20 Years Of Ministry

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Gen%2012:1-3&version=NIV

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Heb%2011:1&version=NIV

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans%201:17&version=NIV

"The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." - Chinese proverb

Abraham.  After the earlier accounts of Adam & Eve and Noah, he bursts on to the scene at the end of Genesis 11.  The first thing we learn about Abraham is that he is about to take a journey.  God speaks to Abraham and directs him to leave his native Ur of the Chaldees and go west - to some unknown land that He would show him.  The incredible thing is that Abraham obeyed!  He left behind his home.  His relatives.  His native city.  Everything that he had ever known.  To take a journey to realms unknown.  Certainly this was a huge risk on his part.  He was, in effect, going away from civilization - to some foreign, sparsely-populated, uncivilized place. 

So Abraham stepped out in faith and, following God’s directions, arrived in Canaan.  This was where Abraham was to live.  To spend the rest of his life.  This was the land that God was going to give to his descendants - who would one day be more numerous than the stars in the sky - or the grains of sand on the seashore.  Yes, the whole story of Abraham began with a single step of faith.  And once he arrived in Canaan, though his physical journey was over - Abraham’s spiritual journey was just beginning.  He was going to have to live by faith.  Faith that God would sustain him.  Faith that God would provide him with an heir.  Faith that God would keep His promises.  Many centuries later we know that God rewarded Abraham’s faith.  How different might things have turned out for Abraham, and our world, if he had not stepped out in faith!

20 years ago our family also embarked on a significant journey.  On August 27, 1992, we arrived in Kalispell, MT inside our old 1984 Ford station wagon.  It was the end of a physical journey that had begun 4 years earlier.  It was then that we left our native Niagara Falls, NY to travel to Minnesota.  So that I could attend Crown College.  And prepare for ministry.  Now we were in Kalispell and the spiritual part of our journey - the journey into ministry - was about to take place.  Kalispell is where I would officially be known as, and called, ‘Pastor’.  Kalispell is where I would be responsible for the spiritual welfare of a group of people.  Kalispell is where I would have the opportunity to take all that ‘theory’ that I had acquired - and put it into practice. 

Certainly there was a learning curve at the beginning.  When you arrive in ministry in your first church, people automatically assume that you are skilled in every area.  Preaching.  Teaching.  Counseling.  Leadership.  Administration.  The reality is that any ‘newbie’ to ministry has very little skill.  A lot of potential perhaps.  But not much experience.

But God was gracious.  And the people were kind.  Supportive.  Loving.  And God blessed.  Eventually I gained some valuable and much-needed experience.  I was able to translate my education into skills.  I learned on-the-job and eventually became comfortable with a particular style of ministry that represented who God made me to be.

20 years later I look back on our time in Kalispell and I am amazed.  Amazed because rarely do most pastors last this long in their first church.  Amazed at the skills that I have today that were so undeveloped back then.  Amazed at the sermons I preach - for each week I get to see first-hand how God brings it all together.  Amazed at how much I have grown spiritually.  Amazed at how much I have learned about myself.  And human nature.  And the Bible.  Amazed at what God has done in our family.  Amazed at how faithful God has been each step along the way.  Amazed at the various ways that God has worked through me to impact the lives of others.  Who knew?  I certainly longed for, and hoped for, this.  But still - it is amazing when one sees it actually happen!  And to think that all of this is a result of a single step of faith years ago.  What if we hadn’t taken that step of faith?  How different would our lives be today.  And the lives of countless others.

There is a lesson in all this.  That lesson is the importance of faith.  Faith is a journey.  Faith is always moving forward - into realms yet unknown.  Faith trusts God for what it cannot see - believing that He can make the impossible possible.

So where are you taking a step of faith today?   In what areas of your life are you trusting God?  Your job?  Your marriage?  Your family?  Your finances?  Your ministry?  Wherever it is, don’t stop!  Keep going forward.  Keep trusting God.  Eventually your faith will be rewarded.  You will be able to look back and see the hand of God at work in your life.  You will be able to see how much you’ve learned.  And grown.  You will be able to see how God has used you to impact the lives of others.  And someday, in Heaven, everyone will be able to see the results of your faith.  And they will give glory to God!

Lord, I thank you for the journey of faith that led me and my family to Kalispell.  That 20 years later has produced so much fruit.  It’s all because of You.  And for You.  Help us to continue to walk by faith.  On a daily basis.  Trusting You.  Knowing that You will accomplish great things.  In us.  And through us.  In Jesus' name, Amen.

