Day 2 - Intense Treatment - Abundant Life lived under the leading of the Shepherd-King

Shepherd King of My Soul,

You are my Shepherd-King in whom I have total security and lack nothing.  I lay down in green pastures.  I'm led beside quiet waters.  My soul is refreshed by my Shepherd.  I am guided along the right paths of security and prosperity in God, bringing Honor to the Shepherd's Name.  Even when I walk through circumstances of greatest darkness and peril, I fear no evil for the Shepherd is with me.  His authority and support guide, rescue, protect, comfort, and reassure me.  I am received at the Shepherd's Table as an under-king, an honored friend.  Even as my enemies are around me, I am anointed with my Shepherd's oil and my cup of blessing overflows.  The Shepherd's goodness and unfailing love pursue me all the days of my life.  I will dwell as a welcome guest in the house of the Lord forever.  The Lord my God commands me to follow his decrees and laws.  I am to carefully observe them with all my heart and all my soul.  I declare that the Lord is my God and I walk in obedience to him.  I will keep his decrees, commands, and laws.  I will listen to him.  I am God's treasured possession and I will keep all his commands.  As I listen to and follow the leading of Holy Spirit, I will love the Lord my God with all my heart, with all my soul, and with all my mind.  I will love my neighbor as myself. He has declared that he will set his people in praise, fame and honor high above the nations he has made.  I will be set in praise, fame, and honor, holy to the Lord my God as promised.  I will not worry about my life, what I eat and drink.  I will not worry about my body, what I will wear.  My life is more than food and my body is more than clothes.  The thief - the enemy of our souls - comes only to steal AND kill AND destroy.  Jesus came that I could have a full and abundant life.  Therefore, I ask God for the restoration of my soul - the breathing of my entire inner nature and personality.  I will be set on a new place with a seal called "special" upon my heart.  God's love is as strong as death, his jealousy as fierce as the grave. Because of the leading of my Shepherd-King, I will have life abundantly.  In Christ's name I pray and declare: AMEN. 

1 The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.

2     He makes me lie down in green pastures,

he leads me beside quiet waters,

3     he refreshes my soul.

He guides me along the right paths

    for his name’s sake.

4 Even though I walk

    through the darkest valley,

I will fear no 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 anoint my head with oil;

    my cup overflows.

6 Surely your goodness and love will follow me

    all the days of my life,

and I will dwell in the house of the Lord

    forever.  (Psalm 23 NIV)

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?" (Matthew 6:25 NIV)

16 The Lord your God commands you this day to follow these decrees and laws; carefully observe them with all your heart and with all your soul. 17 You have declared this day that the Lord is your God and that you will walk in obedience to him, that you will keep his decrees, commands and laws—that you will listen to him. 18 And the Lord has declared this day that you are his people, his treasured possession as he promised, and that you are to keep all his commands. 19 He has declared that he will set you in praise, fame and honor high above all the nations he has made and that you will be a people holy to the Lord your God, as he promised.  (Deuteronomy 26:16-19 NIV)

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.  (John 10:10 NIV)

Set me as a seal upon your heart,

    as a seal upon your arm,

for love is strong as death,

    jealousy is fierce as the grave.

Its flashes are flashes of fire,

    the very flame of the Lord.  (Song of Solomon 8:6 ESV)

Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’" (Matthew 22:37-39 NIV)

Idea from:  https://www.elijahlist.com/words/display_word_pf.html?ID=25704 

Some notes from:   NIV Study Bible (c) Zondervan, 2011

There is a time... to mourn

1 There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven:

2 a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,

3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,

4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance... (Ecc. 3 NIV)

Time, like an ever rolling stream, bears all who breathe away;

they fly forgotten, as a dream dies at the opening day.

(Isaac Watts, "O God Our Help in Ages Past")

This week it seems I am reminded of the grief of life. Through Facebook I was talking with an out-of-state friend and found out his mother died in 1996 and his sister in 2000. And tonight I visited an "old lady friend" of mine who at age 87 is in an assisted living home because of dementia. Her body may not be dying yet, but her mind is giving out. A good friend is celebrating her husband's first "heavenly birthday" today. And in a different way, I find the approach of fall somewhat difficult because it seems like nature is little by little dying. Just like I know that my friends who are believers in Christ will be saved to heaven, I know that (most likely) there will be spring after this upcoming winter. And, I know what Solomon wrote: there is a time for everything. This includes living -- and dying.

I have been humbled this year watching my friend walk this road of grief. Her husband died very unexpectedly and very young. Yet the next day at church and later at his funeral service she sang, praised, and worshipped with all her heart. Her heart for her husband may have been broken but her heart for God was calling out to him. Her seemingly unbounded faith and trust in God, even when it just didn't make sense, has been a challenge to my faith.

Would I be able to praise God if something happened to my husband? Would I be able to sing "You give and take away/Lord blessed be your name?"* Would I trust God enough to walk through the valley of the shadow of death, claiming God is comforting me? I am not sure I could and I hope I don't have to find out.

And yet, I believe God is bigger, stronger, and more merciful than we can understand.

This morning we sang a Matt & Beth Redman song "You Never Let Go" that I have held onto at different points this past year:

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
Your perfect love is casting out fear
And even when I’m caught in the middle of the storms of this life
I won’t turn back
I know You are near

And I will fear no evil
For my God is with me
And if my God is with me
Whom then shall I fear?
Whom then shall I fear?

Oh no, You never let go
Through the calm and through the storm
Oh no, You never let go
In every high and every low
Oh no, You never let go
Lord, You never let go of me

And I can see a light that is coming for the heart that holds on
A glorious light beyond all compare
And there will be an end to these troubles
But until that day comes
We’ll live to know You here on the earth (2005 Thankyou Music (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing))

He hasn't let go of my friend who lost his mom and sister. He hasn't let go of my friend who is grieving her husband. He hasn't let go of my friend with dementia. And he won't let go of me (or you) when we walk through the shadows of death or the storms of this life.

So we pray:

You, Lord, are our shepherd; we have all that we need.
You let us rest in green meadows; you lead us beside peaceful streams.
You renew our strength.
You guide us along right paths, bringing honor to your name.
Even when we walk through the darkest valley,
we will not be afraid, for you are close beside us.
Your rod and your staff protect and comfort us.
You prepare a feast for us in the presence of our enemies.
You honor us by anointing our heads with oil.
Our cup overflows with blessings.
Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue us
all the days of our lives, and we will live in the house of the Lord forever. (Psalm 23 NLT, alt.)

One thing we ask of you, LORD,

this is what we seek:
that we may dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of our lives,
to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD
and to seek you in your temple. (Psalm 27:4 NIV, alt.)

O Holy Spirit, you're our comforter, strengthen us, guide us, grant us mercy.

Bless those who are poor in spirit so they can gain the kingdom of heaven.

Bless those who mourn, that they would know your comfort.**

Pour peace over the grieving we pray, in the strong name of our merciful Christ,

Amen

* "Blessed Be Your Name" - Matt & Beth Redman 2002 Thankyou Music (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing)

** Matthew 5:3-4