Declaration of Trust and Dependence on God

On By vickleaIn Scripture, YouVersion App1 Comment

I am so thankful that the Lord is indeed my shepherd, and He does provide for all of my needs. When I am discouraged, He provides hope. When I am tired deep in my soul, He provides rest. When I am thirsty, He provides for me to be filled with living water from His Word. And when I am feeling lost on a pathway that seems to lead to nowhere, God shows us and shows me the right way to go. In knowing the Lord as my shepherd, I can be content, resting in the knowledge that He is in control and is truly taking care of me, even when life gets scary or challenging.

A Shepherd and His Flock

The 23rd Psalm is a powerful declaration of trust and dependence on God. Today, we’ll look at how the first few words reveal a core belief that to accept God as our shepherd, we acknowledge that He is the One who provides for our every need. He is the ultimate source of comfort, guidance, and protection. 

Just as a shepherd cares for his flock, tending to their every need and leading them to safe pastures, God also cares for us, His children.

The psalmist goes on to describe how God cares for His sheep. He makes us “lie down in green pastures,” a metaphor for providing rest and security. He leads us “beside quiet waters,” quenching our thirst and offering us peace. He “refreshes our soul,” restoring our inner strength and well-being.

One of the most comforting promises in Psalm 23 is that God “guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.” Even when you are unsure of the way, you can trust that God will lead you in the right way (John 14:6). He will not allow you to wander into harm’s way, for His name’s sake.

How can knowing the Lord as your shepherd provide you with contentment when facing challenges? Repeat these words until they sink deep into your soul: The Lord is my shepherd, He will never leave me or forsake me. He will always provide for my needs and guide me on the right path.

Don’t Forget to Trust God

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www.bible.com/reading-plans/13952/day/13

I have been guilty of self-reliance, of making a plan and rushing like crazy to carry it out, only to find out that it was the wrong plan and at the wrong time. When we put our trust in God, we can be certain that any plans we make WITH Him will come to fruition. It’s when we make plans and leave God out that we get into trouble. Sometimes I think we make a plan and ask God to bless it instead of asking God to help us make a plan that He will be able to truly bless because He is in the center of it. Trusting God is paramount to making plans and to seeing them fulfilled.

Our Calling

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www.bible.com/reading-plans/13952/day/11

We are called to never give up on anyone. Keep praying, keep saying the gospel message to them and keep an open relationship with them. God did not give up on Israel. He allowed them to be taken into exile, but He still kept a root that He nurtured and is continuing to nurture. And He never gave up on us. You may think you were not as stubborn and sinful as Israel, but think again. Indeed, we all were and our turning to God was not a fluke but His plan for us. He may not have sent a prophet like Isaiah into our personal space to warn us and get us to change our ways, but He sent His word, drew us to Him and then showed us the truth of our need for salvation so that we would accept His grace and mercy. So, when we are discouraged about friends and family members who seem to be turning a deaf ear to our witnessing, remember that Isaiah just kept doing what the Lord told him to do and he never gave up.

Offer Your Brokenness

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www.bible.com/reading-plans/13952/day/10

Did you know it is perfectly acceptable to be totally honest with God? He knows everything about you anyway, so being honest and transparent before Him is helping YOU with your relationship with God. He already knows what you need to confess, what you need help with and what your struggles are. So, just offer your brokenness and let the Master restore you to wholeness.

Tested but Persevering

On By vickleaIn Scripture, YouVersion App2 Comments

I have to confess that I have not been counting all of my trials lately as joy, but God reminded me today of how much I have been pressing in to get closer to Him during these hard times. And that is a good thing.

I was really looking forward to a break from all of the doctors and new meds and testing that I have had to have done in the last month. We came to Maryland to see our son and his family and to celebrate our youngest grandson’s third birthday. It has been a joyful time for the most part, but my poor, sweet husband has an abscessed tooth that suddenly showed its ugly head the second day of our visit. We spent the last two days trying to get our dentist in Virginia to send the medicine to the pharmacy here in Maryland in order to alleviate the pain. Our other option was to go home early before the party for Nathan. After I called the dentist’s office myself and told them that Harry’s jaw looks like he was in a prize fight and definitely lost, the nurse said that she would send the medicine again because it looked like they sent it but it didn’t go through. Finally…at nine o’clock yesterday morning, Harry got his medicine and could start feeling better! But then, I went into the family’s living room and discovered that the oldest granddaughter had the flu and was sick all day yesterday. I ministered to her needs, giving her ice packs for the pain, soda crackers and water and generally encouraging her to rest, praying the whole time that this bug doesn’t creep around the rest of us.

So, my plans were not God’s plans. I planned to get away from illness and it followed me here. He’s still teaching me, and I’m still learning. I hope one day to get the point where I “lack nothing” but obviously, I am not there yet.

A Signpost to the Glory of God

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www.bible.com/reading-plans/13952/day/6

All the years of studying the Bible and the problems that Israel had, I never really thought about the fact that Israel was meant to be a signpost to God for others. Instead, Israel became like the pagan nations they lived among and did not point the people to God but to sinful ways. Are we as a church being apostolic as we should be or are we being like Israel was before their exile, just fitting in and getting along with the culture we live in? That is a hard question to ponder, isn’t it? We were called to give glory to God, not to give a pass to the current standards or the culture we live in. Israel was a sinful nation who turned away from God and has paid a heavy price. But they are still God’s chosen people. He has not turned away His love from them. He still continues to woo them, just as He continues to remind us of why He saved us from our sins. We are to spread the good news about the Lord. We are a signpost to eternity, not a yield sign for the current culture.