My Dad And The Lawn

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ecclesiastes+9:10&version=NIV1984

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Col%203:23-24&version=NIV

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Col%203:17&version=NIV

We grew up in a low-income housing project back in Niagara Falls, New York.  As a result of this, we had what I call was a ‘city’ lawn.  It’s the kind of lawn that most houses in the city have - small.  To show how small it was, during summer my father would mow both the front and back lawns in about 20 minutes.  With a rotary push mower.  Enough said.

About the time I became a teenager I wanted to mow lawns.  There was this elderly neighbor who needed his lawn cut.  And he was willing to pay someone to do it.  Not only was the prospect of getting some unheard-of cash in my happy little hands very exciting, so was getting to use the lawnmower.  It was sharp.  It could hurt someone.  The result?  No children allowed.  So getting to use the lawnmower was a kind of rite of passage for me.

Well, my dad, being the thorough kind of guy he was, didn’t just turn me loose with the lawnmower.  Oh, no.  He had to instruct me on how to operate it.  First, there was the proper stance so that you could push it.  Then there was the admonition about being careful not to hit any rocks, sticks or other objects that might dull the blade.  Finally, there was the half-cut method.  This meant that you only mowed half the width of the lawnmower.  The idea being that when you came back the opposite way, you mowed the same patch of grass from the opposite direction.  This ensured that you cut the lawn thoroughly.  That there would be no isolated patches of uncut lawn leftover from trying to cut too much with each pass.  Unfortunately, it also meant basically cutting the lawn twice.

After the newness of mowing the lawn wore off (it always does, and rather quickly) I no longer appreciated my dad’s method of cutting the grass.  So I started cheating.  Taking 3/4's cuts.  Sometimes even whole-width cuts.  Even more than whole-width cuts!  Of course, the inevitable happened.  The result was isolated patches of uncut grass.  Grass that was an eye-sore compared to the rest of the lawn.  Grass that I needed to go back and cut.

Now I am much older.  And wiser.  I still mow the lawn.  But not with a rotary mower!  I use a gas, self-propelled walk-behind mower.  It takes me about 90 minutes to mow my entire lawn.  I can’t say that I really enjoy it.  (I sort of envy my dad’s ‘city’-sized lawn).  But my large lawn gives me a little space from my neighbors.  And it’s great for the grandkids.  Funny thing is, as much as I dislike mowing the lawn, I find myself cutting it half the width of the mower!  Why, I don’t know.  Because I can cut the whole width of the mower if I want to.  There’s nothing preventing me from doing that.  So, why do I mow my lawn dad’s way?

I suppose it’s because I see the logic behind what my dad was teaching me way back then.  He wasn’t teaching me how to mow the lawn so much as he was teaching me how to do the job right.  The first time.  Because my reputation was on the line.  Because lifelong habits were being formed.  Habits that would serve me well later in life.  Habits that, if they were bad, would be difficult to break.

I find that our Heavenly Father often does the same thing with us.  He teaches us certain methods.  He instructs us in certain ways.  Methods and ways that we often don’t understand.  Methods and ways that we often rebel against.  And resist.  Such as the way to greatness is through servanthood.  The way to glory is humility.  The way to strength is weakness.  Funny thing is, that there are reasons why God teaches us the methods & ways that He does.  They are for our benefit.  They help form our character.  Character that will pay rich dividends throughout our lives.  Character that will positively impact the lives of others.

Of course, when I taught my sons how to mow the lawn, I taught them the half-cut method.  I’m not sure that they appreciated it.  (Most teens don't.)  And if I get a chance to teach my grandchildren how to mow the lawn, you can be sure that I am going to teach them the half-cut method as well.  Why?  Because I’m not just teaching them how to mow the lawn.  Like dad, I’m teaching them good habits.  Habits that will have a positive impact on them the rest of their lives.

Lord, I thank you for a father who was wise.  A man who taught me life lessons at an early age.  I also thank you for the life lessons that You are teaching me.  May I pay attention to them.  Implement them.  And be blessed by them.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Flat Sheets Or Fitted?

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%20103:13-14&version=NIV1984

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Phil%204:19&version=NIV1984

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Corinthians%2012:9&version=NIV1984

I try to help out my wife Beth around the house whenever I can.  Once or twice a week this means folding the laundry for her.  Sometimes that involves folding the sheets.  What I have learned after many years of marriage is that there are 2 kinds of sheets - fitted and flat.  Fitted sheets go directly on the mattress.  They usually are a struggle to get on because they fit so tight.  Which is good.  I hate sloppy sheets.  The flat sheet then gets put on top of the fitted sheet.  And pulled back slightly at the top.  When you go to sleep at night you sleep between the fitted sheet (bottom) and the flat sheet (top).  OK.  Sheets 101.  Back to the folding part.

