Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life,
And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. Psalm 23:6
INTRO: Today we come to the end of our exploration of this lovely poem
And it is exactly at this point we must consider a potential criticism
– someone could say, “That’s just poetic fantasy, it’s not the real world”
– there is certainly the danger that we treat this last verse as a mere platitude
(we treat a lot of verses as platitudes)
A platitude is an empty saying we quote rather than think deeply before we speak
– the worst time to use platitudes is in the face of tragedy or death
• they do nothing to provide a person with comfort, insight, or help
“Everything happens for a reason” — “everything”? Is there always a good reason?
“Time heals all wounds” — time itself is not curative and some wounds worsen over time
– many platitudes contain only a half-truth and for that reason are flawed:
“What doesn’t kill me makes me stronger” — but could also make me bitter, turn to crime, or eat a carton of ice cream
“The truth will set you free” is a statement that is greatly weakened if we forget its context (Jn. 8:31-32)
The problem with treating scripture as platitude is that we don’t take platitudes seriously read more…
You have anointed my head with oil;
My cup overflows. Psalm 23:5b
INTRO: Yesterday Barb and I watched “The Book of Eli” (I won’t recommend it, though, due to its graphic violence)
It is about a man with a mission after the world was destroyed by nuclear war
– the earth is scorched and still bakes in relentless sunlight that washes out all color
• even clouds look hot, like smoke rising from a smoldering planet
– humankind has regressed to primitive barbarism
A young woman asks Eli what life was like before the war (which would be, of course, this time that we live in) and he says:
“People had more than they needed. We had no idea what was precious and what wasn’t. We threw away things people kill each other for now.”
One of the consequences of living in a consumer culture is that we lose the ability to discern what is precious
– we don’t realize the effect that culture has on us – we live in culture like fish live in water
• its atmosphere is filled with invisible chemicals and some of them are toxic
– the effect of being constantly bombarded by advertisements is discontent
• we are driven to desperation, as if we were starving
It is far too easy to become fixated on what we don’t have
– when that happens, we lose the ability to enjoy what we do have
The two lines of our psalm are more than a reminder – they make a strong impression on us read more…
Draw near to God and He will draw near to youJesus measures the work he gives us, matching our resources to our ability. He will not demand of us anything we cannot give him nor will he set us up to fail. If our ability is equal to two talents, he will not give us five; if our ability is limited to one, he will not give us two. But if he gives us one, he knows we are able to produce something more with it.
We cannot concern ourselves with the resources Jesus has given to other believers or envy their talents. If he knows they are capable of doing and managing more than we can do or manage, then we can trust his wisdom, accept our humble role, and rejoice in the successes of those whose work in God’s kingdom is greater than our own.
The first slave was wise to “immediately” put his talent to work. The absence of the master is what creates the tension and temptation in the story. It is also what makes the present moment so critical, because once the master returns (v. 19) and the door is shut (v. 10), there will be no more opportunity to make something of this life. We do not want to die with money in the bank, unwritten books in our minds, or unfulfilled intentions to do good in our hearts.
O Lord, it is clear that mere talent or money is not Your primary concern and that You have already given us everything we need to please You. We learn from Your teaching that the “real deal” is not the person who works wonders, but the person who does good for others. Walk with us, Lord, and when we are tempted to be “wicked” or “lazy,” bring someone our way who can use our love and help.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies . . . Psalm 23:5a
INTRO: Have you noticed that some people don’t like poetry?
Perhaps a teacher spoiled poetry for them
– they told to find the meaning of a poem and then told what they found was wrong
– the fact is, poets want to open doors and windows and multiple meanings are possible
I think, most people who don’t like poetry tend to be those who think too literally
“If the poet wants to say he finds pleasure in simple things, why not just say, ‘I find pleasure in simple things’? Why use a long poem to say it?”
– the literally minded are like Christians who are suspicious of art unless it is specifically religious or has a caption that explains its spiritual meaning
• they’ve got at least one thing right: art can be dangerous
A number of Bible scholars insist that David changes metaphors in verse 5
– he no longer refers to a shepherd, but to the host of banquet
• they remind us that “sheep do not sit at tables or drink from cups”
– that’s true, but why should start taking the poem so literally now?
• or if we’re going to be that literal, shouldn’t we expect more? If David told us at the start “The LORD is my shepherd,” why not tell us now, “The LORD is my host”?
– sheep do eat — the table and cup are simply more metaphors read more…
Draw near to God and He will draw near to youIn this passage, Jesus tells the first of three stories that illustrate and illuminate the last section of Matthew 24. Ten virgins took their lamps and ventured into the night to meet the bridegroom. When he arrived, he was going to usher them into the wedding feast. But then Jesus introduced a complication into the story, “the bridegroom was delaying.”
The bridegroom’s late arrival exactly describes our experience. Although Jesus told the disciples that no one knew the “day or hour” of his return, they certainly expected it to happen in their lifetime (Mt. 24:32; Acts 1:6). Many of Jesus’ predictions in Matthew 24 were fulfilled within forty years of his death and resurrection. But other predictions, now some two thousand years later, remain unfulfilled.
