Hope and Healing In Hard Places

Psalm 23: 1-3

“The Lord is my shepherd, I have all that I need. He leads me to rest in green meadows. He leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths bringing honor to His name.’

David paints a beautiful picture of our Good Shepherd in this favorite Psalm known by most Christians and non Christians alike. It depicts our faithful Shepherd guiding His flock along the paths of goodness, while tenderly caring for them each step of the way. The road may be long and rocky and the path may be steep, but the Good Shepherd seeks out the quiet streams to refresh our soul, if we but take time to listen and follow. How sad when we decide to go our own way because we think we know better, or because we refuse to give up the strongholds of sin in our life. Our rebellion leads us to danger zones where the helpless ‘lamb nature’ in us can’t cope, and the peril of death surely waits. We need to cry out to our Good Shepherd with the assurance that He is our Savior, Redeemer and our faithful, all knowing guide who rescues us from the thickets and ledges and edges of despair! With His strong, sure embrace He lifts us and carries us gently back into the safety of His fold where He provides everything we need and where we lack nothing.

Are you caught on the edge today, trapped in the thicket of sin,sitting vulnerable to the enemy? Catch a glimpse of the little lamb in yourself and realize how helpless you are to pull yourself from the pit of despair and the danger and death of sin. Only our Good Shepherd can save you! He cares enough to seek you out, refresh your soul and get you back on track into those green pastures, where the quiet waters run deep with His healing and forgiveness flows freely to redeem, refresh, revive and rejuvenate. What a loving Shepherd awaits to rescue from the destruction that rebellion brings.

He walks your way calling out to you today! Hear His voice and tell Him you need His help and His forgiveness, then prepare to rest at ease with the assurance that our Good Shepherd has all authority and everything that concerns you is under His control.

Deuteronomy 7:9

“Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments.”

Dependable? That’s God! Faithful? That’s God too!! He is the only God worthy of our worship and praise! Nothing will thwart His purpose, His plan or His goal. He pulls no punches, and He speaks no lies. He stands behind His every word and backs His every promise with action!

“Understand, therefore that the Lord your God is indeed God. He is the faithful God who keeps His covenant for a thousand generations and lavishes His unfailing love on those who love Him and obey His commands. But He does not hesitate to punish and destroy those who reject Him. Therefore, you must obey all these commands, decrees, and regulations that I am giving you today.” Deuteronomy 7: 9 – 11.

Blessing follows obedience! What has God promised you? Know that He is faithful and reliable! Know that He is dependable! Know that He will lavish His love on the obedient of heart and bring blessing! However, don’t take it lightly and try to sneak by on His grace, for He knows our heart, and if we refuse to walk there, in that place of obedience with Him, He is a just God who will not hesitate to rein us in by whatever method He chooses to get our attention.

He’s a God of boundless love, compassion, mercy and grace, truly lavished on the obedient from generation to generation. It covers our children, their children, and their children’s children and the cycle of faithfulness for those who walk in His way, is never broken because our God of faithfulness gave His word on it. In all of this wonderful promise, we dare not forget that He is also the one righteous judge who will call justice down upon the disobedient. That will be a place where we won’t want to be. The Psalmist said it well in Proverbs 9: 10 when he penned the words, “ The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” Make no mistake about it…To fear our God of love, with a reverent awe, as the Righteous Judge that He is, is truly the beginning of wisdom! A reverent awe of Him, lays a divine, sure, foundation for righteous living and a walk of obedience, which will grace our children and pass down from generation to generation under God’s covenant of amazing love.

James 1:12
"Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him."

To Persevere is to persist in anything undertaken; maintain a purpose in spite of difficulty, obstacles, or discouragement; continue steadfastly; Uphold and sustain. Sometimes it just seems easier to run from our problem than to face it. Sometimes it seems easier to crumble and fall apart than to stand against it! It sometimes seems easier to live in denial of it rather than face the truth of it…. Sometimes our bad choices lead us into situations that seem unbearable and leave us destitute, hopeless and suffering miserably in our consequences of sin. In these low moments, we must remember it is never too late to begin to make the right choices and begin by calling out to the God who made us and the God who forgives us and sustains us. Friends, this is where our blessing lies. His desire is to bless us with abundant life for life now and eternal life in heaven. We must not succumb to the enemy and his lies through our pain. We must do the right thing! Make the right choices! We must press on, courageous in the glorious victory of our Lord, standing firm on His promise of blessing, and persevering for the Crown of Life that awaits the faithful!