Flat sheets are easy to fold.  Whichever way that you fold them (and it seems that there are several ways to do this), since they are rectangular, they match up nicely.  Fold in half.  Fold in half again.  Fold the other way several times and presto, you have a nicely folded sheet.  Not so with fitted sheets.

Fitted sheets have those pesky corners that make them fit very snug on the mattress.  But they are terrible for folding.  What I normally try to do is to put the corners of one end of the sheet and then match them with the corners of the other side.  Because of the layout of the fitted sheet, this is an approximation at best.  Then I fold the sheet in half the other way so that both corners match.  Again, this is an approximation.  Then I just start randomly folding until the fitted sheet is about the same size as the flat sheet.  Unfortunately, when I am finished folding it, the fitted sheet couldn’t look any worse than if I had just rolled it up into a ball.  The point is that flat sheets are a perfectionist’s dream.  Fitted sheets are a perfectionist’s nightmare.

Is this a lot like life or what!  There are some areas of our lives that are like flat sheets.  These areas differ from person to person.  For some people a ‘flat sheet’ could be their finances.  Or their house.  Their yard.  Their job.  The point is that these areas are nice and neat.  Organized.  And we are able to manage them fairly well.  Then there are the areas of our lives that are more like fitted sheets.  How appropriate since they actually give us ‘fits’!  Again, these areas differ from person to person.  Finances.  House.  Yard.  Job.  The point is that these areas are a mess.  They look like a bomb has exploded.  We have little semblance of control over them and most of the time they control us.  We try to get these areas to look like the flat sheets but to no avail.  They are what they are.  A jumbled mess.

Lately I have been finding a disturbing trend in my life.  I don’t know if it’s the fact that I am getting old, busier, or less ambitious (or maybe a combination of all three) but I am finding that some former ‘flat sheet’ areas have now become ‘fitted sheet’ areas.  They are a mess.  And so am I.  I keep trying to get them back under control but it ain’t happening!  This leaves me with two choices - renew my efforts to get these areas back under control, to make them a little more organized and manageable - or to accept the fact that they are not going to be nice and neat anytime soon.  If ever.

The good news is that we don’t have to be perfect.  (That is very good news!)  We don’t have to have every single area of our lives organized.  And under control.  In fact, a quick survey of the Bible finds that many people mentioned in its pages didn’t have their lives totally in order.  Jesus did.  But Peter didn’t.  In fact, Peter had a lot of loose ends in his life.  So did David.  And Abraham.  And many others.  So if people like these didn’t have their act entirely together, what are we worrying and stressing about?  The truth is that Jesus loves us exactly the way we are.  Mess and all.  Yes, He wants us to grow and mature.  To allow the Holy Spirit to tidy up some untidy areas of our lives.  But we don’t have to be perfect in order to receive Jesus’ love and approval.  We already have it!

So let’s go ahead and celebrate the flat sheets in our lives.  And be glad that at least some areas are in pretty decent shape.  But let’s not be ashamed of the fitted sheets either.  Life is messy.  Some areas just don’t just come together very nicely.  And there’s not much we can do about it.  Flat or fitted, we have to rely on Jesus anyway!

Lord, although I wish that I were on top of every area of my life, the reality is that I am not.  And I fear that some areas are never going to be what I want them to be.  Or what You want them to be.  I must remember that I am still a work in progress.  Thank you for Your willingness to help me.  With both the fitted sheets as well as the flat ones.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

A God Who Flushes Toilets

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http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ps%20103:10-12&version=NIV1984

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah+43:25&version=NIV1984

As I recall, our oldest grandson, Brett, seemed to get the hang of being potty-trained fairly easy.  Of course, one of the reasons why he did so well was his fascination with the whole process.  First, there was his excitement of being able to produce lots of bubbles when he peed in the toilet.  Then there was his fascination with flushing the toilet and watching everything make a downward spiral and out of sight.  When a child gets to this stage your water bill will automatically spike.  It’s because they often flush the toilet multiple times.  Whether it needs to be flushed or not.  Just for the fun of it.

