"When discouraged, 23 and 24"
Read Psalm 23 and 24, thinking about how these two Psalms describe the life of someone who follows God. http://www.esvbible.org/Psalm%2023%3BPsalm%2024/
God is our Good Shepherd, our Leader. We follow.
He takes care of our needs, our hunger and thirst. We eat and drink.
He restores us from the inside out. We let Him.
He leads us to do good things. We do them.
He protects and guides us. We are comforted.
He provides for us even in enemy territory. We accept His provision.
We never leave behind His goodness and mercy, we live with Him forever.
That is encouraging! No wonder Laura wrote down this Psalm to read when she was discouraged. She included Psalm 24, too. This Psalm reminds us how mighty God is.
He created everything, the earth and everything in it, including us. That is power!
Who could be in the same place with someone so powerful? There is no amount of money that can buy a place near Him. There is no secret password to open the door. The only way to be near Him is to be one of His sheep. One who follows, one who eats and drinks His food, one He has restored, one who does the good things He plans, one who is comforted by Him, one who accepts His provision.
Psalm 24 describes His sheep as those who have clean hands and pure hearts, those who are honest. He is not the Good Shepherd for those who don’t care about His guidance and wander off, or those who secretly trust other things more than Him and ignore His provision, or those who say they are His followers but really go their own way.
But for those who are His followers there are rewards of blessings and righteousness! That is encouraging.
“Lift up your heads, O gates…be lifted up, O doors…” Lift up your head, open the doors of your heart—let Him be your Good Shepherd and Your King.
Read in The Long Winter, chapter 30, “It Can’t Beat Us.” What are some ways God took care of the Ingalls family even through such a difficult winter, like the valley of the shadow of death? When have you recognized the Good Shepherd taking care of you?
Ready for Psalm 23 put to music? Which do you prefer? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pN4tPkX0MG0 or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZnj8yifvsw