Forever We Get To Dwell
“The LORD is my shepherd,
(The Psalms 23: 1-6 NASB)
I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside quiet waters.
He restores my soul;
He guides me in the paths of righteousness”
[The LORD does this for only one solitary reason]
“For His name’s sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,”
[Death of self-image]
[Death of self-control]
[Death of self-worth]
(Death of pretend spirituality]
[Death of a happily-ever after]
“I fear no evil,
for You are with me;”
[Maybe allow yourself to pause, to read again the middle part of verse 4 & then see because WHY]
“Your rod and Your staff,
they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You have anointed my head with oil;”
[Just as the shepherd watches over the lambs, looking for cuts and scrapes on his lambs’ heads, our LORD GOD, the Good Shepherd, watches over us, applying His healing oil to us
whenever we need restoration]
“My cup overflows.”
[overflows with God’s Goodness]
[& overflows with God’s Grace}
[& overflows with God’s Mercy]
[& overflows forever & ever & ever!]
“Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life,
And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.”
Once we give our hearts to the LORD, then—Forever We Get To Dwell—in His presence!
Thus, I wonder this morning:
- Have you ever gotten up on the wrong side of the bed?
- We like to think there is a good & bad side, but where (really) is the wrong side or the right side?
OR
- Have you ever driven to work only to be angered by the actions of the other drivers?
- We like to think other drivers cause our disturbance, but where (really) does the feeling of being upset come from that already rage within us when we place our bodies behind the wheel?
OR
- Have you ever walked into work and immediately thought, “Man, I just want this day to be over already”?
- We like to think colleagues and work situations make our workdays good or bad, but where (really) does our feeling of discontent arise from within our being?
OR
- Have you ever dressed for church, knowing that you are really just going through the motions, that you really have nothing to offer God this day?
- We like to claim that all is well with our soul, but where really have we failed to be honest with ourselves & with God?
Jesus taught us this TRUTH we must heed—
“Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar,
(The Gospel According to Matthew 5: 23-24 NASB)
and there remember that your brother has something against you,
leave your offering there before the altar and go;
first be reconciled to your brother,
and then come and present your offering.”
AND FINALLY, IF YOU
- Have ever risen from a night of sleeping next to your spouse, only to wonder, ‘What am I doing here’?
- We like to say ‘life is good’ as we playact for the watching world, but where (really) is marriage ever perfectly good?
Reconciliation is tough. I should know because I am married (38+ years now) to a Navy sailor. Within the military family, there are opportunities for separation; our first deployment separation occurred on our nineteenth anniversary. The second one came three years later, and the last one came in 2016. It is the last one that almost broke us.
Reintegration—I never fully knew the definition of that word until I had to learn the definition.
Saying ‘goodbye’ is tearfully difficult.
Saying ‘hello again’ is wondrously HARD!
After three deployments, I have come to know that I would rather say ‘goodbye’ 1 million times before I am forced to say ‘hello again’ one single time.
If you have never experienced what I am describing, then it could be difficult to understand, but God faithfully gives us biblical evidence to help us maneuver through the difficulties and HARD parts of life.
Since we have given our hearts to the LORD, then—Forever We Get To Dwell—in His presence as His children. Let us, therefore, unpack our bags, hang up our things, and enjoy the eternal conversation we have been blessed to have with our LORD.
We know this is the TRUTH because the Bible says it is so & the Bible proclaims only TRUTH!
“Now I say,
(The Letter of Paul to the Galatians 4: 1-7 NASB)
as long as the heir is a child,
he does not differ at all from a slave
although he is owner of everything,
but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by the father.
So also we,
while we were children,
were held in bondage under the elemental things of the world.
But when the fullness of the time came,
God sent forth His Son,
born of a woman,
born under the Law,
so that He might redeem those who were under the Law,
that we might receive the adoption as sons.
Because you are sons,
God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts,
crying, “Abba! Father!”
Therefore you are no longer a slave,
but a son;
and if a son,
then an heir through God.”