Unfortunately, over the past couple years, Brett’s fascination with flushing has been replaced by absent-mindedness.  Lately whenever I go in to use the guest bathroom, I find that it has not been flushed.  It seems that Brett now has other things on his mind (like getting to the dinner table or going outside) so he often forgets to flush the toilet.  The past month or so Beth and I have reminded him several times that he needs to complete the process.  He needs to flush the toilet.

This past week Brett joined me up at Dickey Lake Bible Camp for a day.  Several times in our journeys back and forth across the camp I had to stop in and use the restroom.  (It seems that the older you get, the more you need to go.)  Now historically, camp restrooms are not always the cleanest of places, especially during a children’s camp.  Used paper towels on the counter or on the floor.  A few articles of clothing lying around.  And unflushed toilets.  It seems like every time we went in to use the restroom, it smelled.  Bad.  Brett noticed the odor right away.  I told him to check the toilets.  There were 3 of them.  Sure enough, at least one if not two toilets had not been flushed.  So Brett flushed them.  And the smell gradually dissipated.  This led to a good discussion with Brett about why it’s important to flush the toilet after using it.  If you don’t, the bathroom will start to smell.  Besides, neither you nor anyone else really wants to see what you left behind.  (Behind - get it!)

As I thought about this it reminded me of an important spiritual truth.  The Bible says that sin is nasty.  Disgusting.  Smelly.  Putrid.  It smells up a person’s life.  And it is unsightly.  The fact is that we are repulsed at the sight of our sins.  So are others.  And so is God.  Fortunately, God made a way for our sins to be flushed away.  This ‘way’ was a result of Jesus’ death on the cross.  When Jesus uttered the words ‘It is finished’ and died on the cross, forgiveness for our sins was made available to us.  When we repent and confess our sins, and ask for forgiveness, God does just that.  He forgives them.  This is the equivalent of Him flushing our sins so that they disappear.  Never to be seen again.  All the putridness, all the smell, all the repulsiveness, are gone in an instant!  Gone forever!  And whenever we subsequently sin, I John 1:9 tells us all we need to do is repent, confess those sins, and God will flush them away as well.

Wow!  A God who is willing to flush toilets!  Our toilet!  Someone who won’t let the smell and the putridness of our sins put Him off.  A God who is willing to do whatever it takes to make us holy.  Righteous.  Pure.  What a wonderful God we have!

Lord, there are times when I am absolutely horrified by the ugliness, the putridness, the stench of my sins.  I am so glad that You provided a way to get rid of them.  That in Your love and grace, You flush them away.  All of them.  Forever.  Thank you for Your willingness to do this for me.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

The 23rd Psalm - Part III

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ps%2023:2-3&version=NASB

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ps%2023:2-3&version=NIV1984

Continuing our look at the 23rd Psalm, we come to verses 2 and 3.  In these verses there are four parts, each beginning with the word ‘He’.  I want to look at three of these.

He makes me lie down in green pastures

Is there anything better than nice, lush, green grass in a field?  Especially if we don’t have to mow it!  Think of some of the lush, green landscapes that one finds in the United Kingdom and you get an idea of what this looks like.  Of course, if we find beauty in such a scene how much more do sheep!  All the grass they can eat.  This must be the closest thing to Heaven on earth they could imagine.  Then, when they have eaten to their heart’s content, they can lie down in it.  I would imagine that sheep have the same feelings about lying down that we humans do.  And us humans would take lying down in a field of grass any day to lying down in dirt and rocks.

He leads me beside quiet waters

Right about now in Montana the streams are running pretty high.  This is because of the snow melt at lower elevations.  And also the result of some of the recent rain that we’ve had.  Now while kayakers and whitewater enthusiasts like high, fast streams, the rest of us don’t.  Fast, high streams are generally muddy so they aren’t conducive to good fishing.  And I suppose that they aren’t exactly the best water to drink from either.  The fact is that if a sheep should get to close to fast water it could possibly fall in and drown.  The result is that high, fast streams mean danger for sheep.  And so the wise shepherd will find a nice, slow-moving stream to lead his sheep to.  Or an oasis.  Or a pool of water.  There the sheep can enjoy drinking cool, clean, refreshing water. And also enjoy the accompanying coolness that such a stream brings to a rather hot landscape.

