The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
Snow! Glorious snow! Earlier this week, I noticed the shrubs outside the office. They have been laden with snow, and also with icicles! I walked by them on my way to my office thinking, “Ooooh, I’ll have to get a picture of that”.
He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul.
Yesterday, I walked by them again and decided I’d take the time and snap some shots. I went outside and started composing the image; snow crunching under my shoes as I tried to get a good angle.
He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.
I shot close but included the area to the southwest of the office to add depth. Shivering, I took the shot and then took a closer one. Yes! Done! I turned and went back inside.
Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil,
Looking at my phone after I got to my desk, I zoomed in to check out the icicles. As I did, I saw something else; leaves, had fallen from the tree above and were frozen at their place of rest within the icicles. Yup. Gotta go back out and take some more. Agh. Ah well, it’ll be worth it, right?
for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
I snap a couple more close-ups, run back inside, slam the door shut behind me, and put my phone on my desk.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
Fast forward to today, my blog is due, and I haven’t put into words what my heart has been stewing on.
Sit at the keyboard. Let God speak. I hadn’t even closed my eyes for more than a second when I heard, “Look at the other pictures.”
You anoint my head with oil;
I had never looked at the other pics of the icicles. Hmmm. What does God have in store for me this time? Swiping through my phone’s gallery, each shot gets progressively closer to the icicles, revealing more interesting nuances than the previous.
my cup overflows.
I notice the triads of leaf snow-catchers, then the stems, encased in a clear layer of ice, appear rippled and magnified.
Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life,
The best surprise was the next discovery: delicate star-shaped frost crystals lay scattered atop the various areas of the frozen foliage. The perfect embellishments.
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
A couple weeks ago, we dug deeper into the meaning behind one of the most widely known scriptures in the Bible, Psalm 23. Think about the scope in each simple sentence! God is always there to guide and protect us, not only that, but He provides for us-refreshes our soul! No matter where we are, regardless who is around us, we are His anointed child and we are always at home when we are with Him.
Do we have the discipline to take the time to look closer? To immerse ourselves so fully in a relationship with Him that we are formed in to a catcher of His Love and Grace; openly receiving, displaying, and sharing Christ with others? Do we have the strength to believe unwaveringly, allowing ourselves to be layered in His Word and magnifying to others? Do we have the faith to walk in the beauty he has adorned us with?
Absolutely. He’s already designed you perfectly to do it!
Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.
Amen and Amen.
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