Reflections on the 23rd Psalm Part five

REFLECTIONS ON THE 23RD PSALM: A psalm about revival- Part Five

Psalms 23:2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. 

The last few months Psalms 23 has come alive to me. Verse two has been especially inspirational. The more I've dug into the verses, their context, culture and languages, the more I'm also seeing fresh insights into the subject of revival, a topic that I've been very involved with, for nearly 2 decades.

"He makes me to lie down in green pastures". What does this truly mean? Let's consider the ancient languages used, the context and the shepherd's culture of the Middle East.

The idea of Jesus, MAKING ME TO LIE DOWN in GREEN PASTURES, has taken on new meaning. If you recall, the shepherd leads the flock, providing food and water, and so much more. But more than anything the shepherd searches for enough green grass for the flock's needs every day, and knows where those places are in advance because He's gone before them. The green pastures that the Hebrew describes, and that David referred to, is usually translated as "dwellings," or "habitations." "Pastures," therefore, refers to places where flocks and herds lie down for repose. You see, the grass of these places isn't mature, or ready for mowing. In fact, it's the first blades of growth from the earth, and is tender, providing just enough to eat in that day. Israel's climate is arid, and seldom gets more that 24 inches of rain per year. So, you see the shepherd must find a place where there will be enough grass for the flock to eat, and, a site where the sheep can be made to lie down in the enclosure the Shepherd has already constructed for them that's safe. Green pastures metaphorically refer to calmness and rest. It's a place where the revival of strength comes about. There in that dwelling, the needs of the flock are met, and the sheep feel satisfied because their wants are completely supplied. The question is: Do you know where your green pastures are? Only the Good Shepherd can show you. But, nonetheless, there are characteristics of these "pastures" in our lives that we mustn't ignore. 

I believe that the idea of the Shepherd making us lie down, is something we've not appreciated. We live in a time where work consumes us. Quiet is almost impossible to find. Distractions of entertainment, social networking, and busy-ness swallow us everywhere we go. We've almost become so addicted to technology, that we don't recognize the things God is doing. And yet, with all we try to do, we often fail, and don't prosper because we're so driven to do, and too exhausted to slow down until we screech to a desperate halt. I've observed that so many folks have now come to live by the precept that they just need to work more, and harder, to get ahead. But it's never enough. In fact, the fear of lack is driving many people to a catastrophic end. Consequently, faith and trust in the Shepherd have taken a back seat to His ways of provision and rest. For these reasons, I find it interesting that one commentator suggested that the Hebrew words for "Lying down in green pastures" also refers to finding rest in God's heart. Wow.

He makes me to lie down in green pastures. This beautiful Hebrew phrase describes how God, in His loving care, that causes us to lie down, not necessarily forcibly, but in the way, that can't be resisted. What's more the way its tensed in the Hebrew, is that He does this continually. He is always trying to calm us and bring us to a place of quiet, even in the midst of, our daily grind. But are we aware of that? In your efforts to rebuke Satan for all the problems you're going through, could you be blind to God saying it's time to slow down and rest?

There are times I've wondered, if that when it seems like everything has shut down, and nothing is prospering, that we're being unwittingly "made to lie down and rest", eating only what is necessary, and being revived in a place of His presence. Are we fighting God's call to restore us? Will you let Him lead you to where you can find fulfillment and satisfaction? Maybe your "disturbing" season of quiet is, in actuality, God calling you to slow down and take time to listen? All our human efforts will prove worthless, until we allow Him to lead us to a place of rest and healing.

By Dr. Tamara Winslow

REFLECTIONS ON THE 23rd PSALM: A psalm about revival- Part 4

REFLECTIONS ON THE 23rd PSALM: A psalm about revival Part 4

Psalms 23:1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

The Lord is my Shepherd, and most significantly, He is our provider. Many a believer has quoted this first verse of the Psalm, enthusiastically declaring the promise, "I shall not want." Want, as it's depicted in many translations, denotes all forms of lack, failure, need and being without, i.e. poverty.

I think one of the most disabling feelings a human can undergo is the sensation that comes from suffering lack. Psalms 23, states early on, that the Shepherd makes sure we'll have no need, lack, poverty or failure, of any kind. But, that's a pretty big claim, and, most certainly, a lot of folks would challenge it, or at least say, this promise is too good to be true. Some may argue, then, "Why are there so many needy people? These comments are understandable but must be contested. You see, our understanding of the Shepherd's provision, must be judged against the full context of what the Bible says. Furthermore, many folks have a twisted understanding of His nature and character. Their wrong ideas, born out of entitlement attitudes, have fostered passivity and expectations that make it seem like God owes us everything. They don't think that they must take any responsibility in the faith.

