Psalm 23: Declarations & Assurances for Life

“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” (Psalm 23, NKJV)

I have been reading through the Psalms for my morning devotion. I absolutely love Psalm 23. It is one of my most favorites passages in Scripture. As I was reflecting upon it, I was invigorated to worship. I unquestionably believe Psalm 23 is a must scripture memory for every Christian. It is jam-packed with declarations and assurances about God as our Shepherd and us as His sheep. You get 8 actions and assurances about God as our Shepherd that benefit us as His sheep, and 5 additional assurances for us as His sheep.

The 8...

1. “He makes me to lie down in green pastures” (v2a) = He provides us with all we need.


2. “He leads me beside the still waters” (v2b) = He sustains us by way of peace not turmoil.


3. “He restores my soul” (v3a) = He wholly replenishes us.


4. “He leads me in the paths of righteousness” (v3b) = He hand walks us in righteous living for His glory.


5. “You are with me” (v4c) = He goes with us, everywhere, every season; never leaves nor forsakes us.


6. “Your rod and staff...comfort me” (v4d) = He protects and disciplines us for our good.


7. “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies” (v5a) = He sets up His blessings for us, even in the midst of our adversities.


8. “You anoint my head with oil” (v5b) = He overflows us with His blessedness.

The 5...

1. “The LORD is my shepherd” (v1a) = It is part of God's character to shepherd His children (i.e. those who believe in Jesus Christ). He cannot not shepherd us in these ways.


2. “I shall not want” (v1b) = We will never experience true lack because God is our Shepherd. He cannot deny Himself, and He is all-satisfying.


3. “I will fear no evil” (v4b) = We have nothing to ever be afraid of because our Shepherd is always with us. Always!


4. “goodness and mercy shall follow me...” (v6a) = The goodness and mercy of God is always pursuing us, everyday. Everyday and always!


5. “I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever” (v6b) = We will never not be in God's presence because His presence now lives within us through the Holy Spirit.

Is this not thoroughly encouraging? What declarations! What assurances we have! This Psalm, 6 verses long, is loaded with so much truth that we can feast on it for a lifetime. In stormy seasons of life it is a great reminder of our Shepherd and the comfort for us as His sheep. In the sunny seasons of life it is a great encouragement to pursue our Shepherd with all vigor, and also motivation to go find His lost sheep and bring them back into this fold.

Be grateful! Be encouraged! Be empowered! Be exuberant! Be worshipful! The LORD is your Shepherd!

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*Philip Keller wrote a fantastic little book on Psalm 23 entitled, “A Shepherds Look at Psalm 23”. A must for every Christian's library.

4/11/2017

Encouragement & Wisdom for Leaders #3: Philippians 2:17

Intentionality is always the first step in working toward a goal or plan. As a leader you have to know your reason why and have a game plan for what you're working toward. This is also applicable in other areas of service and desired growth. Do everything on purpose and with a purpose if you want to experience any kind of success in whatever you're pursuing.

There was young guy and gal that responded to an altar call one Sunday after a convicting message at our church. This couple also decided to be baptized that same day. Guess how this couple came to our church? Another guy named Hesus that was intentionally invited to play flag football with the men's ministry invited them. From that first connection point with flag football, Hesus comes to know Jesus. Some months later Hesus intentionally invites a young couple who responds to Jesus and gets baptized. Hesus was invited on purpose and with a purpose, and then Hesus invited the young couple on purpose and with a purpose. God did the rest.

Don't waste the opportunities or the influence you have. Do everything on purpose and with a purpose and you will experience success in your leadership. But remember, success in leadership is never without cost.

“Yes, and if I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all.” -Philippians 2:17 (NKJV)

This is the call of leadership: giving of yourself as an offering, sacrificing, and serving for the faith of others. Apostle Paul said he gladly welcomes this call and rejoices!

Sometimes as leaders we do not get recognized for all of what we do. Sometimes as leaders we feel unappreciated for what we do for those we lead. This is part of the call of leadership. Paul understood this clearly, and despite the sacrifices and giving of himself he was glad and rejoiced with those he led. Let us follow his example.

