Live For Today

James 4:13-15

The blood of Jesus Christ has freed us from two terrible vices: yesterday and tomorrow. Our yesterdays can hold us in guilt and regret. The guilt is over sins that we committed and mistakes that we made and the regret is for things that we could have and should have done, but we did not for one reason or the other. Our yesterdays loom large because they always scream, “What might have been!” Christ’s death removed all condemnation over yesterday, setting us free from this prison of guilt and regret (Romans 8:1).

The other terrible vice is tomorrow. Tomorrow has yet to come, so it holds limitless possibilities and potential for great error. Because the enemy always emphasizes our weaknesses, our tomorrow’s can paralyze us with fear and torment, scaring us away from taking chances today, for fear that we will ruin that tomorrow. Christ’s blood at Calvary was to assure us eternal life and the ever-cleansing power of forgiveness of sins. In Jesus there is no fear of tomorrow, for it is in His hands.

James warned, “Ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away” (James 4:14). This warning is to people who put off for tomorrow what they should take care of today, namely their eternal soul. So many people in this world are putting off thinking about eternity because they feel that they have all of the time in the world. We know that people die tragically every day, but we never actually think that it will be us. We all think that we will die old in our beds, with plenty of time to ponder our eternal destination. While some get this opportunity, all do not, and James reminds us that it will all be over very soon.

Living in the moment is allowing Jesus to take the reins of life and captain your vessel. Your past is checkered and spotted, but none of that matters in Christ, for He has removed the sin. Your future is uncertain in human terms but is all secure in the skillful hands of the Father. Rest where you are, for that is where He is!

I spent a portion of my life always wondering if there was something else. I dreamed of living somewhere else and doing something different. I was very insecure about who I was and always thinking that I could be better if I were someone else. Every passing moment of everyday is another chance to change everything, so I began to live by that thought. If I am unhappy with something, I cannot live in regret as to how I got there, and I can’t fear what tomorrow might hold, but I can do something today.

If you are unhappy with yourself; fix it. If you want more knowledge; get it. The possibilities are endless for you, because you are a child of the King. He has great things for you and He wants you to reign in this life through the finished work of His Son Jesus Christ. Stop living in the past and stop putting everything off until tomorrow. Start now and you are one day closer to being where you want to go.

His Goodness Will Hunt You Down

Psalms 23:6

The Psalmist is so confident that his Shepherd is good that he opens the final verse of the 23rd Psalm with “Surely goodness…” There is no doubt that goodness and mercy will come his way. When the sheep have the past experience of watching their shepherd protect them and bless them, they are confident that He will always do so.

It is important to note the word that the English uses in this verse, and how different that it is from the original Hebrew. David says that goodness and mercy “shall follow me all the days of my life”, but the word ‘follow’ is a bit misleading. The Hebrew word for ‘follow’ is ‘radaph’ which means, “To pursue, to run after, to chase” or literally, “to hunt you down”. It is first found in Genesis 14, when Abram finds that his nephew Lot has been kidnapped. Abram assembles his own army of 318 men and “pursued them unto Dan” (Genesis 14:14). The word ‘pursued’ is ‘radaph’.

Just as Abram hunted the kidnappers down and brought them to justice, the Holy Spirit is saying through the Psalmist that we can be assured that God’s goodness and mercy will hunt us down as well. This entire Psalm has been about the accompaniment of our Good Shepherd. If He leads, we follow. If we leave the path, He restores us. If we are hurt, He heals us. It even shows Him go with us into areas that He did not lead us. The finality is that as we follow the footprints of the Shepherd, His goodness and mercy follow close after us.

We do not have to look for the goodness and the mercy, for it will look for us. Many believers have become sidetracked and discouraged because they are always looking for goodness and blessings. They have actually turned Christianity into one big blessing, rather than the relationship that it is. Follow after blessings and you will always be on the chasing end. Follow after Jesus and the blessings will chase the Jesus that lives in you!

David found that dwelling in the house of the LORD for ever was the most blessed thing. He commented that he would rather be a “doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness” (Psalms 84:10). It was for this cause that he wanted to build the temple, but God deferred that honor to his son Solomon. David was a New Covenant thinker living in an Old Covenant world. You and I are the temple of the Holy Spirit (I Corinthians 6:19), so we dwell in His house forever. This promise in Psalms 23:6 is ours everyday because of the finished work of Jesus Christ.

