“He maketh me to lie down in green pastures…” (Psalm 23.2a)

R&R. We so venerate Rest and Recuperation that we give it an acronym. Yet as a culture we Americans tend to overwork, marginalizing R&R for a splurge on the weekend. My travels take me to Romania periodically. (The photo of the shepherd is from my trip last summer.) Living for a couple of weeks at their slower pace is a good reminder to me that there is more to life than work, work, work.

Now I have read that there are four things that prevent sheep from resting: fear, conflict, pests and hunger. Sheep are skittish, and if everything is not just right they cannot rest. So before our Shepherd can make us lie down, He first has to take care of these troublemakers:

• Fear. Is it significant that the command Jesus gave more than any other was, “Do not fear?” We are so prone to it. David deals more with this in verse 4, but suffice it to say that the answer to our fear is His presence. When we know He is near and that He loves us, His perfect love casts out all fear (1 John 4.18).
• Conflict. Like sheep, we are prone to skirmishes. Most are petty; but some are deadly. How does our Shepherd handle these? The Bible says that He is our peace. He brings down dividing walls of hostility. He enables us to forgive and to be forgiven. He calms our frazzled nerves.
• Pests. Now we’re not talking about the annoying person who calls us all the time. This refers to those parasites (such as ticks) that infect the sheep. You can’t be irritated or itch and rest at the same time. Disease in one form or another is common to us all. Sadly, we tend to look to most anything else (doctors, drugs, TV, magazines, advice from friends, etc.) other than our Shepherd to care for our diseases. Have we forgotten that one of the names of God is YHWH Rapha, the LORD who heals you?
• Hunger. Have hunger pangs ever kept you awake at night? My solution is a midnight bowl of cereal! But where does our food come from? Isn’t it our Shepherd who gives us life, talent, skills and work to “bring home the bacon”? Isn’t He the one who has arranged nature to provide our daily bread? I speak of physical hunger, but even more important is our spiritual hunger. And Jesus is the Bread of Life.

When these troublemakers are silenced, and we are comforted, then we can lie down in the grass in that place of true rest and recuperation. It’s a place of blessing and sanctification, for after the six days of creation God blessed and sanctified the Sabbath (Gen. 2.3).

Have you learned to lie down in green pastures? If you are one of His sheep He will lead you to it. You don’t have to wait till the weekend. You can even start on Monday!

“I shall not want.” (Psalm 23.1b)

Christmas time is here. When shopping lists and credit lines are maxed. We know the most popular song among merchants is “It’s the most wonderful time of the year…”

Do I sound cynical? Truly, I enjoy giving as well as receiving good gifts. But there is a word that is often lacking in this season: contentment. One benefit of our struggling economy has been a seismic shift in values. When you have less to spend then spending time with the ones you love becomes more meaningful.

As David considered his relationship to the Shepherd, he realized that he lacked no good thing. As the classic hymn puts it, “All I have needed thy hand hath provided…”

Being a follower of the Shepherd does not mean that we won’t have financial struggles. It simply means that as we trust and wait upon Him, He faithfully supplies all that we need. And let’s face it: sometimes what we need is not what we want.

When we first moved to Boise our earnings were cut by two-thirds. That first Christmas we didn’t have any money for gifts. Concerned for our children, my wife Cindy asked for prayer from a group of pastor’s wives. The next day we received an overnight Fed Ex package from Sacramento (our home town). In it was a check for $1,000 made out to me! We danced around the kitchen with the children who would now have a wonderful Christmas. The greatest gift that year was the lesson of God’s amazing providence.

In our Christmas celebration why not ask our Shepherd this year for the priceless gift of contentment? Who knows, He may even throw in a bonus!

“The LORD is my shepherd…” (Psalm 23.1a)

Psalm 23 is perhaps the most quoted and most loved psalm. When we consider that it was written by David, the shepherd king, it takes on even more beauty. What depths of comfort it has brought to the broken-hearted and fearful!

David begins with such a declaration. It is almost boastful–as when one cheers for his favorite football team. Although David was a shepherd himself, he wrote from the perspective of a sheep. Perhaps he thought back to those days in the field when he watched his father’s flock. As he fed them, cared for them and protected them, he realized that this was God’s relationship to him. He was nothing more than a sheep in the care of the LORD.

I have found that there are two kinds of people in the world. First, there are those who recognize their need for a Shepherd. They know that they are prone to wander; they also know how helpless they are to look after themselves. They love to follow their Shepherd wherever He leads. Then there are those who imagine themselves independent. They consider themselves to be the masters of their own destiny. If you tell them that they need a Shepherd, they resent it and look down on you as being weak and stupid.

David was certainly in the first category. He knew how much that he loved his own sheep and knew how much his Shepherd loved him. David’s Shepherd was good and could be trusted to take care of him. David’s Shepherd was powerful and could take on any predator. Finally, David’s Shepherd was eternal. Never would there be a time (either in this life or the next) where David would be without his Shepherd close to his side to preserve him from every trouble and fear.

The good news is that David’s Shepherd can be ours. When we humble ourselves as a sheep, and trust in our Good Shepherd Jesus Christ, He brings us peace with God and opens the line of communication. Then we can hear our Shepherd’s voice and follow Him to greener pastures!