As a Christian leader, an essential component of doing everything on purpose and with a purpose is looking to hear from the Father, “Well done”. Until then, let us intentionally embrace this call and cost of leadership with gladness, knowing if no one else sees God does. And let us intentionally rejoice with those we lead as we see them grow more in the image of Jesus.

1/11/16

Encouragement & Wisdom for Leaders #2: Philippians 1:9-11

We all know areas we need to work on as leaders. But don't go into your next week or next season simply knowing an area that needs work. Be intentional now and start putting a game plan together to move from knowing to doing. Great leaders aren't known for what they know, they are known by what they do.

In the Marines I learned many life-impacting lessons. One in particular is the 6Ps: "prior planning prevents piss poor performance". If you want to succeed and exceed as a leader, then develop the habit of prior planning. Otherwise, you will continue to waste good effort on poor results. Start now and begin to think through a game plan to do what you know you need to work on. Below is a good place to start.

"I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return. May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation—the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ—for this will bring much glory and praise to God."
-Philippians 1:9-11 (NLT)

This was Apostle Paul's prayer as a shepherd. This is my prayer for you as a leader/shepherd. May this be a prayer you pray for yourself. And may this be a prayer you pray and pursue for those you lead/shepherd.

Set your mind this week, this month, this season to let the love of Christ overflow in you and through you. Set your mind this week, this month, this season to be intentional in growing in knowledge of God and understanding of His Word. Set your mind this week, this month, this season to "approve the things that are excellent" (v10a, NKJV). Set your mind this week, this month, this season to live pure and blameless. Set your mind this week, this month, this season to bear the fruit of a righteous character produced in you by Jesus. Set your mind this week, this month, this season that whatever you do you do so to bring much glory and praise to God. Know that as you are setting your mind to these things this week, this month, this season, you are not doing so alone. The Holy Spirit is working in you "both to will and do for His good pleasure" (2:13, NKJV).

11/2015

Encouragement & Wisdom for Leaders #1: Psalm 141:8-10

Once a week, during the end of 2015, I would spend time reflecting on a passage of Scripture and include it in my weekly Leaders Briefing email along with offering wisdom for leadership development to encourage the leaders I'm over at my church. I'll be sharing some of these Scripture encouragements and leadership wisdom here for the next coming weeks to encourage others. Hopefully they do just that.
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"But my eyes are fixed on You, Sovereign Lord; in You I take refuge—[leave me not defenseless!]. Keep me safe from the traps set by evildoers, from the snares they have laid for me. Let the wicked fall into their own nets, while I pass by in safety."
-Psalm 141:8-10 (NIV)

You have no other shelter but God in this world and in your battle against sin and your enemies, and He will not leave you defenseless! However, it is your responsibility to keep your eyes (mind & heart) fixed on your Sovereign Lord.

In this Psalm, David himself is crying out to God for safety from snares caused by himself and set by other people's sin. As Christian leaders, there are many traps laid out before you to cause you to fall, fail, become disqualified, or abandon what God has called you to do. Some of these traps (snares) are self-imposed, some sin-imposed, and some other-imposed. Pray like David for your daily safety from traps caused by you or set against you, and also be intentional on keeping your eyes (mind & heart) fixed on your Sovereign Lord, who is your only refuge and has not left you defenseless!

11/2/15

Scripture Meditation: 1Cor. 1:17-18

"God didn't send me out to collect a following for myself, but to preach the Message of what he has done, collecting a following for him. And he didn't send me to do it with a lot of fancy rhetoric of my own, lest the powerful action at the center—Christ on the Cross—be trivialized into mere words. The Message that points to Christ on the Cross seems like sheer silliness to those hellbent on destruction, but for those on the way of salvation it makes perfect sense. This is the way God works, and most powerfully as it turns out." (1Cor. 1:17-18, Msg)

Here are some things we can take from this passage: 

1. Our coming and going, our service, and whatever else it is we do, is not about us. 

2. Our coming and going, our service in whatever it is we do, is about letting the Gospel be seen and heard---it's about Jesus! 

3. Some will not understand why we come and go, speak and listen, comfort and encourage, and love and serve like we do, and some will understand and be inspired. 

4. In all this know that God is at work, and the Gospel is the power of God for the saved and those being saved. 

Be encouraged, and be intentional on remembering "the powerful action at the center", the Gospel! 

2011