Follow your shepherd today and fully expect that He is going to do the same to you with good things in your life and mercy in your spirit.

Provision for the Sheep

Psalms 23:5

Occasionally, the Bible shows us a side of God that is quite motherly. Jesus came from God’s bosom; a term we don’t often equate with fathers (John 1:18), and Jesus was referred to as “Lamb of God” (John 1:29), another ‘soft’ example. No matter how old we get, our mothers keep right on being ‘motherly’, and this verse in the Shepherd’s Psalm speaks volumes toward that fact.

Moms are always making sure that the kids have plenty to eat. My mother did it to me (and still does) and I watch as my wife does the same thing with our two kids. She not only will not allow them to skip a meal, she wants to make sure that they eat plenty at that meal, and every mother sends enough money with their child when they go out with someone else, “in case you get hungry”.

God prepares a table for the sheep, “in the presence of mine enemies” (Psalms 23:5). Only a parent’s love is more concerned with whether or not you eat than with the fact that your enemies are watching. God seems content with us just eating, as if He is assuring the believer, “You eat; I’ll take care of the enemies”.

Part of His provision for us in the presence of a world full of turmoil is His healing power. When the shepherd would settle the sheep down for the evening in a safe place, he would go around the flock and check each sheep for injuries. As he inspected each individual sheep, he could give special care to their needs, careful to apply the salve to whatever might need it. He also carried a horn of oil with him to anoint the sheep if necessary.

The anointing of the sheep has little to do with God smearing His Spirit on you for service or a sermon. There is certainly anointing attached to the doing of God’s work, but in this scripture it spoke of the shepherd applying oil to the face and head of the sheep in order to keep the flies off of them. The ‘fly’ in the Bible is most commonly a type of demonic spirits. The Greek rendering for Beelzebub is “lord of the flies”, and it was this pseudo-deity that Jesus was accused of being linked with (Matthew 12:24). When the Good Shepherd anoints us with His Spirit, it is to keep the demonic powers of lying and accusation from annoying us. Appeal to His Holy Spirit for relief from these pests.

Finally, the provision speaks of abundant grace and favor with the phrase, “my cup runneth over”. This is not a “just enough” blessing; this is a “too much” blessing! When the Shepherd provides for His own, He does so with as much as they will take. Paul said that we can receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness. If we do, we shall “reign in life by one, Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:17). Don’t receive “enough”, receive the cup running over.

Prepare for His provision today. He will feed you even as your enemies watch it happen. He will smear His comforting Holy Spirit on you, even as all of hell comes against you. He will pour out His goodness and favor until it spills over and affects those around you. He is your Good Shepherd; let Him be truly good today.

Peace in the Valley

Psalms 23:4

There is a change of direction in the 4th verse of the great Shepherd’s Psalm. Notice that in verse 2, “he maketh me…” and “he leadeth me…” Then in verse 3, “He leadeth me…” occurs again. In each instance, the Shepherd is leading and providing for the direction of His sheep. The Psalmist then says, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death…” (Psalms 23:4). In this verse there is no mention of the sheep being led, only that they walk through of their own free will. This is a type of all of us wandering off of the beaten path of righteousness (verse 3) and into the dark valleys of life.

There are three important things to note about this journey into the valley. First, we should remember that it is only a valley, and valleys do not go on forever. They are simply depressions between mountains, so there are brighter days to come. This valley also has a name, “the valley of the shadow of death”. It is not “Death Valley”, it is only death’s shadow that we will see while here. Only a small child or an animal would fear a shadow on a wall, thinking that it might be a dark individual chasing them, but a mature adult would not harbor such fear. We know that in order for there to be shadows, there must be light shining on the other side of an object. Based on the fact that Malachi calls Jesus the “Sun of Righteousness”, who do you suppose that light might be?

