What's in a name?

The purpose of this blog is to try to keep people updated on my life. I know my time is already limited, and it will only get more limited as life goes on, so I hope this blog will help keep you all more updated on the goings on of my life. 

I'm not real sure how deep and profound my blog posts will be, but I wanted to at least explain the name of my blog. It's from Psalms 23.

The Lord Is My Shepherd

A Psalm of David.

 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

  He makes me lie down in green pastures.

 He leads me beside still waters.

  He restores my soul.

 He leads me in paths of righteousness

  for his name's sake.

 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

  I will fear no evil,

 for you are with me;

  your rod and your staff,

  they comfort me.

 You prepare a table before me

  in the presence of my enemies;

 you anoint my head with oil;

  my cup overflows.

 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me

  all the days of my life,

 and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD

  forever.

(Psalm 23 ESV)

Dr. Jeremy Pierre guest spoke on this Psalms in my Intro to Counseling class. It seemed perfectly appropriate to name a blog about my life a name from Psalms 23.

Here's what he talked about-

Jeremy Pierre

Psalms 23

The Lord is my shepherd and therefore we don’t need anything else. We don’t lack anything, but we all want something. We might look around and feel our lack, and we naturally are inclined to think that Jesus is important, but we do lack a lot of stuff. We will often pray that eventually he’ll give us the things we “lack” but the Bile says we lack nothing.

            The shepherd takes the sheep to where they need to be, to the things that they need. We may think that we are lacking, that we are in brown fields and are surrounded by rushing waters, but truly God has placed us in green pastures and by peaceful waters.

            We don’t get to tell God what restores our soul. We don’t get to tell him what green pastures are. We don’t get to tell him what still waters look like. If we take this in as our own it’s costly. It demands that we give up some of the dreams/desires that we are tempted to insist that we need.

            We don’t pray to a God who’s end game is to make us happy, but his end game is to glorify himself and display the majesty of his name. He doesn’t display the majesty of his name by hurting people, but rather by loving and helping people. God alone is a being that when he glorifies himself, he benefits other people. When we glorify ourselves it is always at other’s expense.  

            Even in the dark places we lack nothing because God is with us. When we feel overcome by the world, fears, struggles, and problems of the world, we can look up and see God is in control. We are required to give up our fears because we have no right to fear. Sometimes giving up our fear is harder than giving up other things. The gospel is so radical that we are required to give up even our fears. We have to trust that God will defend us from the things that are going to harm our souls. We don’t get to decide who our worst enemies are, but God does.

            God provides for us in front of all our enemies. They will see that we are chosen and that we are being provided for fully. Do you honestly believe that in your spot of life right now goodness and mercy will follow you today? Or are you going to be tempted to desire and seek after other things? Do you believe that you are still in need of other things? You can always be confident that whatever situation you are in God’s goodness and mercy will peruse you, even if your life may not always appear to be filled with goodness and mercy. We have to understand that goodness and mercy is God’s to decide not ours.

God has placed me (and you if you are in Christ) in green pastures and by peaceful waters regardless of how the circumstances may feel at times. I chose the name to reflect that truth. Whatever I end up sharing about my life on this blog, whether good or bad it will hopefully be a reminder that we have been lead to green pastures, by peaceful waters and we are being carefully cared for by a loving shepherd who will is with us continually.

And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. – Philippians 1:6

Work in progress,

-Christe