Lauren Sparks

The Sparks Notes

Psalm 23 Lessons on Rest

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A dear friend of mine asked me to do a Bible study with her.  It almost didn’t matter what she wanted to study.  I would say yes to just about anything to get to spend time with her.  But what did she want to study?  Jennifer Rothschild’s Psalm 23:  The Shepherd with Me.

 

What?  A six week study on a passage of scripture full of calm, peaceful verses?  The “he makes me lie down” chapter during the year I’m focusing on “rest”?  That “yes” was a no-brainer.  Our Father is so kind to put lessons on my word for the year right in front of my face.

 

In the first week’s study I learned that some scholars believe David wrote Psalm 23 when he was on the run during the civil war brought on by his son Absalom’s rebellion.  Whether or not that’s true, we know from history that David had been through some stuff.  He had faced down a murderous giant, feared for his life at the hand of King Solomon and fought against the overthrow of his reign – among many other trials.  His own son wanted to kill him.  And yet he wrote this:

 

Psalm 23 NASB

 

“The Lord is my shepherd,
I [a]shall not want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside [b]quiet waters.
3 He restores my soul;
He guides me in the [c]paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.

4 Even though I walk through the [d]valley of the shadow of death,
I fear no [e]evil, for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You [f]have anointed my head with oil;
My cup overflows.
6 [g]Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life,
And I will [h]dwell in the house of the Lord[i]forever.” 

 

The Lessons

 

David wrote of his abundance in the Lord.  Because of God’s care and mercy, he boldly proclaimed that he feared no evil.  Even as he was being hunted down like a dog.

 

No matter what I’m going through, “my cup overflows” too.  “Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life”.  And you too.  We can rest on that.

 

And now for this week’s featured post from the link up.

I was so glad to see Katie R Dale back on the link up last week.  Her post To Do or Not to Do, That’s the Question helps continue the conversation on rest.  She offers a very practical approach to deciding what should and shouldn’t be on your plate!

The Link Up

 

1. Share 1 or 2 of your most recent CHRISTIAN LIVING posts. (No DIY, crafts, recipes, or inappropriate articles.) All links are randomly sorted.

2. Comment on 1 or 2 other links. Grace & Truth linkup encourages community.

3. Every host features one entry from the previous week. To be featured, include this button or link back here on your post (mandatory to be featured, but not to participate).

Grace and Truth_Meet Hosts

We encourage you to follow our hosts on their blogs or social media.

MAREE DEE – Embracing the Unexpected
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LAUREN SPARKS
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LISA BURGESS – Lisa notes
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TAMMY KENNINGTON – Restoring hope. Pursuing peace.
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

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Praying God’s Word Wednesday: 2 Corinthians 12:9

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We cannot escape pain.  I try to.  I shop, I eat, I binge watch TV, but it only distracts from the pain for a moment.  Sickness, cancer, physical pain, the economy, moral failure and the lingering effects of the pandemic.  Those are just the painful things I’M personally experiencing right now.  Add on the heartache all around me.  Mass shootings, protests, racism, political fighting, countries at war – you name it.  We will never run out of things to pray for!

 

The apostle Paul knew a little something about pain.  He mentioned a thorn in his flesh.  We don’t know what it was – even if it was physical, mental or emotional – but we know it tormented him (his words).  He pleaded, he said, 3 times for God to take this thorn away from him.  God’s answer came in 2 Corinthians 12:9.

 

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

 

I don’t know Paul, but I feel certain this is not the answer he hoped for.  And although it may not have seemed so at the time of Paul’s request, God gave him a better gift than removing his pain.  God gave him the grace to bear up under it.

 

By keeping Paul in a place of weakness, Paul’s dependence on God grew.  Complete dependence on God was Paul’s greatest strength.  And God’s presence and companionship trumps any other gift He could give us.

 

Paul wrote about this to encourage us through our hurts and heartaches today. When we petition the Lord, He often takes away our hardship.  But He just as often walks with us through our suffering.  My prayer:

 

Father, pull ________ in so close during times of weakness that she has no choice but to lean on You.  And pour out Your generous grace on her in situations that she doesn’t even recognize weakness.  Thank You for loving us that much.  Amen.

 

Replace the pronouns with the appropriate ones for the person (or yourself) that you are praying for.  And if you are praying for your kids, say their names before the Father.  I am doing so here in the privacy of my home.

 

Praying for you in this.  And don’t forget to share on social media or with a friend who could benefit.  It would mean so much to me.  And if you don’t want to miss a Praying God’s Word Wednesday, subscribe over on the right hand side of this page.

Lauren

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