July 30

2 Chronicles 26-28

Romans 13

Psalm 23

Proverbs 20:11

The Lord is my shepherd;

I have all that I need.

He lets me rest in green meadows;

he leads me beside peaceful streams.

He renews my strength.

He guides me along right paths,

bringing honor to his name.

Even when I walk through the darkest valley,

I will not be afraid,

for you are close beside me.

Your rod and your staff

protect and comfort me.

You prepare a feast for me

in the presence of my enemies.

You honor me by anointing my head with oil.

My cup overflows with blessings.

Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me

all the days of my life,

and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.

I feel like this psalm encompasses all that God has been trying to teach me lately. I have a strong tendency to hold on to things that are hurtful to me. I focus on things that I think are not fair. I get upset when things don't work out for me the way that I think I deserve. But if I continue to hold on to past hurt, it's going to turn my heart bitter. If I focus on things that I think are not fair, then my mood is dependent on circumstances outside of my control. If I get upset when I don't get what I want, then I become ungrateful with an exaggerated sense of entitlement.

When I am hurt, He doesn't want me to dwell on those that hurt me. He wants me to turn to Him for strength. When things are not fair or circumstances don't work out the way I want them to, He doesn't want me to feel sorry for myself. He wants me cling to Him and be comforted. Even in our darkest hour He is there and that is all we need to get us through.  And when I don't get what I think I deserve, He doesn't want me to complain about what I don't have. He wants me to rejoice in the gifts that He has given me, because in all honesty, I don't deserve anything at all.

This psalm doesn't promise that our lives will be free from difficulty if we stay near to God. It simply says that He will always be with us no matter what is going on around us. Whether we are in a dark valley or in green meadows, we can count on Him to overflow our lives with blessings.

Right now, someone I love very much is going through a dark valley. The enemy is using every weapon in his arsenal to make her feel defeated, hurt, anxious, and scared. Please pray for her, that she will cling to God our Shepherd and she will experience His goodness and unfailing love even in the valley. Thank you all.