He restores my soul

Again, understanding that sheep are pretty similar to humans in some respects, once a sheep has eaten its share of green grass and drank its share of refreshing water, what does it want to do?  Relax.  Lie down.  Rest.  This serves to renew the sheep’s energy and vitality.  This is important so it can be healthy and ward off sickness and disease.  When it comes to people, there is a good reason why they enjoy dinner = food and drink.  Once their bodies’ physical needs have been taken care of, then a person can sit back.  Rest.  Relax.  Enjoy themselves.  Whether it’s at a restaurant, a friend’s house, or home, there is something very restorative about dinner.  Spirit’s are revived.  Things are put in their proper perspective.  Now let's put all of these phrases together.

In a word, these three phrases represent care.  This could easily be the theme of the entire Psalm.   Life is such that it has a way of wearing us down.  Causing us to grow weary.  To lose strength.  Tired and exhausted, we become susceptible to discouragement, depression and even sin.  As our Good Shepherd, Jesus cares for us.  He leads us to those green pastures of rest and relaxation.  He leads us to places where we can drink from His Spirit and His Word.  He restores our soul.  To restore means ‘to repair, renovate, or return to a former condition’.  Jesus revitalizes our spirit to the point where we are able not only to function once again but to live life triumphantly.

What a wonderful picture this is of Jesus - not only our Savior but our Shepherd.  Are you experiencing His care today?  If not, you can.  All you need to do is to seek Him out and follow His leading.  As I Peter 5:7 encourages us, "Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you."

Lord, I thank you that You care for me.  Me!  In every way.  May I continue to follow You and submit to Your leading, as so find rest for my body and soul.  In Jesus' name, Amen.

The 23rd Psalm - Part II

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ps%2023:1&version=NASB

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ps%2023:1&version=NIV1984

Continuing with my thoughts about Psalm 23, moving on to the rest of verse 1...“I shall not be in want.”

‘Want’ is an interesting word.  As any parent knows, ‘want’ is an integral part of a child’s language.  Every time a commercial comes on for some new toy, they immediately ‘want’ it.  Around our house, our grandchildren are already letting us know what they ‘want’ for Christmas...which is still 7 months away!  Of course, adults are also pretty familiar with 'want’ as well.  We all ‘want’ something - be it clothes, jewelry, tools, a new vehicle, a vacation, whatever.  Fill in the blank.  So in the positive sense of the word, ‘want’ is equivalent to desire.  And, as we all know, there is no shortage of things that we desire.

‘Want’, however, also has a negative sense.  In a word, ‘want’ indicates lack.  As in something missing or lacking.  We see this in Daniel 5:27, and the writing on the wall which Daniel interprets for King Belshazzar, “You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting.”   Not good.  In other words, God was telling King Belshazzar that he was lacking in the area of character and godliness.  The result was he was killed that very night.  Another word that would substitute for ‘want’ is need.  This is a word that we are more familiar with.  What is interesting about the phrase “I shall not be in want”, is that ‘want’ is used in the negative sense in a positive way.  (Stay with me on this one.)  What David is saying is that since the Lord is his Shepherd, he will have no ‘wants’.  No lack.  No needs.  In other words, David will lack for nothing in his life.  All of his needs will be taken care of.  This is obviously a huge positive for David.

What a precious promise this is for each of us as well!  All of us have needs in this life.  From the most basic needs of food and water to the more complex needs of purpose and fulfillment.  In short, life is a constant struggle by us to meet all of our needs.  Unfortunately, not only do we have a lot of needs, many of them are reoccurring, which means that they have to be met over and over again.  This is part of the perplexing nature of human existence.  No sooner do we have a need met, than it requires our attention once again soon after (food, water, rest, etc.).  The good news is that our Shepherd, Jesus (John 10) is able to meet all of our needs.  He is able to take care of us to the point where we are not ‘wanting’ for anything.  Everything, from the most basic needs to the most complex, are taken care of by Him.  All we have to do is to trust Him.  To willingly place ourselves under His control.  To follow His leading.

Again, isn’t this wonderful news!  This means we can get off the proverbial treadmill of life.  We don’t have to relentlessly try to meet our needs only to discover that we have to start all over again.  Countless millions of people are doing this very thing every single day.  And they are worn out from it.  Exhausted.  Discouraged.  As Jesus said in Matthew 6, if we will put the Kingdom of God first in our lives, all of our needs will be taken care of.  All of them!  This means we can relax.  We can enjoy life.  We can follow close at the heels of our Good Shepherd without a single care in the world.  Our needs will be taken care of.  Daily.  Abundantly.  We will not be in want.

