When I was a little, one of the first passages of scripture I learned was Psalms 23. Yes, it is a short chapter having only six verses, but what power and promise this chapter contains!

1. 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 the 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.

If we reflect on the promises given in these verses, my how our attitudes would change! David is telling us that God is a provider in all things! Green pastures mean that we will be hydrated and filled with God’s best. Have you ever seen grass in a drought? Not so appealing, is it? However, David tells of God’s abundance, peace, and restoration that only He can provide. David further reminds us that yes, we will go through some dark times, but the dark times will not take us out! We may not have a rod or a staff in our hands at the moment, but we do have the Word of God! Furthermore, the rod and the staff in David’s hand was a reminder to him of what God did in the past. Sometimes, we have to rehearse our victories from the past, so that we get that needed boost for what we are facing today.

 

The best part is this: when we come through our tests, our enemies will be present for not only our victory, but they will also witness our spiritual promotion! How good is God?? If you’re rattled by your current situation, stand tall and remember Psalms 23. If the enemy appears to be closing in, look for your table…

 

Never give up!

Becky Brown

Trust is an attribute that’s seldom given so freely. When you say you trust someone, you are putting your faith and hope in that person, leaving yourself vulnerable. After all, people are human, and they will mess up, whether they mean to or not. Many people are afraid to trust others, because of past experiences, past hurts, and circumstances. However, the Bible says to trust in God with all of your heart, leaning not to your own understanding (Prov. 3:5). How difficult is it to really trust God? Take a look at His reputation and whether or not He’s worthy of trust. Has He ever let you down? Has He ever told you He was going to do something, and backed out at the last minute? Or has He ever lied to you? If you answer honestly to these questions, they will all be ‘no’.

 

Sure, we would have handled things differently than God did, or done them sooner than He did. Yet, ultimately, the outcome and the timing was all for our good. Now, getting back to the trust issue. Have you ever known someone in your life that you can trust more than God? No, not even our closest friend, our spouse, our children, or anyone else. God is the only one with a flawless reputation that will go above and beyond our expectations. But, somehow, we still tend to find a person or people that we can put our trust in, knowing that we could (and probably will) get hurt or let down.

 

Now is the time and season to put ALL of our trust in God, being fully persuaded that what He promised, He is also able to perform, just as Abraham believed (Romans 4:21). Don’t put your trust in people or things, for they will let you down. Rather, put your trust in God and watch the impossible come alive!