Yes, God is our provider and this promise is without question, true. But may I remind you that for every promise God has made, there are conditions for its fulfillment. In the case of promising that His sheep will not want, there are several attitudes of heart that must first be in place.

Ps. 34:8 O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him. 9 O fear the Lord, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him. 10 The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing. 11 Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the Lord.

#1. To experience the Provision of the Good Shepherd you must trust Him to provide.

The flock followed their shepherd because they trusted Him and knew His voice. So it is with our Lord!

#2. To experience the Provision of the Lord one must embrace the correct application of the attitude of Fearing the Lord. There is no want to them that fear Him. Regrettably, the message of the fear of the Lord is not understood and even less taught. Here's a simple definition for the fear of the Lord based on the breadth of the Hebrew and Greek words that talk about it. "The Fear of the Lord is: A conscious, intentional, honor, awe or respect of God’s awesomeness and character that makes you hesitate cautiously, so to restrain behavior thereby avoiding harmful consequences and broken spiritual relationship. It is often accompanied by feelings of inward trembling."

3. To experience the provision of the Lord, you must not be lazy, or what the Scriptures identify as slothfulness. Lack overtakes the slothful, sleepy soul like an armed warrior. One of the chief characteristics of the End Times person is spiritual slumber due to slothfulness.

Prov. 6:10 Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: 11 So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man. (Pro. 24:30-34; Prov. 19:15)

4. To experience the Lord's provision you must learn to be intentional in your thinking. Irresponsible thought processes produce hasty actions and always end in want, of all types.

Prov. 21:5 The thoughts of the diligent tend only to plenteousness; but of every one that is hasty only to want.

5. To experience the provision of the Lord you must be a discerning and humble giver. If you take advantage of the weak and unfortunate, you'll eventually experience lack. (Prov. 22:16)

6. One of the most unique ways that God provides, is revealed in how He provides vision for us. This is most evident in Genesis 22. Jehovah- Jireh sees our real needs, while at the same time showing us the way that He'll provide. On more occasions than I'd like to recount, I've heard folks declare that the Lord is Jehovah Jireh, our Provider, while they are ignorant to the context of what this aspect of His character means. Moreover, scholars differ widely on the rendering of Gen. 22:14 naming God as Jehovah-Jireh. The meaning of this name is much more than a general idea of provision. The Hebrew infers that He is the Lord who provides us vision, while at the same time provides for the necessities of life, specifically through the sacrificial ram, symbolic of Jesus.

So, in a nutshell, to experience the Lord's provision (I shall not want), one must trust God, fear God, have a good work ethic, stay awake, be a discerning, humble giver and realize He is the Lord who gives you vision to recognize how He will provide. He is the Lord our Shepherd/ provider.

REFLECTIONS ON THE TWENTY-THIRD PSALM: A psalm about revival Part 3

REFLECTIONS ON THE TWENTY-THIRD PSALM: A psalm about revival Part 3
Psalms 23:1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

The Lord is my Shepherd! What a concept! Hidden in the Hebrew and Greek words, translated as shepherd, is a fabulous collection of functions, characteristics and promises. We've already begun to delve into the revelation that Our Shepherd is a lover of His many sheep, both individually and corporately. His love is personal. His interaction is intimate. He is the ultimate of friends, the most devoted of companions. We've also noted, just briefly that our Shepherd is our provider. We'll expand on this function in future posts. But for a few moments I'd like us to discover other wonderful characteristics about what it means that the Lord is our shepherd.

Our Good Shepherd is a Watchman
The best of ancient shepherds made it their constant focus to search the horizon for any hint of dangerous situations or foes. Similarly, Our Shepherd is always watching out for us. He recognizes what, and who, could be our enemy, and because He goes before us, He acts to disable them before we become the victim to the destruction and deadly devices of Satan. This quality is linked with another role the Great Shepherd performs.

The Shepherd is a GuardMy shepherd and yours is a guard. He doesn't just oversee His flock, He protects it. Jesus, is therefore, the guardian of the flock. He's your defender. The natural vulnerability of sheep, is a generally acceptable metaphor, for the believer, who is dependent on the Shepherd's constant care. However, this allegory doesn't paint a totally accurate picture of the Born-Again life. Once you're Born Again, you're transformed by the wondrous work of the Holy Spirit. I say this, because whenever we deal with anything allegorical, we must be careful to not forget who we really are, human beings, not just symbolic sheep. As a Christian you become a partaker of His Divine nature or personality. This transformation changes everything. Weakness is replaced by strength. Helplessness is converted to ability, i.e.." I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." But, even with these wonderful changes have been wrought in our hearts, God Himself, has not changed in being the Shepherd we can depend upon to fight for us. He will always be our refuge, our fortress, our shield and strength. He is on the lookout to help us recognize enemies so we don't have to live in a state of ignorance.