Lord, I thank you for the reality that is found here in the first verse of the 23rd Psalm - that when I follow Your leading I will not be in want - today, tomorrow, ever!  How simple this makes my life!  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

The 23rd Psalm - Part I

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ps%2023:1&version=NIV1984

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ps%2023:1&version=NIV1984

Psalm 1:2 says that “Blessed is the one whose delight is in the law of the Lord and who meditates on His law day and night.”  I’ve been thinking about this verse for some time.  And asking God what it looks like?  I mean, exactly what portions of Scripture could I meditate on that would draw me into His presence?  Yesterday God answered that prayer.

As I was mowing my lawn (this gives me 90 minutes to think and pray) my mind was drawn to the 23rd Psalm.  I think everyone would agree that this is the most popular Psalm.  And probably one of the most famous passages of Scripture.  Right up there with John 3:16 and a few other verses.  In my mind I went over the Psalm verse-by-verse.  And even word-by-word.  In my post today I just want to mention what God showed my in famous opening line of the Psalm - The Lord is my Shepherd.

The Lord - Wow.  Where to begin?  The Bible tells us that the Lord is eternal in the Heavens.  Master and Creator of the Universe.  Maker of Heaven and earth.  Almighty.  Omniscient.  Omnipresent.  Holy.  The center and attention of Heaven.  I thought about Isaiah’s vision of the Lord in Isaiah 6.  Seated on His throne.  High and lifted up.  The train of His robe filling the Temple.  Attended to by angels.  Smoke.  Thunder.  Glory.  These are just a few insights into who the Lord is.

Is - One of the smaller words, for sure.  Yet is has a lot to say.  The same mighty, exalted, glorious Lord that we just looked at ‘is’.  I don’t profess to be an English major but it seems to me that ‘is’ denotes present tense.  In other words, not the past, or the future, but right now.  ‘The Lord is’.  In other words, He exists right now.  This brings great comfort and encouragement to me because I need the Lord now!  The past is over and done with.  Tomorrow is still in the future.  I need the Lord today.  Right now.  Right this very minute.

My - Another small word that says a lot.  Again, venturing into territory that I am probably not qualified to explore, as I understand it, ‘my’ is possessive.  In other words, whatever or whoever the object is, when I say ‘my’, it belongs to me.  Me!  This means that I have some sort of stake of ownership in it.  It personalizes things.  No longer is it ‘the’ Lord, as in everyone’s Lord but ‘my’ Lord!  This reminds me of the words of Thomas after He saw the resurrected Jesus with his own eyes in John 20:28, “My Lord and my God!”  The word ‘my’ takes things from being abstract and makes them personal.  Is there any better word to attach ‘my’ to than the Lord?

Shepherd - Here is the object of the entire first phrase.  Most of us who are familiar with the Bible are also familiar with what a shepherd is.  Shepherds have a long, rich tradition in Scripture.  The patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac & Jacob) were all shepherds to some degree.  So was Moses.  And David.  Amos the prophet.  Shepherds were also the ones who received the news of the birth of Jesus and who saw Him the night He was born.  What does a shepherd do?  Care for sheep.  Which is a pretty big job when it comes right down to it.  Without getting ahead of myself, a shepherd takes care of a sheep’s need for food and water.  Shelter and protection.  He inspects it from time-to-time to make sure that it hasn’t been infected with parasites or some kind of illness.  The shepherd lives with the sheep day and night.  As a result the shepherd knows his sheep better than any one else.  He knows his sheep intimately. 

The Lord is my Shepherd - So now we put it all together.  The great, almighty, sovereign Lord of the universe is a shepherd.  And He is my Shepherd!  Right now.  At this very moment.  This means He is currently watching over me.  Meeting all of my needs.  Protecting me.  Guiding me.  Loving me.  Again, I say wow!  What an incredible thought!  No wonder why the 23rd Psalm is one the most beloved passages of Scripture.  We’ve only looked at five words and already we are overwhelmed with wonder and gratefulness!

What words to think about and meditate on!  What words of comfort and encouragement!  What words of hope and joy!  So let's take some time and go over these words in our minds.  To think about what they mean for us.  To let them speak to our spirit and soul.  This is why they have been preserved for us.  These are God’s own words straight to our hearts!

Lord, I thank you for Your Word.  In particular for the 23rd Psalm.  Oh how much those first few words say to me.  How they speak to my heart.  How they encourage and strengthen me.  And humble me.  Who am I that You should care for me?  And watch over me?  And know me so intimately?  And love me so much?  May the reality of these words penetrate to the depths of my being.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.