“He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
for his name’s sake.”
– Psalm 23:2-3

Take a few moments and to quietly meditate on these beautiful words. This is how God shepherds your soul in Christ Jesus. No matter the chaos in the world or in your life, this is the invitation of Jesus, the Good Shepherd. He will lead you to rest in lush green pastures of safety and peace. He will guide you to tranquil waters of refreshment rather than the raging torrents we typically find for ourselves. Jesus is the Prince of Peace and the King of Righteousness. He is the bottomless fountain of living water for your desperately thirsty soul.

He will restore your weary, broken spirit. Jesus invites all who are weary and burdened to come to Him, yoking themselves to Him in faith and obedience, and experiencing deep and lasting rest. Refreshment of spirit, even amidst bitter sorrow and grief. Jesus, the Good Shepherd will lead you in paths of righteousness if you’ll follow Him. If you’ll choose to obey Him rather than your natural instincts and desires that are so easily deceived and distorted by our sinful, fallen world.

The Lord will lead you on the narrow, righteous path that leads to life and blessing. This will be, first and foremost, for His glory. As He shepherds your soul, the name of Jesus will be held high. The rest and peace you enjoy in a restless, conflicted world will be a beautiful testimony to the goodness of the Lord. However, the blessing you enjoy as you live for His glory will be greater than any earthly blessing you’ve ever had before.

Let God shepherd your soul in Christ. Turn your life over to Him in faith, repentance, and trust. #FollowJesus into the green pastures and beside the still waters that restore your anxious soul.

“And David was angry because the Lord had broken out against Uzzah. And that place is called Perez-uzza to this day. And David was afraid of God that day, and he said, ‘How can I bring the ark of God home to me?’” – 1 Chronicles 13:11-12

In his eagerness to bring the ark of God to Jerusalem, David failed to read the instructions. It cost a man his life! God’s Law clearly explained that the ark was so holy that it could only be carried by a team of Levites using poles. Unfortunately, David didn’t read the instructions. He had a fine cart prepared to carry the ark. Sadly, when it hit a bump and the ark became unsteady, poor Uzzah paid the price for grabbing hold of the ark to try and steady it. The ark was too holy for a human being to touch and live.

The death of Uzzah was as tragic as it was unnecessary. The holiness of God is NEVER to be taken lightly. It’s too much for sinful human beings to survive. That’s exactly why God gave detailed instructions regarding how humans, in our fallenness, were to safely handle the holy objects of God. Unfortunately, instead of reading, David chose reasoning. He decided what made sense to him, then he did it. And Uzzah paid the price for David’s reasoning in lieu of reading.

It isn’t good to “reason” about God when God has already spoken on a topic. Sometimes we must reason (from Scripture) about God’s will and ways, but NOT when He’s already revealed His will and ways in Scripture. God doesn’t change His mind. If He’s spoken, it’s settled. Sadly, many people today (including many who call themselves Christian) choose to “reason” about God in order to rationalize their sin. “A loving God wouldn’t…” “My God wouldn’t…” “My God…” Don’t reason about God when He’s already spoken! It will only end in tears!

God is perfectly, unimaginably, overwhelmingly holy. He is also perfect in His knowledge, wisdom, goodness, power, and presence. He has perfect understanding of all of creation across all of time. We have none of these qualities! Humans can’t reason effectively about God. It’s impossible for us. Resist the temptation to even try if He’s already revealed His will and ways in Scripture. If God has spoken, simply obey! #FollowJesus

“David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years. At Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months, and at Jerusalem he reigned over all Israel and Judah thirty-three years.” – 2 Samuel 5:4-5

Sometimes God’s will takes time to unfold. A lot of time! As a very young man, David was anointed to be the next king of Israel. However, King Saul still sat on the throne of Israel. He didn’t give up his crown willingly and David knew it was wrong to take it from him by force. So, David had to wait for many, many years. And not just wait… he had to run for life. He had to hide. He had to move from place to place.

