Psalm 23
“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not be in want ……. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever”, how can that be! Why should God love me this much! But what a heart-warming, astonishing and even stunning comfort that he does. C H Spurgeon says : “The Lord is my shepherd.” What condescension is this, that the infinite Lord assumes towards his people the office and character of a Shepherd! It should be the subject of grateful admiration that the great God allows himself to be compared to anything which will set forth his great love and care for his own people.
He leads me beside still waters and restores my soul. So no matter what turmoil surrounds me, war, famine, earthquake, volcano, refugee, religious upheaval, even down to minor family issues. I know, that my God, the father of my saviour and redeemer, Jesus, has a place of calm, feast and joy within his presence. He will sooth my head with the oil of his love, and provide every means for me to walk in the paths of righteousness. Which human could or would do that, only a supernatural God of love.; a God that is love (1 John 4:8).
In fact a God that loves me so much, that he sacrificed His one and only such Jesus, that all my sins, past, present and future are forgiven and removed from me as far as East is from West (Psalm 103:12); covering me in the righteousness of Jesus, making me a fragrant offering (Ephesians 5:2)
But I look at myself, and I see a very unlovely person,a bad tempered, selfish and very hurtful person, how could anyone love me at all, let alone a super natural, holy God. Well let’s try and look at that. though we ARE horrible and unlovable by all standards and we are not worthy of being loved, and nothing in us is capable of making ourselves lovable. But, as we have already said, God is Love (1 John 4:8) it is in His very nature to love us. So he had to do something to make us lovable. As a FREE gift, He sent one who is Worthy to be loved, His son Jesus Christ, to die as a one off atonement for ALL our horribleness (sins) all time. Jesus also rose from the dead, as living and vibrant God, to assure us of eternal life with him at the right hand of God. (Romans 5:8-11).
So, now, God sees in us his son Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 1:30), to such an extent that God has TRULY adopted us as sons (Ephesians 1:5). So we are part of the Family of God. So. yes, i can be 100% confident that, My Father, God, has a place of calm, feast and joy within his presence. He will sooth my head with the oil of his love, and provide every means for me to walk in the paths of righteousness.
So, to finish, I can be confident that whatever life throws at me, God is by my side to comfort me and pour over me His bounteous provision, goodness and mercy, and ALSO eternity with God.
Amen and Hallelujah
