March 23, 2007

Step 3: . We made a decision to turn our life and will over to the care of God.


Scripture reading for today: Psalm 23
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely 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

Perhaps you can relate to my story. Recently, I lost my God-confidence. Do you remember the scene in Peter Pan when one of his fellow lost boys misplaced his marbles? I felt like that guy. I completely lost my God-confidence, and feared that I would never find it. Oh, I looked for it; I wondered where I left it; I shamed myself for losing it; I even looked for someone to blame for taking it. Nothing happened – I was still without my God-confidence – and feeling very, very lonely. I wondered about my step three experience – had I really “decided” – if so, then why did I feel so decidedly unfound? Then I stumbled across this scripture.

For this is what the sovereign Lord says: I myself will search for my sheep and look after them. As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when He is with them, so will I look after my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness. I will bring them from the countries, and I will bring them into their own land. I will pasture them on the mountains of Israel, in the ravines and in all the settlements in the land. I will tend them in a good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel will be their grazing land. There they will lie down in good grazing land, and there they will feed in a rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down, declares the Sovereign Lord. I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak… Ezekiel 34:11-16

I stopped reading. I felt lost; I thought perhaps in some subtle way I had strayed; I hurt as one injured does; and I certainly was weak! But what good news! Because the Lord, the good shepherd, says to me, and to you, that he will look after us, he will rescue us, he will bring us from afar – to our own land. He will give us a safe place to rest and an abundant place to eat. God himself will seek out and find us. It’s not up to us to work out our own path of restoration. God does that. My mind jumped ahead to the New Testament, an old favorite verse of mine, forgotten in the land of lost where I had just moments ago resided. In a blink of an eye – I recaptured my marbles – well, my God-confidence at least! (My kids are pretty sure that my marbles are still missing!)

Thought for today: …for it is God who makes us both willing and able to act according to his good purpose. Philippians 2:13

Thought for tomorrow: Maybe you can’t relate to me. But if you can, may I suggest that for today, stop running around like a lost sheep. Sit quietly, bow you head, and listen for the voice of the good shepherd. Do you hear Him? He’s wooing you. He’s calling you back. He’s saying, come, find your way back to me. It is here that you will discover all that you truly need. It is possible for me to live without my marbles, but it has proven impossible for me to live peacefully apart from God. I’ve spent a lot of time blaming myself and others for my restless spirit. I’m choosing to set all that blame aside for today – and instead, ponder this wondrous thing – there is a God who is wooing me.

March 23
Teresa McBean