Second, David says, “I will fear no evil: for thou art with me”. David has no fear because he knows that shadows cannot hurt him. No matter what evil lurks in the valley, causing the shadows, David has confidence in the Shepherd, realizing that Jesus’ very presence will calm the storms of doubt and fear. You have not been given a spirit of fear (2 Timothy 1:7), so do not accept it! As the old song says, ‘There is nothing to fear when Jesus is near; I’m living in sunlight now’.

Finally, “thy rod and thy staff they comfort me”. The rod is used by the shepherd to attack the predators that lurk near the flock. The Hebrew word for ‘rod’ as used here is typically translated ‘scepter’ or even ‘tribe’. It denotes more than a mere stick of wood; it is symbolic of the authority of God and His covenant keeping ways. He protects the sheep with the rod of His Covenant, bound to care for us by the finished work of His Son Jesus Christ.

The staff has a crook at the end of it, used for pulling wayward sheep out of ditches and trenches. When we slip off of the path, the Shepherd will put the staff under our shoulders and pull us close to Him. The staff is also a symbol of the healing and restorative power of God. Elisha placed his staff on a dead child and the life came back to him (2 Kings 4:29-37). The staff of our Good Shepherd will bring life back to weary legs.

Even though the Shepherd does not lead us into the valley of the shadow of death, He will not merely wait on the other side for us to emerge either. If we go in, He will go in, though it may not be in His perfect plan for us. Remember, no matter what you are going through, He will go through it with you, even if the trouble is of our own making. Do not blame yourself; for there are valleys between mountains and while He may not lead you into it, He will always lead you out.

The Paths of Righteousness

Psalms 23:3

Our Shepherd is in the business of soul restoration. The only time that the Hebrew word ‘shuwb’ is translated as ‘restoreth’ in the Bible is here in verse 3; and it means “to return, to bring back and to refresh”. The ‘soul’ is what the Shepherd is refreshing, and this word is the same Hebrew word that is used at creation to describe the different “living creatures”. This word is all-encompassing, dealing with the life, the emotions and the passions of man.

The Psalmist is showing us that our Shepherd not only provides for our wants (verse 1) and our needs (verse 2), but that He also refreshes our body and our mind. The physical and emotional needs of His sheep are just as important to Him as the spiritual needs.

Sometimes we view God as caring only for things that affect our spirit man. We tend to see Him as concentrating entirely on our level of faith or whether or not goodness is coming from us, and this takes the personality out of God’s relationship with His creation. We are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14), and that does not exclude the physical and the emotional.

The colon that comes after the phrase “He restoreth my soul:” tells us that whatever comes next is precisely HOW He restores us. “He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake” (Psalms 23:3).

In the Middle east, when a shepherd wants to take his flock to high ground it is often for safety and for green grass. The sheep are not built for traveling great distances, with their short legs and broad bodies. Trying to lead them up a steep incline is nearly impossible without being forced to carry most of them. To ease the journey up a mountain, the shepherds will lead the sheep, single-file along a pathway that wraps around the mountain. Though it takes a bit longer to get to the top, the progressive sloping and the smooth, worn dirt of the path make it easy for the sheep to arrive at the destination. The shepherds commonly refer to these paths as “the paths of righteousness”.

Jesus, our Great Shepherd, will lead us up these paths for the sake of His name. As we journey along life’s way, His righteousness will show forth through our lifestyles and our actions. While we are the ones arriving at the glorious destination, with our minds and bodies refreshed, He is getting the glory. Jesus preached as much in His Sermon on the Mount, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good woks and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).

Don’t be discouraged or alarmed if you cover some of the same spiritual material on your journey to rest and green grass. We are going up and around the mountain, meaning that sometimes the view will be the same as it was a few months ago. Grace works slowly, but it works sure! Just keep following the path of His righteousness for He certainly knows where He is going.

You cannot lead your way to righteousness. Our efforts will always fall short of the mountain’s peak, but if we will allow Him to do the leading, our following will be simple and our soul will be restored.