The Shepherd is a Guide
The natural temperament of sheep is that they require a guide, a leader, who'll show them where to go. They can't be driven by the shepherd. They must be led. So, wherever the shepherd walks, they'll follow, if they trust him or her. (Biblically, both male and female were shepherds.) One resource states that sheep aren't independent travelers. They don't go places by themselves without directions. In fact, they don't know how to go to pasture in the morning, and come home, when the sun goes down. Some references also indicate that they have no sense of direction. But, they need a guide to survive, to find food, and to be safe. This quality of a shepherd is consistent with what the New Testament reveals about the Holy Spirit. The Good Shepherd speaks to the born-again person, through the Spirit, and therefore, the "sheep" or Christian is led to do what the Lord wants. We need Gods continued guidance.

The Shepherd is a Physician
I once interviewed a man who was an actual shepherd. I asked him about how he dealt with a sheep when it got sick. To my shock, he said " Well, let me tell you this. There are usually only two types of sheep. A live one and a dead one." Sheep don't handle sickness well. But King David understood differently. His experience with shepherding revealed that a good shepherd was also physician and nurse to sick or lame sheep. There are numerous examples of God's healing care for sick sheep. But significantly, the sheep of God's flock need more than physical remedies. Jesus, our Good Shepherd not only ministers to a sheep's ailing body, but also to the diseases of the heart. We'll examine this expression of the Lord as our Shepherd further in future posts.

Finally, The Shepherd is Our Savior
This is a massive topic and requires more space to address than we have here. But Jesus described the role of a shepherd as one who saves lost sheep. In a lot of ways, the Great Shepherd is involved with search and rescue. You see, in the natural, a lost sheep doesn't get home if the shepherd doesn't rescue it. That's why He tracks those sheep who've wandered away, or those who've become so distracted by the things of this life, especially eating, that they become isolated from the flock. Jesus cares about the lost one. So often we focus on the numbers, when we miss that God looks for the ONE. To understand that the Shepherd is a Savior, we must eventually look at what salvation truly means. That's another message for another time. But it must be addressed.

Will you trust Him to be what the Scriptures reveal He is as a Shepherd? These aren't qualities that He might be. These roles are part of who He already is. We don't have to ask Him to be something or do something that He already is and has already provided. But this is why we need to get a grip on the truths this Psalm presents us with. The question is: Will we do so?

REFLECTIONS ON THE 23rd PSALM: Part 2 A psalm about revival

REFLECTIONS ON THE 23rd PSALM: Part 2 A psalm about revival

Psalms 23:1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

If anyone understood the Lord, as shepherd, it was King David. David, as was the custom in that time, was the youngest boy, and therefore, watched over the flocks of his father, Jesse. Being learned, in the skills of a shepherd, David came to realize that God cared for His sheep, in the fullest way, almost like a good human shepherd might do. Much is written about how the Lord shepherds us. In fact, the Bible is jam-packed with powerful revelations about this vital aspect of His nature and functions. Nevertheless, even though these verses are quoted and loved by millions, few people grasp the depths of this powerful song because there is a massive illiteracy pertaining to the ancient languages and cultures expressed in its original form. But understand this. We don't need to be asking the Lord to be our Shepherd. We don't even need to ask Him to do all the things He's promised. He is already our Shepherd, and we need to change our thinking processes and allow our hearts to believe what He says in His word about Himself, as My Shepherd. Yet, because we are ignorant to this expression of HIs character, we fail in faith, and miss out on the wonders He has already done.

Biblically speaking there are numerous categories of shepherds, both godly, and ungodly. What's more, the nomadic life of the ancient peoples and cultures, marked by their dependence on agriculture and climate, demanded that they develop the vocation of shepherding. To this day, this age old vocation paints us a partial picture of what it means to have the Lord as my shepherd.

Before Jesus walked on this earth, and was identified as the Good Shepherd, Chief Shepherd, Great Shepherd, and the Promised Shepherd, Old Testament references named God as the Shepherd of Israel. Additionally, there are also numerous mentions of ungodly shepherds, though for now, we're just looking at the Lord my Shepherd. 

The Hebrew and Greek words rendered as shepherd, are as beautiful as a priceless diamond. They depict a multifaceted image of an individual, and a vocation, that would be impossible to act out, if we didn't have the Lord's example. Of course, the ministry of pastor, is directly connected with this temperament and service. But for now, let's look at our Lord's quality of character as our personal shepherd. 

