Feeling Anxious
When I read the 23rd Psalm, I am taken to a place of tranquility and peace instantly. My anxious thoughts quiet down at just the first sentence: "The Lord is my Shepherd." I love the image of God being my Keeper, Protector, and Deliverer. I am not alone. I have His Presence with me at every hour of the day.
Have confidence that the Lord makes you to lie down in green pastures, which means that He is taking you to a place of rest and stillness in Him: "Be still and know that I am God (Psalm 46:10)."
If you are always running around and don't have quiet time with the Lord, then how can you receive restoration in your mind, will, and emotions? Modern life can drain you dry if you let it. That is why so many people are emotional wrecks. They are running on empty. But God promises to restore us.
Once you receive rest and restoration in the Lord, then you can walk with Him as He leads you in paths of righteousness. He shows you how to think right, believe right, and live right.
Even though your circumstances may make you feel like you are walking through the valley of the shadow of death, you will not fear because you know the Lord is with you. God's goodness toward you will be so visible that even your enemies will see His handiwork upon your life. They will see God’s grace abounding toward you.
What is God's grace? Grace is everything God is and God has made available to you. In old movies about royalty, you see people addressing the King or Queen as "Your Grace" as they bow down. Jesus is "Your Grace." He gave His very life for you. In Him, you have a new identity as the beloved of God.
In Jesus, you have forgiveness of sin and victory over sin. In Him, you have peace and joy because He left you with both. In Him, you have love and with His love, you are empowered to love your neighbor as yourself. When you consider this, then you see that material things cannot compare with the riches of His grace! Because Jesus is your Shepherd, then you...