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I was listening to the Shepherd the other day speak to me from Psalm 93.
I was really encouraged by what I read. If you need encouragement, you ought to read it, too. So I started thinking about WHY was that little psalm so encouraging…so uplifting.
I noticed that it says a LOT about our Shepherd!
When I read “He is clothed with majesty” I couldn’t help thinking about the grandeur and stateliness of this week’s inauguration. That image of the capital decorated with the Amercian flags and the image of that sea of people gathered in front of the platform. What majestic images! But yet, God’s majesty…His grandeur…is INFINTELY greater.
And when you read the psalm, did you notice that it said that He “He clothed Himself with strength.” If it had just said that God is clothed with strength then I would know that He is mighty. But what does it mean that He clothed Himself with strength? Doesn’t that mean that He is not dependent on someone or something else to make Him strong? He is the SOURCE of His own strength! That is so unlike us, isn’t it? So, He is greater!
Of course, the psalmist mentions the troubles of life that seem to keep on flooding over us, but yet there is that reassurance that God is once again…greater…than even the torrent of troubles that so often wash over us.
I have to admit that I smiled when I read that His testimonies (what He has said about Himself, what He has revealed, the Bible) is “fully confirmed” …FULLY confirmed. If it had just said that God’s Word is “confirmed” then, by definition, that would mean you could trust His Word to be true and accurate. But yet, to make his point and so to emphasize the trustworthiness of God’s Word, he added that it is FULLY true and accurate! When you consider all the stuff in this world that you have heard and read and realize that very little of it is even close to being accurate, then once again you know…He IS greater!
Maybe that’s why this little psalm is so encouraging. It does not focus on the troubles…or all the untrustworthy things of life. It’s a little song about the greatness of God.
And maybe that’s why we so often find ourselves DIScouraged. Maybe we allow ourselves to be distracted from Him and we focus too much on the troubles…on the things that are untrustworthy. Something to think about?
Oh, it’s good to hear from Him who is greater!
Happy New Year!
I hope you have your best year in 2009. My hope is that whatever was not good for you in 2008 does not reappear in 2009 and whatever was good just keeps getting better!
I’ve been thinking about how I can help make that happen in my own life. Here’s part of what I’m thinking. (How ’bout clicking on the verses below and compare notes with me.)
What I’m hearing from the Shepherd is that my heart is kind of like a greenhouse. Whatever I plant and nurture in my heart and mind will eventually grow and blossom out of my life. So more than ever I’m resolved to guard my heart and mind in 2009. After all, that’s where my behaviors will get their start. Seems silly to only work on the behaviors without having a change of heart and mind, doesn’t it?
Listening to the Shepherd for a great new year!
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