Once Saul died, David became king… of 1/12 of Israel! It took another seven and a half years of struggle before he united all of Israel under his rule. In other words, it may have taken 20 years (or more!) for David to actually experience the future God had prepared for him. 20 years can feel like forever to a young adult! Those decades between the promise and the reality weren’t because God wasn’t able. It was simply a matter of God’s timing. God’s timing is perfect but it can be very, very different from our preferred schedule.

One of David’s virtues is that he was patient. He never rushed God or tried to help His plan along. Would that we would be like David! Sometimes we get a sense of what God has planned for us and struggle mightily to have patience. We can be so eager to accomplish and experience everything God has prepared for us. If it takes six months or a year, we think something must be wrong!

Could you wait (and struggle) for 20 years to experience what you know God has planned for you? Longer? You might need to. God’s timetable is perfect but it’s probably very different from your preferred timetable. As you gain clarity about God’s will, don’t let the passing of time make you impatient. And if you grow impatient, don’t let that translate into doubt about what you believe God is calling you to. Remember David and re-think your human schedule, embracing the schedule of your eternal Father in Heaven. #FollowJesus

“A Prayer of one afflicted, when he is faint and pours out his complaint before the Lord.” – Psalm 102’s Heading

It’s so precious that the Bible shows us how to do what this psalm does. Sometimes we’re afflicted and overwhelmed. In those times, it is good to pour out our hearts before the Lord. Because He cares for us. Because He loves us. Because He is near to us and comforts us in our affliction.

However, there are good ways and bad ways to pour out the complaints of our hearts. The psalmist teaches us how to do it well. He is completely honest with God, desperate for Him to hear and answer his cries. He pours out his suffering and sorrow with clarity. But he also remembers and acknowledges Who God is. After pouring out his heart, the psalmist still speaks with high regard for the Almighty God of the universe. God’s standing in the universe isn’t based on what He’s done for us lately. Our respect and honor for Him mustn’t be based on that either.

Though the psalmist is very clear and direct in describing his suffering, his praise of God – attributing to God His worth based on His unchanging attributes – gets most of the ink. After voicing his complaint, there are far more verses devoted to exploring Who God is than were devoted to pouring out his grievances. This is the way to pray amidst affliction.

When you’re feeling low, have you learned to pour out your complaints honestly, yet faithfully, to God? Do you honor Him and praise Him for Who He is amidst suffering and sorrow? If you can learn to do these things, you’ll find yourself drawing even closer to God than ever before, even amidst of affliction! #FollowJesus

“So Saul died for his breach of faith. He broke faith with the Lord in that he did not keep the command of the Lord, and also consulted a medium, seeking guidance.” – 1 Chronicles 10:13

King Saul is an interesting little dead-end path along Israel’s journey to being a kingdom. The first king of Israel, Saul is the perfect illustration of what happens when God removes His restraining hand of grace to give sinful people exactly what we ask for. Israel rejected God’s kingship over them and demanded a king like all the neighboring countries. So, God literally gave them a king just like those of their neighbors. Tall, good looking, good at fighting, eager to grab more and more power and wealth for himself and his family. Oppressive. Mentally unstable. Paranoid. Disobedient to God’s Law. Spiritually bankrupt. Willing to dabble in demonic spiritual powers rather than submit to God. Just like neighboring kings!

Saul wasn’t intended to start a long-term dynasty. Genesis 49 makes it clear that the kings of Israel would come from the tribe of Judah, not Benjamin, where Saul came from. Saul was an object lesson to Israel. A reminder of the importance of seeking God’s will rather than demanding that their will be done. A temporary punishment who helped Israel understand the difference between their ideas and God’s. Between a man with a human-centered heart and a man after God’s heart.

And yet, it took decades for all this to sort out and for King David to gain the throne of Israel. Decades! Sometimes, God will discipline His people by giving us exactly what we ask for, then require us to live with that for an extended period of time. Getting what we demand from God can be one of the hardest things to endure! So, if you find yourself distant from God in a place of unrepentant sin, be careful what you demand from God. He just might give it to you! Rather than chase the disordered desires of a sinful heart, simply #FollowJesus