"The Lord is My Shepherd" Thoughts on Psalm 23:1

     When I think of the word "Lord," my mind wanders to bygone years--years when there were kings and castles and lords and peasants known as serfs.  Did these lords get on their hands and knees to become like those peasants in order to care for and protect them?  No!  Rather, peasants were required to work several days a week for the lords, providing produce as well as homage in return for protection and a piece of property to cultivate as their own.  Many were treated harshly, remained poor, and did not have the freedom of choice in most issues.
     Then I think of our Lord, who did become like us, giving up all His heavenly reign, riches, and power to become human, not like Superman, but in humility as a baby.  Later, in manhood, He did not demand that we work for Him in return for protection or reward; instead, He said, "Give me your worst, and I'll give you My best."  (1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:7b)  So when we ask Jesus to be our Lord, we give Him our very worst, our blackness, our sins--and He gives us His best--His very own life, taking our sins upon Himself, turning our blackness to pure white and saving us from our eternal enemy.  Then, rather than having life in the little and remaining poor, we gain life in abundance and the rich reward of living eternally with Him.

John 3:16  "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life."

2 Corinthians 5:21 "For our sake He (God the Father) made Him (Jesus) to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God."

John 10:10  "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.  I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

PRAYER:  "Lord, thank you for not demanding that I serve You, but freely offering Yourself to me so I may make a choice:  Do I want YOU to be my LORD, or do I want to serve only myself or another master who would hold me in bondage?
     As before, today I again choose YOU!  Thank you for taking my worst to give me Your best--hope in this world, then FOREVER, through all eternity, a life of JOY with YOU!"

Disclaimer:  I am just an ordinary woman who loves Jesus, accepting Him as Savior at the age of thirty-two and digging into the Bible ever since.  How could I possibly hope to develop a heart relationship with God and trust Him with my life if I didn't know who He is?!

These devotionals are written to help you journey with Christ and grow in your heart relationship with Him.  However, it is essential that you examine my words, and those of all other "teachers," with God's Holy Word.  Therein lies the source of all truth!