Psalm 23 Part 7 - All the Days of My Life
I'm wrapping up this series on Psalm 23 in a different way: with my testimony.
The last verse of Psalm 23 is somewhat like the summary of the verses preceding it: when I live like a sheep, follow my Shepherd, allow Him to set my path and take care of me, I know Him to be not only a loving, powerful Shepherd but also King of Kings. And when my life reflects that knowledge in faith, "Surely [His] goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever," (verse 6, NIV).
I knew Christ was calling me to accept Him as my Lord and Savior starting in elementary school. And, honestly, I told Him "yes" in prayer many times, but I was petrified of walking down the aisle and having all of my church look at me. [This memory is especially funny today, knowing how much I love speaking and leading large groups!] But my courage grew, and at age 13, at a Youth Retreat in Gatlinburg, I publicly became a Jesus follower.
I lived like a mediocre Christian for the rest of middle and high school. I was at church every time the doors were open. I was involved in FCA, prayer groups, and any other kind of Christian organization available. I was decently kind, didn't cuss, didn't party, and avoided most things that would have gotten me in trouble. (I have often said that it wasn't really Jesus that kept me out of trouble in high school; it was a loving dad who would have taken away my car if I'd dishonored him and his rules!)
At the time I graduated high school, I would have told you that I was a pretty good Christian. Looking back as an adult, though, the story is different: I BLEW IT. I never shared my faith with a single person. I didn't invite anyone to church, let alone lead them to Christ. My friends would remember me as being studious and friendly; not as being a Jesus follower. If I could go back, I'd change that.
College was more of the same: Christian friends, no trouble; but no fire for Jesus.
But then I got married and moved to a new town. And I was told that a church near me was having a Women's Bible Study on Tuesday mornings. I didn't know anybody, so I thought this would be a good way to get involved. And it changed my life forever. I sat in that living room with 30 other women, listening to a big-haired woman named Beth share God's Word like I'd never heard it before. And all I could think was, "I WANT THAT."
I wanted her knowledge of the Bible. I wanted Scripture stored in my mind and my heart. I wanted to understand how God created the path that led from Genesis to Revelation as one giant love story.
So I set out to discover it. I poured my heart and soul into reading, studying, memorizing, and teaching God's Word. As I learned how to study, I understood what it meant to live by faith in a relationship with God through His Son Jesus. I grasped the importance of the Holy Spirit to my life and sought to live by the Spirit in every way.
It changed everything: my relationships, my emotions, my outlook, my priorities, my hopes, and dreams.
And I would NEVER GO BACK to the mediocre faith I had before. NOTHING in all my life thrills me like Jesus. No experience, no relationship, no event. Christ is my greatest joy and the source of all I am.
Do I have it all together? NO WAY. Perfect faith? PSSSHHHT. Is everything in my life where Jesus wants it to be? NOT EVEN CLOSE.
But I can say this: I pursue God.
And because of that, goodness and love pursue me (Psalm 23:6).
I know the goodness and love of God in good times and bad, in blessings and trials, in peace and war. That goodness and love do not enable me to avoid all trials, but goodness and love are with me as I experience trials. Maybe not always in the way I want it to, but I know through faith that goodness and love are following me.
I turn 37 today. (OLD! I KNOW!) And as I look back on my entire life, I see His goodness and love following me. Whether I knew it or not, whether I wanted it or not, whether I was pursuing Him or not, He was pursuing me. And as I look ahead, I rejoice in the promise of David: "And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever," (Psalm 23:6). I live in His presence in this fragile earthly body, but I will live gloriously with Him forever.
You can know Him like this, too. Pursue Him. Follow Him. Become a sheep and really, really follow Him as your Shepherd. Let Him nourish you, fill you, and guide you in the path He has for you. Believe you'll sit at His table, your cup overflowing.
And rejoice in the goodness and mercy that follow you every day.
