not only is God gentle and tender and true, but also righteous, stern as steel, and terribly tough on phony people... He comes to set men free from their OWN sins, their OWN selves, and their OWN fears." Think about it: actual shepherds, when discovering certain ewes (female sheep) wandering and causing discontentment among the other sheep in the flock, will have to take those sheep out of the flock. Also, if certain sheep continually wander off and get lost, the shepherd goes after them, breaks their legs, and as the lamp/sheep heals, they learn to stay by the shepherd and never wander again. Sound familiar to how God treats those of us who wander? He brings us to our knees and we find ourselves helpless without our Good Shepherd.


point 4: "There is a distinct 'mark' (just as new sheep to a flock are branded with the seal of the shepherd) upon the man/woman that differentiates him/herself from the rest of the crowd... A person exchanges the fickle fortunes of living life by sheer whimpsy for the more productive and satisfying adventure or being guided by God." We need to realize that there is a price to following Christ: we need to forfeit our own fickle and foolish ways of life! We can't have it both ways! Either we belong to the Good Shepherd or we don't!


Questions that the author closed out the chapter with included:
~Do I really belong to Him?
~Do I really recognize His right to me?
~Do I respond to His authority and acknowledge His ownership?
~Do I find freedom and complete fulfillment in this arrangement?
~Do I sense a purpose and deep contentment because I'm under His direction?
~Do I know rest and repose, besides a definite sense of exciting adventure, in belonging to Him?


If so, then exclaim proudly:

"The LORD IS my Shepherd!"

Today's Utmost for His Highest

"MY UTMOST FOR HIS HIGHEST  
http://www.heartlight.org/

  December 14, 2009


THE GREAT LIFE

    Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you: . .
    Let not your heart be troubled.

    John 14:27
    http://www.SearchGodsWord.org/desk/?query=joh+14:27&sr=1

Whenever a thing becomes difficult in personal experience, we are in
danger of blaming God, but it is we who are in the wrong, not God,
there is some perversity somewhere that we will not let go.
Immediately we do, everything becomes as clear as daylight. As long
as we try to serve two ends, ourselves and God, there is perplexity.
The attitude must be one of complete reliance on God. When once we
get there, there is nothing easier than living the saintly life;
difficulty comes in when we want to usurp the authority of the Holy
Spirit for our own ends.

Whenever you obey God, His seal is always that of peace, the witness
of an unfathomable peace, which is not natural, but the peace of
Jesus. Whenever peace does not come, tarry till it does or find out
the reason why it does not. If you are acting on an impulse, or from
a sense of the heroic, the peace of Jesus will not witness; there is
no simplicity or confidence in God, because the spirit of simplicity
is born of the Holy Ghost, not of your decisions. Every decision
brings a reaction of simplicity.

My questions come whenever I cease to obey. When I have obeyed God,
the problems never come between me and God, they come as probes to
keep the mind going on with amazement at the revelation of God. Any
problem that comes between God and myself springs out of
disobedience; any problem, and there are many, that is alongside me
while I obey God, increases my ecstatic delight, because I know that
my Father knows, and I am going to watch and see how He unravels this
thing."

Seven Secrets of stress management (By Rick Warren)

I read an article/devotional by Rick Warren and wanted to share it since I know this topic is one that everyone deals with through life. I'm especially dealing with this topic at work. Stress. Small word that has huge effects on peoples' lives!

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Then Jesus said, ‘Let's get away from the crowds for a while and rest.’ There were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his apostles didn't even have time to eat.” (Mark 6:31, NLT)

Do you ever feel like your life and schedule is out of control? 

You can't eliminate stress, but you can manage it. Jesus Christ experienced enormous stress and pressure, yet it didn't seem to disturb his peace of mind. In spite of opposition, constant demands, and little privacy, his life reflected a calm sense of balance.

What was his secret? A closer look at his lifestyle reveals seven key "stressbusters":

Identification: Know who you are (John 8:12) - Eighteen times Jesus publicly defined himself. There was no doubt in his mind as to who he was. If you’re unsure of your identity, you'll allow others to pressure you into their molds. Trying to be someone you're not causes stress!

Dedication: Know who you want to please (John 5:30) - You can't please everyone. Even God can't! Just about the time you get Crowd A happy, Crowd B will get upset with you. Jesus never let the fear of rejection manipulate him. No one can pressure you without your permission.

Organization: Set clear goals (John 8:14) - Jesus said, "I know where I came from and where I am going." Preparation prevents pressure but procrastination produces it. You work by either priorities or pressures.

Concentration: Focus on one thing at a time (Luke 4:42-44) - You can't chase two rabbits at the same time! Jesus knew how to handle interruptions without being distracted from his primary goal.