Green Pastures and Still Waters

Psalms 23:2

Our Good Shepherd promises to provide for all of our needs in placing the sheep at rest in green pastures and leading us beside still waters. God has always desired to place His people in a place of rest, both now and forever. Look at His promise through the Prophet Ezekiel:

“I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be: there shall they lie in a good fold, and in a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel. I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord GOD. I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away.” (Ezekiel 34:14-16)

“He maketh me to lie down in green pastures” shows that the sheep have been convinced that it is safe to lie down. Without a faithful shepherd, the sheep can never relax enough to lie down; for fear that the predator will take them. Jesus promises to give His life for the sheep if need be, so there is comfort in relaxing.

The Hebrew phrase here denotes ‘pastures of tender grass’, showing not only safety and security but ease of consumption. Our Lord loves to feed us, but He also loves to DO IT ALL! All we must do is take of the manna and eat it; there need be no effort on our part. See Jesus in the scriptures and do not grind His glory out of them. Some wrangle with passages until they have removed the loveliness of Jesus. Feast on His Word and it will fill your soul.

Another Hebrew phrase ‘waters of quietness’ is translated into English, “still waters”. Our Lord leads us to waters which we can easily drink from, without fear of being carried away on troubled waves. The ‘still waters’ are a type of the Holy Spirit, who Jesus calls the “Comforter”. He washes us over with gentle waves of love and forgiveness. Just as Jesus washed the dirt from the disciples’ feet, the Spirit in us speaks words of comfort into us to help our spirit to relax. The still water is an essential part of our dietary requirements, for as water is the life source to all living things, the Spirit is that life source to the believer.

Note the leadership of the shepherd in this verse. It is His job to find a place of rest for me and it is also His job to find fresh water. He has accomplished both in His Son at the cross. Christ hung His head and died so that I could find a place of rest with Him there. He gave His body and His blood so that I would always have to eat and drink. Our rest is in His rest and our food is in His body.

Look around today, and you will see your green pastures. They may come in segments; moments for you to revel in being His child. Listen for the gentle sounds of His still waters. They will refresh your soul. He placed them there just for you.

The Lord is My Shepherd

Psalms 23:1

When I was a kid I would often pretend to be a preacher. My father was a pastor so, as most boys do, I emulated his movements and his style. I used a clothes hamper for my pulpit and I opened my Bible and read a passage before shouting and yelling at a room full of imaginary people. I can’t tell you what all I preached or from what passages I read, but I do remember attempting to preach the 23rd Psalm once, and it has always stuck with me.

In my young mind I could not fathom why the writer of Psalms 23 would not want the Lord to be his shepherd. I was reading it as, “The Lord is my shepherd and I shall not want him”. I was making a simple mistake, assuming that the “shall not want” applied to the previous statement instead of coming as a result of it. Because the Lord is our shepherd, we never have a reason to want. What is so simple now caused me such confusion then. I am not sure why I remember that, but I do and I think I know now why I ever felt that way at all.

When you are a kid you never want for anything. That doesn’t mean that you never want anything, it just means that you never find yourself without the necessities of life. That is not universal of course, as there are children all over the world who want for the basic needs of life, but for the most part a kid need never think of how the rent is going to be paid or whether or not there will be dinner on the table at night.

If you never face the wolves you may not understand how important the shepherd is. When you have been provided for and taken care of, it is a little difficult to appreciate the power of that protection and provision. As we grow up we are forced to do for ourselves what our parents or guardians always did for us before. Having faced a few wolves, fallen off of a few paths and been stabbed by many thorns we find such rest and comfort in a good shepherd.

Jesus called Himself, “the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep” (John 10:11). He is so good because He gladly gave His life for all of us. The prayer of little children, “God is good, God is great” is an awesome testimony to who God is. God is good and He is great, and He shows us just how good and great when He shows us His finished work at Calvary.

David is the author of the 23rd Psalm and he knew a thing or two about being a good shepherd. He defended his father’s flock on the hillsides of Bethlehem, once killing a lion and another time stopping a bear that was trying to harm the sheep (1 Samuel 17:34-36). Actually, David said that both of these predators actually grabbed a sheep and David went and hunted the beast down, pulled the sheep from its mouth and then killed it. David was a good shepherd, but Jesus is even better. He will never even allow the lion and the bear to get to you!

Sheep need a shepherd because they are basically defenseless and totally dependent. Thank God that we have a shepherd who watches over our every move, always quick to defend us and who provides us with all things, so that we “shall not want”.