Email me if you need a little guidance :) myleslienotebook@gmail.com
And don't miss another post! Sign up to get this by email at the top right or follow me: @leslienotebook
The last verse of Psalm 23 is somewhat like the summary of the verses preceding it: when I live like a sheep, follow my Shepherd, allow Him to set my path and take care of me, I know Him to be not only a loving, powerful Shepherd but also King of Kings. And when my life reflects that knowledge in faith, "Surely [His] goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever," (verse 6, NIV).
I knew Christ was calling me to accept Him as my Lord and Savior starting in elementary school. And, honestly, I told Him "yes" in prayer many times, but I was petrified of walking down the aisle and having all of my church look at me. [This memory is especially funny today, knowing how much I love speaking and leading large groups!] But my courage grew, and at age 13, at a Youth Retreat in Gatlinburg, I publicly became a Jesus follower.
I lived like a mediocre Christian for the rest of middle and high school. I was at church every time the doors were open. I was involved in FCA, prayer groups, and any other kind of Christian organization available. I was decently kind, didn't cuss, didn't party, and avoided most things that would have gotten me in trouble. (I have often said that it wasn't really Jesus that kept me out of trouble in high school; it was a loving dad who would have taken away my car if I'd dishonored him and his rules!)
At the time I graduated high school, I would have told you that I was a pretty good Christian. Looking back as an adult, though, the story is different: I BLEW IT. I never shared my faith with a single person. I didn't invite anyone to church, let alone lead them to Christ. My friends would remember me as being studious and friendly; not as being a Jesus follower. If I could go back, I'd change that.
College was more of the same: Christian friends, no trouble; but no fire for Jesus.
But then I got married and moved to a new town. And I was told that a church near me was having a Women's Bible Study on Tuesday mornings. I didn't know anybody, so I thought this would be a good way to get involved. And it changed my life forever. I sat in that living room with 30 other women, listening to a big-haired woman named Beth share God's Word like I'd never heard it before. And all I could think was, "I WANT THAT."
I wanted her knowledge of the Bible. I wanted Scripture stored in my mind and my heart. I wanted to understand how God created the path that led from Genesis to Revelation as one giant love story.
So I set out to discover it. I poured my heart and soul into reading, studying, memorizing, and teaching God's Word. As I learned how to study, I understood what it meant to live by faith in a relationship with God through His Son Jesus. I grasped the importance of the Holy Spirit to my life and sought to live by the Spirit in every way.
It changed everything: my relationships, my emotions, my outlook, my priorities, my hopes, and dreams.
And I would NEVER GO BACK to the mediocre faith I had before. NOTHING in all my life thrills me like Jesus. No experience, no relationship, no event. Christ is my greatest joy and the source of all I am.
Do I have it all together? NO WAY. Perfect faith? PSSSHHHT. Is everything in my life where Jesus wants it to be? NOT EVEN CLOSE.
But I can say this: I pursue God.
And because of that, goodness and love pursue me (Psalm 23:6).
I know the goodness and love of God in good times and bad, in blessings and trials, in peace and war. That goodness and love do not enable me to avoid all trials, but goodness and love are with me as I experience trials. Maybe not always in the way I want it to, but I know through faith that goodness and love are following me.
I turn 37 today. (OLD! I KNOW!) And as I look back on my entire life, I see His goodness and love following me. Whether I knew it or not, whether I wanted it or not, whether I was pursuing Him or not, He was pursuing me. And as I look ahead, I rejoice in the promise of David: "And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever," (Psalm 23:6). I live in His presence in this fragile earthly body, but I will live gloriously with Him forever.
You can know Him like this, too. Pursue Him. Follow Him. Become a sheep and really, really follow Him as your Shepherd. Let Him nourish you, fill you, and guide you in the path He has for you. Believe you'll sit at His table, your cup overflowing.
And rejoice in the goodness and mercy that follow you every day.
Email me if you need a little guidance :) myleslienotebook@gmail.com
And don't miss another post! Sign up to get this by email at the top right or follow me: @leslienotebook
Comments
Post a Comment