A friend of mine was at a motivational seminar two years ago. Among all the buzz-phrases and feel good slogans, the speaker asked: “What’s the soundtrack of your life?” When you get up in the morning what do you start saying to yourself? Throughout the day what messages are you preaching to yourself? Paul David Tripp has helped me realise: "The most influential person in your life, is you! Because you talk to yourself all the time". Psalm 23 is a prayer of trust that can change how we look at life and deal with its ups and downs. It's a psalm for all occasions and it's no wonder it's the most well known portion of the Bible today. The question is are we reminding ourselves: “The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want … and surely his goodness and mercy follows me all the days of my life” ... or have we started to preach to ourselves the Anti-Psalm-23: “I’m all on my own, I'm in constant need … and surely frustration and disappointment will follow me until the day I die”
There’s a massive difference between those two ways of looking at life! David Powlison is a Christian counsellor, who says he encounters many people whose lives play the Anti-Psalm-23 as the soundtrack to their days. For some of us, this is what we think to ourselves: “I’m in continual need, frustration, emptiness, disappointment… I’m overwhelmed and thirsty in a dry desert place…My soul feels broken and I cannot fix myself… I stumble down dark paths… I’m haunted by the wrong things I’ve done and mistakes I’ve made… I don’t know where to turn… my cup is never quite full enough …I fear death and nothingness”. if you recognise any of this jingle going round your mind today, stop and remember:
"The Lord Jesus is my shepherd; I will have all that I need.Jesus lets me rest in green meadows; Jesus leads me beside peaceful streams. Jesus renews my strength. Jesus guides me along right paths, bringing honour to his name. Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you, Jesus, are close beside me. Jesus your rod and your staff protect and comfort me. Jesus prepares a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. Jesus honours me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with His blessings. Surely Jesus’ goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord Jesus forever."
Pray Today:
- For Lorna Nunn as she meets with the local primary school head-teacher to explore starting an SU group in the school. And remember the work happening in the Royal Mile, Buckstone and Nether-Currie SU groups this week.
- For around the corner missionaries: Adrian and Heather Holdsworth as they head off on sabbatical from the Faith Mission Bible College; Andris and Anouska Meszaros as they continue work on their house, in local schools, and prepare for a new arrival in the family imminently.
- For your Home Group missionaries as they work to spread the gospel around the world.