Then the official Christmas season kick-off, followed by the New Year. The holidays are a magical time of year. But for some they are miserable. So many expectations. So much heartache–especially for those who have suffered loss.

How do we celebrate in a way that makes the most of the season without setting ourselves up for disappointment?

In a way I’m thankful that the holidays begin with Thanksgiving. I can become so self-focused. But Thanksgiving takes my eyes off myself and puts them upon God. How easy it is to become depressed when we take our eyes off God and put them upon anything else! Yet, when we consider the goodness of God…when we think of how faithful He has been to us…when we meditate upon the fullness of His grace, mercy and love toward us, then our hearts overflow with gratitude. What a fitting way to begin the holiday season!

And so my Thanksgiving blessing for you is Psalm 121:

“I will lift up my eyes to the hills— From whence comes my help? My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel Shall neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD is your keeper; The LORD is your shade at your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, Nor the moon by night. The LORD shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul. The LORD shall preserve your going out and your coming in From this time forth, and even forevermore.” (Psalm 121:1–8, NKJV)

Have a blessed Thanksgiving!

Each of us shares this quest for new experience. The world is our playground. Our thirst drives us on. The blockbuster movie, the latest phone, a new car–we reach for whatever we can to satisfy.

The Samaritan woman was no different–her thirst drove her to new love. She searched for Mr. Right, but in her wake was a string of broken relationships…and her own broken heart. As women would come to the community well for the latest gossip, she was the favorite topic of conversation.

But Jesus saw something in her that no one else saw: the thirst that drove her. Her daily trek for water paralleled a much deeper need.

“Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.”

He told her, “Go, call your husband and come back.”

“I have no husband,” she replied.

Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband. The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.” (John 4.13-18)

In a moment her life was completely unmasked. He put his finger on her shame and brokenness, yet he did so with the bedside manner of a prince. Here was a man who completely understood her, who did not judge her, and who wanted nothing from her except a drink of water.

Who was this guy? Our satisfaction.

As she came to her familiar spot, she saw a man sitting–a Jew. What was he doing here? Usually Jews avoided her village like she avoided the women. Jews and Samaritans simply didn’t get along. She would quickly get her water and return home. Maybe she wouldn’t even have to speak to him. But then the silence broke…

“Give me a drink,” the man said.

“How is it that you, being a Jew, ask me for a drink?” she replied, echoing generations of racial prejudice.

“If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”

She tried to size up the man. He certainly wasn’t your typical Jew. Normally a Jewish man wouldn’t even speak to her. What did he want? Did he take her for a fool? Was this yet another dig against her people?

She chuckled, “Sir, you have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob who gave us this well?”

“Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life,” he answered. (John 4.1-14)

She was intrigued…

Do we recognize the gift of God that is before us? Do we truly know the One who offers living water? Have we drunk today of this water of life that completely satisfies? Are we experiencing springs of this water welling up inside us to eternal life?

Jesus offers us so much. Will we believe and receive?

“He who watches the wind will not sow and he who looks at the clouds will not reap. Just as you do not know the path of the wind and how bones are formed in the womb of the pregnant woman, so you do not know the activity of God who makes all things. Sow your seed in the morning and do not be idle in the evening, for you do not know whether morning or evening sowing will succeed, or whether both of them alike will be good.” (Ecclesiastes 11.4-6, NASB)

Tomorrow Cindy and I run in the Race to Robie Creek, along with our friends Dean and Irene. This is my first half-marathon, and I am somewhat apprehensive…but also excited to experience the adrenaline rush of competition. I have trained…although not as fully as I would have liked. Part of the problem has been one of the wettest springs on record. One Saturday I turned back on the mountain, running only 7 miles rather than my scheduled 10 because I was soaked to the skin. Another Saturday I skipped altogether. But of course, regardless of the conditions tomorrow, I will run to finish the race.

Our Christian race is wrought with difficulty. If we wait until conditions are perfect, we will do nothing. Those who finish strong are the ones who pay no attention to the wind or the clouds but sow their seed at all times. I confess that many times I have stayed in my comfy place rather than brave the adverse elements. I shudder to think how many great opportunities I have missed. It’s not that we strive to earn God’s favor. Thankfully, that matter was settled when we trusted in Christ’s work for us on the cross. But we do strive for the thrill of winning the prize…or at least finishing well.

Solomon’s words indicate that we really can’t understand our way. As we don’t know how a baby is formed in the womb, so we don’t know how God will use our efforts. But two things are for sure: 1) our labor in the Lord is never in vain; 2) if we do nothing God has nothing to work with. Solomon commends diligence…or industry as Benjamin Franklin would say. The important thing is that we sow our seed in the morning–that is in the first part of the day before we do anything else. But then in the evening, when we are so often prone to idle-away our time in frivolous activity (did someone mention TV?), instead we continue our labor. The reason? We don’t know which God will bless or whether He will bless both equally.

