Daily Morning Message 3/3/2021

MORNING MESSAGE
March 3, 2021
by Gayle Gordon

Psalm 23:

"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.
He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil;
For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup runs over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

We don't know when David wrote this beautiful and familiar song. It seems to be retrospective; that he looks back on his life and praises God for bringing him through some terrible times.

How could he make note that, because the Lord is his Shepard, he shall not want for everything he needs - unless he had gone through a season of great need?

We know he had to run for his life in terror when King Saul was hunting him down to kill him. He wrote of finding peace and restoration to his soul in the loving care of the Lord. Rest in green pastures by still waters. Moments alone with God that revive and strengthen.

He had to have felt fear and confusion when he made reference to the opposite; God's guidance and clarity of purpose in His leading is David's praise and joy. Where he had been deeply troubled, God led him in paths of righteousness so he would not displease his God. The Father still leads us in paths that insure that we will please Him by following His guidance.

David found himself in the presence of death itself, walking through a time of extreme anxiety. He had to be alert to the powers of evil embodied in a man who was determined to hunt him down and kill him in a public spectacle. David walked through that valley. Yet he made the decision to trust God while he walked through it. He received the protection and keeping God provided instead of relying on his own methods and intelligence. He couldn't rely on his own defenses; he chose God. As a result, he was amazed to realize that God had set up a defense for him and his enemies watched. They couldn't overcome the Father - He was with David. His strength and His protection were assigned to comfort David. God anointed the head of His own; David was eased, kept safe and revived by the Lord God.

David grasps the reality; those who follow the Lord on earth follow Him eternally. God is forever; through the days of this life and in the Kingdom to come. His goodness and His mercy hover in our hearts, leading us to His side forever.

Staying connected to our Abba Father is key. Daily refreshing our relationship with Him in time alone with Him; coming to the throne of grace to worship and praise Him, identify our weaknesses and resolve our issues.

God is with you today, leading you to still waters on paths of righteousness. He knows what you went through to get this far; He offers a peaceful, fearless walk with Him from now on - all the days of your life.