When someone is a little late for an appointment, we get impatient. If they are very late, we get worried. If they are unreasonably late, we give up hope that they will ever arrive. When Jesus told this parable, did he know a day would come when many would despair of his return? If so, what is he telling us? Just this, that it is our wisdom to adjust to the tension of our situation by behaving as if he were going to return tonight and preparing as if he will not return in our lifetime.
O Jesus, we are relieved that You did not find fault with the ten women for falling asleep, but only with the five for not being “on the alert.” To our way of thinking, it seems You should have arrived by now. It seems that our prayers for enlightenment to Your will, a stronger resistance to sin, and a closer relationship with You should have been answered by now. Give us grace to live with delays without losing our edge or missing the opportunities to notice Your daily movements through our world when You do pass our way.
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. Psalm 23:4b
INTRO: Before we settle into our scripture, let’s take an aerial view of the psalm
The poet is developing an analogy – God as shepherd
– his goal is to express gratitude for all of God’s goodness and to shed light on his relationship with God
– his first point is that his needs are met, “I shall not want”
• for instance, he is able to graze peacefully in green pastures and quench his thirst by quiet waters
• in these environments his soul is restored
– invigorated, he is prepared to move on, following the shepherd along “paths of righteousness” and into “the valley of the shadow of death”
• that’s where we found ourselves last week
Our interest in this poem is the insight it gives us to the spiritual experience of the believer
– in contemplative prayer, God brings us to these places, does these things for us, and secures our relationship with him read more…
Draw near to God and He will draw near to youJesus made a point of emphasizing that the hour of his coming was not only unknown, but that it would arrive unexpectedly (Mt. 24:36, 44). For that reason, his disciples had to live “on the alert.” How does a person do that? How can we prepare ourselves for an event that will occur exactly when we do not think it will? The answer comes down to how we treat others and it is illustrated in Jesus’ parable of the faithful and evil slaves.
Drawing a contrast between the two slaves, Jesus said the faithful slave feeds others, the evil slave feeds himself; the faithful slave acts responsibly, the evil slave abuses his fellow slaves; the faithful slave keeps the will of his master in mind, the evil slave assumes the master will be gone so long that his will is irrelevant; the good slave receives his master’s blessing, the evil slave receives punishment.
Although Jesus knew he would be gone from his disciples for “a long time,” it is obvious that he wanted them to always keep him in mind. True lovers never forget each other, even when separated by thousands of miles for months or years. They cherish memories, keepsakes, and photographs, and correspond as frequently as possible. In a similar way, Jesus desired to leave on our souls an impression of himself that would keep the flame of our heart burning for him, even through the long years of waiting to be united with him.
It is Your pleasure, Lord Jesus, to show Your love to all the world and to do so through those who know You. Grant us Your grace, O Savior, to be the faithful servants who do not beat others, but feed them and do not abuse others, but heal them in Your name. May people discover through our lives, actions and words, the infinite love of the Father, the eternal mercy of the Son, and the never failing grace of the Spirit.
He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Psalm 23:3b
INTRO: Seeing that today is Mother’s Day, let me begin with a question for you
How did your mother comfort you when hurt, afraid, or upset?
After WWII, a British psychologist worked with children (British children and Jewish orphans) who had been displaced by the war
– John Bowlby discovered that those who had been deprived of nurturing during infancy demonstrated obvious emotional and interpersonal deficits
– much of his research entailed observing the dynamics of mother-child interactions, especially during the first two years of the child’s life
– he concluded that infants needed an “attachment figure” – normally the role a mother plays
– when a child receives nurture from its mother, it forms a “secure base” for exploring life that lasts through adulthood
Example: Observing small children who were upset, he noticed the intensity of the child’s emotion determined what it would take to soothe him or her
-if the child were mildly upset: it was calmed by its mother’s acknowledgment with a look and word
– if the child were very upset: it was calmed if the mother added meaningful touch
– if the child were intensely upset: it would require prolonged cuddling to calm down read more…
Draw near to God and He will draw near to youIt is possible to take select passages from the Bible and form a picture of God in which he is an infinitely superior Being who is beyond the reach of humankind, yet very demanding. This view is consistent with the notion that we were on his bad side from the day of our birth and must always fight the negative momentum of our moral flaws. So, even when trying our hardest to please him, we are still breaking rules we never knew existed.
In the heart and mind of Jesus, God was “the Father”–not only his Father, but “our Father.” The God whom Jesus represented was the one Person we could count on to care for us, watch over us, and in his mercy treat us with compassion, kindness, and understanding.
Jesus did not think is was necessary for him to know the day of his return–it was enough that the Father knows. In fact, there are many things that are known to “the Father alone.” God knows what breaks our hearts, gets to us, makes us feel like giving up. God knows the number of our days and everything else there is to know about us. Our “Father alone” can be trusted with this information (Ps. 139). He uses it to heal, guide, and protect us as we journey through life.
O Jesus, Son of the Father, we thank You for entering our world and through Your words, deeds, and life, reveal to us the heart of God. In Your goodness we discover that, even when we disappoint Him, the Father loves us. We realize our responsibility to learn truth and solve riddles that hinder our growth, but we also understand that there are things we cannot know and it is best to leave them to the Father. O Lord, strengthen our trust in You.
Daily Meditations From the Scriptures