Psalm 23
I stood by the side of the bed and gazed about the small room.
I had been called to come this evening, because I was told that they did not expect my mother to live much longer. It had been many years since she had recognized me or known who I was. She had Alzheimer’s and now pneumonia had set in to her frail body.
I looked about her room as she rested and I noticed a wall hanging with the Scripture Psalm 23. I began to read it out loud.
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:
He leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul:
He leadeth me in the paths of Righteousness
for His Name’s sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley
of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil: for Thou are with me:
Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me.
Thou prepareth a table before me
in the presence of mine enemies:
Thou anointest my head with oil;
my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life:
and I will dwell in the House of the Lord forever.
In the midst of my reading, my mother began to say the words with me. She knew them by heart. She then sat up in her bed and we talked as we had not talked in ten or more years. She remembered me. She finally knew who I was. She had her wonderful sense of humor again and all was well.
God does restore. Even though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, He is with us. He is with us.
It’s now been twenty three years since I began writing all that God speaks to me. These have not been triumphant years, but they have been days and nights of knowing His Presence and being assured by Him that my obedience pleased Him.
I’m not welcome in churches, but I surely do dwell in God’s House, in His Heart of Hearts. I am welcome there and truly I enter with praise and remain in His Presence.
Today is the 13th Anniversary of my mother’s Homecoming in Heaven. The God of Restoration is alive and well and bringing Restoration here on this earth and in Heaven.
We are here on this earth just a little while, but the time here determines our eternal destination. We were not born good or righteous. We were born rebellious, but by God’s Sovereign Grace we are given chance upon chance to be given a new heart and a right spirit that can commune with God and fully receive His Love.
Our rebellion keeps us apart from God. Our sin keeps us from becoming who God has destined for us to be, our full potential. Our unbelief keeps us forever outside His Kingdom and wanting, lacking, separate from true and abundant Life.
God has a Plan for our lives. He wants to cleanse us of all that separates us from Him. He wants to fill us to overflowing with His Love. He longs to share with us the bounty of His Kingdom. His goal is to love us unto Himself until we are whole, complete, restored, equipped for every good work and blessing.
Your Love, Lord, reaches to the heavens,
Your Faithfulness to the skies.
Your Righteousness is like the highest mountains,
Your Justice like the great deep.
You, Lord, preserve both people and animals.
How priceless is Your unfailing Love, O God!
People take refuge in the shadow of Your wings.
They feast on the abundance of Your House;
You give them drink from Your River of Delights.
For with You is the Fountain of Life;
In Your Light we see Light.
Continue Your Love to those who know You,
Your Righteousness to the upright in heart.
Psalm 36
Twenty three years may seem like a long time to struggle to reach people with the Truth, but God never wastes a word which He speaks and even though, the people I tried to reach may have refused the words God gave me to give them, God will surely use the words and promises to reach the next generation.
The blood, sweat and tears were not in vain. They were simply gifts of love to a Father who gave it all.
We are surely a simple people. We pursue that which brings us happiness until God brings upon us His Purposes and then we become givers, people who sacrifice, ones who abandon all to Love God and to Love His people. It is transformation, not simply betterment or striving or the following of rules. It is fully and wholly simply God within us.