So maybe rather than watching the weather to see if we really have to, maybe we should take the attitude of the postal service: “Through rain, sleet or snow…”

“Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.” (1 Corinthians 9:24, NKJV)

In a few weeks Cindy and I will be running The Race to Robie Creek half-marathon. This is our first time in such an adventure. It was Cindy’s idea, but now I am hooked. As I have been training, running up the mountain, I have thought on Paul’s words. He must have known something about the Olympic games. In those days the runners competed for a laurel wreath (hardly the same satisfaction as a gold medal). Paul encourages us to live our Christian lives with the same passion and perseverance. I can assure you that for me running a half-marathon is not easy. I haven’t even gotten up to the 13 miles, but after a run my legs and knees ache for a couple of days. But the cliché is true: no pain, no gain.

When it comes to our Christian race there are times when the temptations, hits, misunderstandings and heartaches are almost too much to bear. We feel like turning aside from the race. We may even take ourselves out of the race for awhile…or at least slow down. But one thing is for sure: we cannot win the prize unless we continue in our course.

We have been attending the Dave Ramsey Financial Peace University. Once Dave had lunch with a billionaire and asked him if there was a piece of wisdom that he could pass on. The billionaire simply said that he always reads the story of the tortoise and the hare to his grandchild. “You know what?” he said, “The tortoise always wins!” Some progress, no matter how little or how slow, will eventually bring you to the finish line. Usually it’s not the people who sprint at the beginning who finish well. True, they look impressive at first; they appear to be far ahead of the pack. But then they hit the wall, and often they are the first to injure themselves and drop out of the race.

Our Christian race is a marathon and not a sprint. As a pastor, I am most impressed with those believers who are the methodical tortoises. They may not draw any attention. Often they work quietly behind the scenes. But they are the faithful ones who will finish strong. Maybe they won’t come in first place, but they’ll finish before many who, like the hare, expend much energy quickly for all to see, but just as quickly drop out of the race.

The good news is that even if we have dropped out of the race, as long as we’re alive there is time to jump back in. Our heavenly Father is so gracious to welcome us back.

If you’re in the race, then keep on truckin’ with all you’ve got. We’re proud of you! But if you’ve dropped out or never started it’s not too late. Get in the race and run to win with the steady strength the Lord supplies. That’s the secret to finishing well!

“My beloved spoke, and said to me: ‘Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away. For lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth; the time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land. The fig tree puts forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grapes give a good smell. Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away!’” (Song of Solomon 2.10-13, NKJV)

Something about love never ceases to engage the heart. It is the universal theme of songs, stories and movies. It makes the heart soar on heights; it covers faults; and we will do more for love than for most anything else. We enjoy setting aside this one day out of the year for our beloved. For those who have grown old together it recounts feelings of youth and the warmth of falling in love. It reminds us of times when happiness was simply taking quiet walks in the country hand-in-hand. The radio captured the emotion of the moment and expressed what you couldn’t put into words. We heard the birds singing then; we took in the fragrance of our beloved…just because; we made careful plans just to be alone together.

Does it surprise us to know that the Bible is really a love letter to us? We could observe the beauty of creation; we could see the innumerable stars in their places; we could smell the rosebud; we could hear the birds singing; we could eat lushish tropical fruit. All these things testify of the Father’s love, but we would not know Him personally were it not for His Word. Knowing how much He gave for each one of us demonstrates His super-abounding love. For what greater gift could there be than His only Son? And Jesus wants us to know that the same amazing love the Father has for His Son He also has for us (John 17.23).

Does it surprise us to know that the Song of Solomon is not only about romantic love between a man and woman but also about the love Jesus has for His Bride? When the Beloved speaks to the Shulamite, it is Jesus speaking to us. When she speaks to her Beloved it is our voice to Christ.

A relationship without love soon withers and dies like cut flowers. Whether with our earthly beloved or our heavenly Beloved, we must stoke the fires of love, lest they go out. How can we express the depth of our passion today?

Our worship service now meets Sundays at 4:00, which presents a schedule conflict for many this weekend. On my morning commute I thought of my own Top Ten Reasons for why we should still come to church.

Daryl’s Top Ten Reasons to Worship at CCTV on Super Bowl Sunday

10.  Less chips and dip means less fat to work off on Monday.

9.    When you show up late at your friend’s Super Bowl party you’ll spread the joy of the Lord (no matter who’s winning).

8.    Daryl and Cindy won’t be lonely.

7.    You won’t get carpal tunnel syndrome clicking off “inappropriate” commercials.

6.    At last you have a good reason for spending all that money on your TiVo!

5.    If you stay at home watching the Super Bowl you’ll miss Gene’s smile.

4.    Your wife will be so happy she doesn’t have those extra dishes that the real party might start after the game!

3.    You can watch the highlights later in one-tenth the time. (Think of all those projects you can get done around the house!)

2.    When God told us not to “give up meeting together” (Heb. 10.25) He wasn’t referring to your Super Bowl Party.

1.    You won’t care who won Super Bowl XLV in eternity, but we’ll always care that Jesus triumphed over all to love and save us!

All kidding aside, if you can’t break away to worship with us, then there are many great churches throughout the Treasure Valley that offer a morning service. Whatever you decide we hope you have a blessed weekend!