Delegation: Don’t try to do everything yourself (Mark 3:14) - We get tense when we feel it all depends on us. Jesus enlisted 12 disciples. Don't allow perfectionism, or the fear that others may do a better job, keep you from involving others in the task.

Meditation: Make a habit of prayer (Mark 1:35) - No matter how busy Jesus got, he found time to get alone to pray everyday. A daily "Quiet Time" is a great stress decompression chamber. Use this time to talk to God about your pressures and problems, evaluate your priorities, and discover the rules for successful living by reading the Bible.

Relaxation: Take time to enjoy life (Mark 6:30-31) - Balance is the key to stress management. Work must be balanced with fun and worship.

Prayer: Ask God to strengthen you and teach you to handle the stresses that come your way.

Point to ponder: Stress is inevitable – but you can still have peace of mind.

Verse: “Then Jesus said, ‘Let's get away from the crowds for a while and rest.’ There were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his apostles didn't even have time to eat.” (Mark 6:31, NLT)

What will you do about it: For the next week, concentrate on this list of seven stress-busters. Take one a day, read the corresponding scripture, and start to incorporate those habits into your life.

DID YOU KNOW?

A sick pig rarely curls it's tail.

A woodpeckers tongue is long enough to wrap it around his head 2 times.

Ants prefer not to walk through baby powder.

Snakes can't blink.

A Rat can tread water for 3 days.

A Snail takes 33 hours to crawl 1 mile.

The bigger the naval, the sweeter the orange.

The dot over the lower case i is called a Tittle.

Nutmeg is extremely poisonous if injected intravenously.

It is illegal in the state of Kentucky to marry your wife's grandmother.

If a frog's mouth is held open too long the frog will suffocate.

Kokomo Indiana is the home of canned tomato juice.

Peanuts are used in the manufacture of dynamite.

In an average lifetime the average American receives 31 prank phone calls.

Most American car horns honk in the key of F.

At the first Thanksgiving dinner Lobster was one of the main entrees.

No word in the English Language rhymes with month.

Worcestershire Sauce is basically an Anchovy Ketchup.

A duck's quack does not echo.

The ashes of an average cremated person weighs 9 lbs.

Roosters cannot crow if they cannot extend their necks.

Oak trees do not have acorns until they are 50 years or older.

Shirley Temple always had 56 curls in her hair.

Corduroy comes from the French, meaning cloth of the king.

The dial tone of a normal phone is in the key of F.

An office chair with wheels travels 8 miles a year.

Howdy Doody has exactly 48 freckles on his face.

Bubble Gum contains rubber.

33 million Hershey Kisses are made each day.

Every time you sneeze some of your brain cells die. - OH LORDY...I AM IN TROUBLE

An animal epidemic is called a epizootic.

If you stretch a standard Slinky out flat it measures 87 feet long.

Camel's milk does not curdle.

A cat has 4 rows of whiskers.

In Disney's Fantasia, the Sorcerer name is Yensid which is Disney backwards.

Maine is the toothpick capital of the world.

The space between the 2 front teeth is called a diastima.

Alexander the Great was an epileptic.

A group of owls is called a parliament.

The geographical center of North America is Rugby North Dakota.

Dirty Harry's badge # is 2211.

The ball on top of a flagpole is called the truck.

Giraffes have no vocal chords.

The dragonfly has a lifespan of 24 hours.

Mr. Rogers is an ordained minister.

Professional ballerinas use about 12 pair of toe shoes per week.

Race car is a palindrone.

The two lines that connect your top lip to the bottom of your nose

are known as philtrums.

Ralph Kramden made $62.00 a week.

Mel Blanc (the voice of Bugs Bunny) was allergic to carrots.

The glue on Israeli postage stamps is certified kosher.

In Casablanca, Humphrey Bogart never said "Play it again, Sam."

The average person falls asleep in seven minutes.

Money isn't made out of paper, it's made out of cotton.

Every time you lick a stamp, you're consuming 1/10 of a calorie.

All dogs, no matter what size, scratch at the same speed.

The term "Checkmate" comes from the Arabic meaning "the king is dead".

The word TIP is an acronym for "To Insure Promptness".

There are no turkeys in Turkey.

There are 293 ways to make change for a dollar.

A giraffe's tongue is blue.

The average person blinks 313 million times in a lifetime.

Robert E. Lee wore size 4 1/2 shoe.

If a spider dismantles his web a bad storm is near.

"Tug of War" was an Olympic event between 1900 and 1920.

Tony the Tiger will turned 45 in 2000.

The right lung takes in more air than the left.

There is no rice in rice paper.

More than 25% of the worlds forests are in Siberia.

Nearly all Sumo wrestlers have flat feet and big butts.

Buzz Aldrin was the first man to pee in his pants on the moon.

An eagles nest can weigh as much as two tons.