September 2010 Devotion by Pastor Mike

From the Pastor’s Heart God’s Pasture of Grace        If somebody were to ask you what are the two most popular scriptures in the Bible (among believers and unbelievers alike), what answer would you give? I think all of us would agree that one of them is found in the New Testament, namely, John 3:16; and the other in the Old Testament, the Twenty Third Psalm.        In my many readings of this beautiful Psalm I saw for the first time that the promise of John 3:16 is the gateway leading into the pasture of Psalm 23.  As we enter this pasture through faith in Christ, we discover that all that is promised in this Psalm has become ours in Him. I would like to take you with me on a journey of profound discovery through God’s pasture of grace.        David, like the New Testament saint, knew and experienced God strictly by faith.  The very first line in this Psalm, “The Lord is my shepherd,” gives us an absolute assurance of the promises that follow.   Everything promised is true and available because the LORD [Heb. Yahweh] is the One who provides it for us by His grace.        We are told that because Yahweh is our Shepherd, we “…shall not want” (Lit. shall lack nothing).  All the good that God has for us in Christ, will be provided.  Paul confirms this by his faith-logic question that if Yahweh “…did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?” (Rom 8:32)        As God’s people, our walk in grace begins from a position of rest; and this position was initiated and accomplished by God through Christ, “He makes me lie down in green pastures.”  Our rest, to lie down, was established for us when by faith we were united with Christ and were “raised us up with him and seated …with him in the heavenly places.” (Eph 2:6)   We can walk in paths of righteousness and through the valley of the shadow of death on the basis of what God has already accomplished through Christ for His people – and this is why Jesus tells us that if we come to Him, He will give us rest (see Matt 11:28).        “He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul.”  Now this is worship – a drinking in and satisfaction of all God is for us in Christ.  This is a part of our rest, but also includes something done on our part – He leads us to the still waters, but we must drink.   Jesus tell us that “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink” (Jn 7:37).  We come to Him and drink in all that He is for us – His promises, love, grace, forgiveness, power, joy – and then in abundant surrender and deep satisfaction He restores our faith and strength.  Now we are ready to walk in paths of righteousness and through the valley of the shadow of death.        For “his name sake.”  No matter how you read this Psalm, you cannot get away from the amazing truth that it is God who accomplishes all this for us.  And the reason He is so committed to His purpose of fulfilling all these promises is that His name is at stake – and He takes His name very seriously.  You can’t miss it: Yahweh is our shepherd, therefore we don’t lack any good thing; He makes, He leads, He restores, He protects, He comforts, He prepares, He anoints, and He pursues with an eternal love.  Wow!   What exactly is it that we do?  We continually come to Him in faithful surrender and satisfaction – what else can we do?        Even when life has beaten us up and everything feels like we are in the “valley of the shadow of death,“ because He is committed to us for His name sake, the root of fear is broken.  We not only know of His loving presence, but that even the trials of life are there to discipline and purify us, “your rod and your staff they comfort me.”  Maybe that’s what John had in mind when he said that “perfect love casts out all fear” (1 Jn 4:18).        If that isn’t enough, God in His wondrous extravagance, after leading us victoriously through the valleys of life, has made for us a place of rejoicing and celebration, “You prepare a table before me…”.  Even our enemies, though they wage war against us, can only look on as we enjoy the gifts (You anoint my head…), and abundance (my cup overflows) of God’s grace.  “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Rom 8:31).        The sweetest assurance we could ever have is the knowledge that we are forever a part of God’s family because of His relentless, irresistibly pursuing grace!  I think David begins and ends this Psalm with the LORD because His love ultimately was with the Shepherd Himself – a love planted in his heart through faith and watered by grace.  “The LORD is my shepherd, …and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.”