6-29-2023

Good Morning All,

       Psalm 23:5b “My cup overflow”

    Overflowing the cup; to some it would seem wasteful.  You spill so much isn’t that wasteful?  But that isn’t the way to view it.  Rather than view a cup at the table think of it as a cup in a river.  That is how we should envision the grace that God gives to us.  When the Old Testament writers talk of grace, we can imagine an employee getting an undeserved bonus or gift from their employer.  It is extra and not earned.  Think in terms of a bonus or time off; not as part of an agreement or contract but just something that the employer wants to do in order to show his love or appreciation for his employees.  God’s grace, that overflowing gift we don’t deserve just keeps coming to us rolling over us like a river.  We own no cup, bucket or vessel which can possibly hold God’s grace; it simply overflows and spills onto those around us.

 

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life—now that is a blessing!

 

     As we look at this section, we want to focus in on one word: “follow.”  To us to follow means to trail after, to tag along or loll behind.  That is not how the Hebrew word should be interpreted.  This word translates better as “to hunt” or “to pursue” or “to chase.”  We think of follow as what a calf does with its mother; we should think in terms of a lion and its prey.  We see God’s goodness and mercy hunting us down.  God keeps coming after us every day with his grace and his mercy.  It is not just a one attempt and be done.  It is not just lagging back behind just in case we decide to try it.  This goodness and mercy are more like the well-trained sheep dogs which a skilled shepherd counts on.  While the shepherd is leading the flock, the sheep dogs are in the back keeping the stragglers from getting lost.  God uses his mercy, which is totally undeserved; to keep bringing us back to his flock.  He keeps bringing us back no matter how often we stray.  He keeps bringing us back with all his love.  We can always run but God’s goodness and mercy will hound us forever.

 

And I will dwell in the House of the Lord, forever.  Now that is eternal security!

 

    This is what we can always hang our hat on.  This is the promise that we can always trust.  No matter what else happens, we will dwell in the House of the Lord forever.  This harkens back to a time when being in the Temple meant that no harm would come to you.  No one would draw blood in the Temple.  No one would fight in the Temple.  So, if you could get to the Temple, you would be safe form the Israelite soldiers.  We of course see it as living in God’s presence, first the Church then heaven; as a place of eternal safety.  It is here where we experience all that God has to offer us.  We experience his love, his comfort, his consolation, his peace; all this and more because we dwell in his house forever.

Dearest Lord, you shepherd us with your grace and mercy.  Keep us as your dear children, safe in your House, secure in all that we do.  In your precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret