Thursday, February 23, 2012

“Live With Hope in a Stressed Out World”

Psalm 23 is perhaps the best loved single text in the Old Testament.  Untold millions have found comfort in its words and picturesque language - particularly in time of sorrow.  The images are peaceful, pastoral and timeless; the words evoke a mood of meditation, security and even triumph – because this Psalm portrays God as the Good Shepherd who cares for and looks after His flock.

Tradition gives Psalm 23 to David because of his vocation as a shepherd and because of the intense personal relationship with God evidenced here.   If anyone was qualified to describe God in this manner, David was. We know from the Bible that David had been a shepherd before he became a king. So David had a pretty good idea of what a shepherd is like. How often David must have gazed up at the heavens on those star-filled nights while he was out watching over his father’s sheep and pondered the very nature of God! There in the depths of his heart he must have pondered how much God was just like a shepherd. His years of shepherding had taught him a few things, and as he contemplated the shepherd’s work, he found a fitting description of what God does for his people.  It is a Psalm of confidence and hope – describing God’s protection and provision.
For the next six weeks, we are going to be discovering how to “Live With Hope in a Stressed Out World” – using Psalm 23 as our backdrop.  I believe that many people in our culture today are paralyzed by fear, worry, and aimlessness – and are looking for security, direction, and hope.  Psalm 23 speaks to all of these issues in our life.  And best of all, it points us to the Shepherd – who provides, protects, guides and directs our life.

Come join us during this season of Lent…as we prepare our lives for the celebration of Easter.

Rod