The idea of God being a shepherd, indicates that He owns a very, very large flock of sheep. As a believer, you're one of His own. In contrast, the genuine concept of a shepherd doesn't portray a cold, or inaccessible leader, as has often times become the standard for ministry leadership. That unfeeling figure of pastor most likely developed out of Greek or Hellenistic ideas that prizes control over servant leadership. In contrast, in the ancient languages, however, Shepherd is notably rendered as someone who is a companion, a special friend, an associate. These words depict someone who keeps loving company with the sheep. Good shepherds, moreover, specifically the human vocation, always had an intimate relationship with each member of the herd. 

The ancient languages also describe a shepherd as one who tends a flock, causing the sheep to graze in pastures, and feeding each sheep no matter what the season of year produced. And, it can't be ignored that a shepherd is also a manager or leader. But, shepherds had many tasks, and one of the most important was, provider. 

Our Good Shepherd is continually aware of any need His sheep might have. Hence, David wrote that as the Lord was his personal shepherd, God would provide for all his needs. There is no lack or want to those who follow Him. Feeding the sheep, whether it be natural or spiritual food is, therefore, one of the most essential of duties that God performs as Shepherd. We'll look at this further in future posts. 

Lately, the Lord as being My Shepherd, or Leader, has deeply impacted my walk with Him. You see, Jesus is known as the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and end. He is the One who is, who was, and is to come. Having said that, the idea of the Lord leading us, or going before us, is tremendously comforting. Think of it for a minute. Like the shepherds of the Middle East, who walk in front of the flock to prepare for it's needs, so The Lord our Shepherd has already gone before us. Therefore, He has already been in our future, making a way for us in advance. My friends, don't limit God to being only in your present. He is omnipresent, and, moreover, is already in your futures, with arms wide open to carry you and walk with you into your calling and destiny. This, my friend, is because He loves us thoroughly and constantly.

The Lord as our Shepherd, is also our lover. He is intimately knowledgeable of each of His sheep and calls them by name. Dear one, He knows your name because his love is individualized and personal. Ancient shepherds loved their sheep, and might occasionally give each sheep a name, simply because the shepherd liked them. History records that some sheep were even given pet names because of incidents connected with them. In a similar way, the Lord loves and knows us well. An example of this "knowing" is demonstrated by human shepherds who would count their sheep each evening as they entered the fold. However, it's been observed that sometimes a loving shepherd no longer bothered to count, because the shepherd is able to feel the absence of anyone of the sheep. If even one sheep is missing, the shepherd is so attuned to the flock that he or she will intuitively feel that one of the sheep is missing from the entire group. A story is told about one particular shepherd from Lebanon who was asked if he always counted his flock each night. He said no. He was then asked how he knew if all his sheep were present. His reply was as follows. "If you were to put a cloth over my eyes, and bring me any sheep and only let me put hands on its face, I could tell in a moment if it was mine or not." God our Good Shepherd knows us even better. 

As we draw closer to the night hour before the Lord returns, lost, wandering and missing sheep will be counted, noted and sought. The Good Shepherd is watching over us all, and most of all, He has not forgotten or abandoned you.

In the next installment of this reflection, I want us to look at the other functions of shepherds and compare those with how our Great Shepherd interacts with us. If we can get a grasp on these amazing principles, faith will begin to arise, and revival will find a place to germinate and sprout. I hope you're enjoying this as much as I am sharing this with you, because this material has been life changing to me.

REFLECTIONS ON THE TWENTY-THIRD PSALM- Part One- A psalm about revival

Reflections on The Twenty Third Psalm: 

A PSALM ABOUT REVIVAL

Psalms 23:2 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. 3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. 5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

This favorite Psalm composed by the psalmist King David is beloved by millions of lovers of God throughout history. Though recited by heart, the powerful promises and truths contained in its verses, express more than just feel good statements. This poem contains hidden gems that eventually manifest in the condition of God-given revival. What's more, this type of revival originates out of the nature and function of the Lord as shepherd.

An in-depth examination of the ancient language and culture of this treasure offers great blessing to the seeking soul and those wanting to see a miraculous restorative, revival only found in Christ's character. But most significantly, David makes an amazing statement. "The Lord is my personal shepherd." Although the Great Shepherd oversees a humongous flock of sheep, He is intimately aware of YOU! He knows each sheep as if you were the only one He cared for. So often we forget this. In fact, everything He does is because He is mindful of YOUR personal needs. Dear one, don't allow the lies of rejection, or the fears of abandonment and worthlessness to blind you to this divine expression of love for YOU. David understood and trusted the Lord in this intimate exchange. He had a fear of God, a respect that fostered God's work of revival operating in his life. Let us build a renewed awe and fear of God, as the Shepherd, so that an atmosphere for revival can emerge.

In the next few weeks I'll be talking about specific verses in the Psalm that have come alive to me in new ways. I hope you'll follow along and read them because I believe these precious nuggets will touch your heart deeply and increase your faith for times to come. The Lord is MY shepherd.